Family Nature Walks
As we roll into the New Year, you’re probably thinking of new habits you want to pick up or certain things you’d like to do less of in all aspects of your life, including parenting. Perhaps you’d like to reduce your child’s screen time or incorporate more physical activity and mindfulness into your day-to-day, but don’t know where to start.
At Wellness and Wonder, we believe that getting outdoors is a great way for families to grow together, build connections, and enhance overall wellness. Research shows that time spent in nature offers many benefits for children and parents alike, but often we get overwhelmed, or focused on doing everything perfectly, and we never get our plans off the ground. So, this year, keep it simple!
To start the year, we’re sharing a few easy activities you can do this month with minimal planning to get outdoors as a family.
In this post, we will focus on few tips and tricks to get the most out of a simple nature walk:
Don’t overthink what can be defined as nature. For children the outside world is magical and they can be equally captivated by their backyard as much as a true nature trail. Take a walk in your neighborhood, visit a park, or find any open green space that is safe and accessible.
Also, don’t get too focused on the ‘walking’ aspect. Of course, we want to encourage moving our bodies but that is going to look different for every child and caregiver. Different ages are at different developmental stages. You might be running (or walking) in circles, you might find yourself in one spot fixated on a rock or a bug, or you or your child might not feel like covering a large distance, that is okay and totally normal! Studies show that even 20 minutes spent outside lowers cortisol levels, so just being outdoors is a great start.
Make it interactive by turning the walk into a scavenger hunt. Create a simple list of things to find (e.g., a feather, a smooth rock, a colorful leaf). You can make these up on the fly as you see them, no need to plan ahead unless you want to.
Encourage mindfulness by pausing to observe sights, sounds, and smells along the way. Ask your child, “What do you hear right now?” or “Can you find something rough or smooth to touch?”
We’d love to hear about your outdoor adventures this month! Do you know of any great local spots to walk with kids? Share them in the comments!
-Sara
