7 Ideas For Taking a Nature Break With Your Kids or Grandkids
Do you, your kids, or grandkids need a nature break? One of the most useful habits you can integrate into your life and the life of your family is time outdoors.
Why Take a Nature Break?
Our culture is tuning to technology and media more than ever and spending less and less time out in nature.Yet research shows that time spent outdoors away from technology is one of our greatest stress-busters.Richard Louv uses the term "nature-deficit disorder" in his book, Last Child in the Woods, and explains it as "not a medical diagnosis, but a way to describe the growing gap between kids and nature, and the consequences."Some of the consequences are stress and depression. Ouch!Imparting a love for nature offers other benefits. When you hang out in God's creation you find unhurried time for conversation and teaching moments where stories and life lessons can be shared. In this way you pass on the legacy that God is building in you.A summer vacation at the lake is perfect, but not all of us can arrange that. And even if we did, it wouldn't remove the need for a daily dose of nature.
How to Take a Nature Break
Here are seven ideas of things to do with your kids or grandkids to get them out the door and into the dirt and green of a non-technological world.1. Take the kids on a nature scavenger hunt. Chrissy over at the Taylor House shared a great list of things to look for in her post Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids.2. Encourage your children's creativity by having them search for leaves, twigs, moss, acorns, rocks, and other woodsy stuff. Provide a nice spot in the yard for each of them to build a fairy house.3. Go berry picking! My kids loved this seasonal outdoor activity. Visit a pumpkin farm in the fall, and take a hayride together.4. Explore a local creek to find the creatures that live in the water or hide near the shore. Who can resist rock hopping and wading in a creek!5. Bird feeder, seed, journal, and a bird guidebook provide all you need to enjoy feathered visitors.6. Plan weekly Nature Adventure Walks. Storm the Castle provides helpful ideas, tips, and tools for kid's active experience with nature walks.7. Find an available tree in your backyard. Provide wood, hammer, nails, rope, and free time for the kids to create a tree house.Well, I think I'll take the dog out for a walk down our little road. She needs to chase a few squirrels, and I need my nature break. Have a lovely day, Susan.Share with me: Leave a comment below, and let me know what kind of nature break work for you.Related post: 20 Summertime Quiet Places That Remind Me of Heaven"Jesus likes it when we share." -Adelaide, age 3: Pass this along to everybody and their brother. OK, maybe not everybody's brother, but you know . . . all your friends would be good.