Written by Lindsay Parks

10 years ago, when I met my husband (Dustin), I quickly learned that he was quite the outdoor enthusiast. He had many wonderful life-altering outdoor experiences that led him to be passionate about getting outside and exploring nature. At that time, my outdoor experiences were much more limited, unless you count going for a walk to a coffee shop or laying out by the pool in the summers. 

Needless to say, when we first started dating, he opened my eyes to the fun and adventure that can come from being outside and spending time in nature. All these years later, I am so grateful to say that I have now also had many wonderful and positive experiences exploring, adventuring, learning, and relaxing in nature. 

When we had our daughter, Hadley, being outside was always something that we wanted to make sure that we kept at the forefront of our family’s experiences. Even when she was really young, we wanted to give her opportunities to explore nature and be outside often. To be honest, sometimes that was really hard. By the time we got to the park, got her strapped in the Ergo, and hiked for a few minutes, it was time to feed her or change her diaper or get her to fall asleep. There was always a process and production to all of it and as a mom, it made me tired.

I remember thinking – she’s only 6 months old, she has no idea what is even going on around her and this is too much work! Even though it was tough and often exhausting, we continued to do it. On one hand, it was helpful for us to get out of the house and do something we enjoyed, and secondly, it was beneficial for her to get fresh air, see new sights, and hear new sounds. As the years went by, we started to see the wonderful effects of these experiences she was getting, even when she was so tiny. 

Now Hads is 5 years old and being outside is her absolute favorite thing. She calls herself a “nature girl” and has learned so much through exploring nature. It brings us so much joy to see her play “family” with pinecone family members, make fairy houses, make her letters out of sticks and leaves, and “cook” with mud and rocks. 

In our society today, we have lost some of the wonder and magic that comes when we get to spend time outside. Sometimes it feels easier just to put a screen in front of a child or get them to occupy themselves so we can do other things. Something I have come to realize and see is how being outside together is such a connecting experience. That may look like a walk around the neighborhood, picnic at a park, or a hike on a trail – whatever it is, it brings people together without the distractions of life taking away our focus. Again, even when it’s hard or feels like more work than it’s worth, taking time to spend time outside is such a helpful break for us, both mentally and physically.

If you’re struggling to figure out what it even looks like to spend time outside with your little ones, here are a few simple ways to make getting outside fun and exciting:

• Go for a nature scavenger hunt. Come up with specific aspects of nature to look for. Depending on your child’s age, you can make this a learning experience too – Let’s look for things in nature that are red, round, sharp, spiky, in the shape of different letters, start with the letter “B”, etc.
  
• Have a picnic at the park. Think through easy snacks or a simple meal that you can pack up and share together on a blanket. There is something extra special to kiddos about not having to sit up at the table for dinner and use their utensils correctly, but instead get to sit on the ground and have a more casual eating experience.
  
• Look up state parks near you and go for a hike. We bought a state park pass this year and have made it our goal to go to as many state parks as we can get to! State parks often have easy hiking and biking trails that are suitable for kids. There are swimming options at many parks as well (if it ever gets warm again…). There are also fun “classes” or “exhibits” you can sign up for where a park ranger does a special lesson on an animal or plant or special aspect of nature at that specific park.
  
• Start a nature journal. When you are outside, have your child “hunt” for something extra special or different that they can either take a picture of or bring home. Once you get home, have the child draw that piece of nature in a journal and use their words to describe it. This is a cool experience for children to look at an aspect of nature in more detail and put their own verbiage around it. It also gives the child a “purpose” on your walk or hike and allows them to look around at all there is to see!

God has created a beautiful world and when we stop to explore it and look around, it can be a really gratifying experience for us and also for our kids! Even if the weather isn’t ideal, be intentional about getting some time in nature. Your littles will probably remember it even more when you are jumping in muddy puddles or freezing in frigid temperatures, because that creates even more of a connected experience together.

Lindsay lives in Richmond with her husband and daughter. She loves being with her little family, getting to work in her digital marketing job, being connected to her neighborhood, and watching a VCU basketball games. She went to JMU but if you know anything about basketball, you know why she loves VCU….