Outdoor Family Fun – Five Tips To Get Everyone Involved!

Everyone who enjoys the outdoors does so on their own terms. There are people who enjoy the solitude the rural settings can provide, there are people who enjoy challenging themselves with difficult goals and there are the people who simply enjoy being outside and away from the confines of brick and drywall buildings. Having a family will change the game no matter what your reason for wanting to be outside is. Getting outside won’t necessarily be harder, but it will require more creative thinking.

One of the best ways to guarantee your time outside is still as fun as it always was is to make your outdoor trips a family activity. Here are five tips on how to get your family involved in the outdoors while still providing a rewarding experience for them:

• Keep It Short, Stupid – This tip is especially true if you have smaller children. Your outings should stay as short as possible while still building some sense of accomplishment into the activity. Design your hikes to take an hour or two, growing in time as your kids age. If you’re going fishing, maybe find a nice shoreline to cast from that the kids can also play on (sand castles anyone?) when they get bored. The goal here is to make the activity long enough so you have a captive audience, but short enough that your little mini-outdoorsmen don’t get bored out of their minds. 
   
• Rain, Rain Go Away! – Never insist on heading out on an outdoor activity with the family when you know the weather is going to be crappy, or even has the potential to be crappy. Nothing is going to spoil a family outdoor trip like rain, snow, sleet or hail – you’re not Postal Workers after all! On the flip side, extremely hot and sunny days can be just as detrimental to your goals as poor weather days. Obviously, if you’re snowboarding or skiing, a snowy day might be just what the doctor ordered…there are exceptions to every rule. However, in general, days that are warm and sunny, but not excessively hot, are the best for your family outing. Better to reschedule your outdoor adventure than risk your family getting soaked and cold and never wanting to go with you again!
   
• Break the Monotony – Dispersing fun activities throughout your outdoor adventure will allow you to extend the trip and build a base of enjoyment which will cause the family to come back for more. This tip is so simple and there are tons of ways to implement it. If you’re in the middle of the woods, how about an impromptu game of hide-and-seek? Trade roles as the leader on the hike – letting the kids get out front and “steer the herd.” Engage in a bit of imagination with the kiddos letting them build a story around your adventure. Keep an eye out for swimming holes if you’re on a canoe outing. You can also try a more high-tech alternative like GeoCaching (I haven’t found a kid who doesn’t like treasure hunting). Whatever you decide to do, the goal is to break-up the monotony of the trip and get the family energized and involved in the main outing. 
   
• Control Your Environment – Thinking of cliff camping with a couple of five year olds? Really? Better rethink that idea. Controlling your environment is key to a great outdoor family activity. Much like the tip about weather, controlling your physical environment is a huge part of ensuring your family has a great time in the outdoors. No need to hike ten miles into the wilderness to set-up camp. Use a regular campground that allows you to pitch your tent. You can make sure the kids and spouse aren’t uncomfortable on the way to the campsite and you have an out if the weather goes unexpectedly south on you – the SUV you drive can fit a lot more than just groceries! Not camping? No problem. If you’re hiking, pick a trail with minimal, or at least gradual, elevation change. Canoeing? No white water or heavy currents. Snowboarding or skiing? Plenty of greens and blues – and no hiking to remote destinations. There will be plenty of time for all of these more challenging scenarios when the family is older and more accustomed to regular outdoor activities. 
   
• Dealer’s Choice – Your family is a democracy (at least in this area), not a dictatorship. Let the kids and your spouse have input on what activities you’re all going to do. Engaging them in the planning phase will allow them to be more attached to the activity and will build a sense of ownership in it. That sense of ownership will be what drives them to finish it. Not to mention that people generally are more excited to participate in activities they like. So, if you’re family like hiking but not really camping, let them chose a bunch of day hikes. You can do an overnight here or there on your own, but you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors with your family on these day hikes.

At the end of the day, spending time with your family is the most important things. If you follow these five steps, I guarantee you’ll enjoy your time together even more and have much better experiences together in the outdoors.

Have another suggestion about how to include your family in your outdoor activities? We’d love for you to drop us a line in the comments sections and let us know about it!

photo credit: joiseyshowaa via photopin cc