Hey Weather Wimps: Now’s the Time to Get Outside With Your Family!

Hey Weather Wimps: Now’s the Time to Get Outside With Your Family!
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If you’ve ever used the weather as an excuse to stay inside, summer is the best time of year to get your family outdoors. Daylight is abundant; nature is teeming with life; and temperatures are generally more comfortable. Spending time outside will energize everyone and lower your stress levels, while also boosting concentration and physical health.

With plenty of time left this summer, here is my personal bucket list of eight things I still hope to do with our kids before autumn arrives:

  1. Viewing the Solar Eclipse – On the morning of August 21, there is going to be an extremely rare solar eclipse, where the moon will pass between the earth and the sun. If you are lucky enough to live near the “path of totality” that spans the U.S. and much of Western Canada, then the daytime sky will turn to night for about two minutes. During this time, stars may be visible if the cloud cover is minimal, and the temperature may drop as much as 10 degrees. I can’t think of a better opportunity to share the wonder and awe of nature with my children.
  2. Flying a Kite – On a breezy day, I hope to teach my kids the joy of getting a colorful kite to lift off and dance across the sky as we harness and delight in the energy of the wind.
  3. Exploring Tide Pools – I am fortunate to live near all sorts of rocky beaches filled with living creatures to discover. If you live near the coast and want to do this with your family, check a tide table and arrive at the beach about an hour before low tide. Wear sturdy shoes or boots, and remember to respect wildlife.
  4. Riding our Bikes – Now that everyone in our family has a properly sized bike, cycling is a free and fun activity that we can all enjoy together. With a suitably enticing destination in mind (I’m thinking the local ice cream shop), cycling serves both as playful exercise and energy efficient transportation.
  5. Picking Berries – Summer fruits are especially sweet when eaten right off the tree or vine. Where I live, we measure the phase of summer based on the rotation of ripening berries, from salmonberries and strawberries to raspberries and gooseberries, culminating with blackberries and huckleberries. Many of these grow wild on the side of the road or at the edge of our forests (blackberries are particularly abundant in our neighborhood). Even if you live in an urban area there’s likely a “U-Pick” farm within a manageable drive.
  6. Picnicking in the Park – Our local parks host free concerts and movies on summer evenings. We’re going to have a family picnic at one of these events. Personally, I’m on a mission to try to find a seeded (i.e. not seedless) watermelon so that I can revive the dying art of seed-spitting (which, needless to say, our children will absolutely love).
  7. Running Through a Sprinkler – There’s no better way to beat the heat than to run through a sprinkler. And this simple activity is not just for kids; it’s impossible not to laugh while doing it, and you’ll be surprised how young it makes you feel.
  8. Playing Capture the Flag – At the end of each summer, we have a tradition of leading a huge multi-family game of capture the flag. These battles have become quite epic at times, involving 20 or more people, and sometimes lasting for hours. We have an outdoor space that is particularly well suited to this game, but have been known to spontaneously organize rounds at neighborhood parks, local playgrounds, or the school yard.

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out this list of 100 easy and fun #NatureMoments created by Nature Valley in Canada. I was really pleased to come across this campaign featuring ways to help families rediscover the joy of nature. Regardless of what activities you choose to do, think of using the sunny months of summer to start creating your own family traditions outdoors.

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