Looking after your kids is a full-time job that doesn’t end until you see them walking out the door for college. And, while they are time-consuming and the worst enemies of your budget, we know you love them more than anything else in this world. Although we know your children will love a room full of toys and visits to Disneyland, not all activities should be dictated by big money.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy an entire day outdoors even when you’re on a limited budget. All you have to do is dress season-appropriate and get inspired by some of the activities we chose that will put a smile on all the family members’ faces.
Outdoor painting
Who said kids can’t have fun without leaving the house? Painting is one of the most therapeutic activities for children and adults alike and has proven extremely beneficial in fighting depression, anxiety, and mild forms of autism.
The key behind turning this simple activity into a fun day outdoors or indoors is to let your kids have full control of what they paint and where they paint. Hand them the colors and brushes and allow them to fully express their personality.
Although the walls of your living room or their room are more appropriate, if you don’t want to display your kids’ mural art for everyone to see, you can choose other surfaces to paint. The barn, the garage or the attic are full of walls in desperate need of a childish makeover. And, if everything else fails, you can ask your offspring to paint on a wood board, an old door or a window frame, a sheet or an old piece of canvas.
Gardening
Growing plants is a rewarding activity for the entire family. First, you’ll have all the help you want to plant and look after your seeds. Secondly, you’ll give your children the chance to become more responsible by looking after the plants, as well as spend some quality time outside, away from their phones and tablets.
But, what’s really amazing is that you will get to watch the entire growing process from seeds to fruits and provide organic fruits, veggies, and herbs for your family. You don’t even have to own a big backyard as you can plant in portable greenhouses, window boxes or small pots.
If space is a problem, you can start by growing cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs like oregano, basil, parsley or rosemary. Chili peppers and flowers can also be easily grown indoors, in small pots.
Shooting a crossbow
If you want your children to develop more tactical skills, you can start with fishing and learning to shoot a crossbow. At https://www.fisherpants.com/best-crossbow-target/ you will find a wide array of targets specifically designed for children and beginners, made of strong and reliable materials that won’t break easily.
You can practice on these soft targets before trying out trees and, ultimately, switching crossbows for hunting guns.
Visit a farm
Most of the kids from the big cities don’t even know what they’re missing when it comes to the simple pleasures of life. Instead of having them binge-watching their favorite cartoons or spending hours on the Internet playing online games, why not take them for a real fun day outdoors?
Most small children love animals but won’t have a lot of opportunities to see real cows, kids, goats, bulls or llamas when they spend most of their lives between four walls. Plan a trip to the closest animal farm and watch them as they discover how to milk a cow, feed the chickens or simply play with bunnies.
Animals also have a therapeutic effect on children and can teach them compassion, empathy, and even cure depression, anxiety, and panic attacks.
