A Guide for Parents To Encourage Their Kids to Spend More Time Outdoors

Spending time out in nature is one of the best ways to improve our mood, reduce stress, and improve our mental abilities. When kids play outdoors, they become more creative and also develop social skills.

At Green Generation Initiative, we connect children to nature so that they can fall in love with nature.

Below are some tips to help you encourage your child to spend more time outdoors in a fun and interactive way.

1. Find out if your child is a natural adventurer

Most children are natural adventurers and they love exploring new areas. If your child is adventurous, all you need to do is find a new forest, park or playground for your child to have fun and spend time outdoors.

2. Understand the benefits of playing outside

One way to encourage your child to spend more time outside is by educating them on the benefits of playing outside. For example, you could have a discussion with your kids about how being outside can help them improve their mood, reduce stress, and improve their mental abilities.

3. Explore the outdoors together

Exploring Nature and the great outdoors together with your child will help them stay connected to nature. Take a walk around your neighborhood and enjoy the beautiful weather. You can also go on a bike ride, hike, sit under a tree, help them chase after butterflies, rest by the side of a flowing stream, or go kayaking. Anything that involves being outside increases your child’s interest in outdoor play.

4. Set up a nature journal for your little one to document their outdoor playtime

A nature journal will ensure your child has a place to document their outdoor playtime for memories. They can write about what they did, the things they saw, and the things they learned. On a weekly or daily basis, you can then look back through the journal and discuss what your child did in detail.

In addition to taking your kids on walks in the park or nearby open public spaces that connect them to nature, you can share photos or videos of outdoor things with your kids. You can also expose them to kids-friendly nature documentaries or cartoons that speak highly of the outdoors.

5. Join a community organization that helps your child interact with nature.

One of our programs; food forests and tree growing gives children opportunities to plant and adopt a tree each in their school compound. We are also establishing Green Generation kids’ clubs in various schools.  Joining something like such an active club or organization will keep your whole family involved and introduce them to new people with similar interests. It will also add fun to your routine as you meet new people with different backgrounds and cultures.

We hope that these tips will help you encourage your child to spend more time outdoors. We also help get children excited about spending time outside by planning special outing for them to get an exposure out in nature while growing trees.

You can join us or support us in getting more children to love nature, growing more trees, and nurturing a generation of environmentally conscious individuals.