Tips for Getting Outside More With Your Family

How are you holding up with this whole social distancing/global quarantine thing? 

I feel ridiculous for saying this, but I'm starting to feel trapped. I'm not leaning toward panic nor denial, but I'm definitely feeling the strain right now - I think everyone is.

We've been taking it easy this week in my family. At first we tried to go on with homeschooling and working from home just like we always do, but it felt different - harder somehow. So we set about trying to turn stuck at home into fun at home by reading good books together, doing some out-of-the-box art projects, and watching a few educational videos about the pandemic and totally non-pandemic-related stuff too (like Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show At Home Edition - so hilarious!).

We're not afraid, but we're taking this thing seriously and trying to do our best to help flatten the curve. It's crazy to think that the one simple act of staying home more can save thousands upon thousands of lives, but it can. I'm so encouraged to see so many people happy to do their part.

So why am I feeling trapped?

Probably because I'm so accustomed to going anywhere I want at the drop of a hat without even thinking about it, and because nearly a week into this thing, no one is saying how long we'll need to stay put.

The reality, though, is that we aren't trapped at all.

We can still do one thing that's huge for our health and a big boost for our family togetherness factor too - we can still get outside.

We can play in our backyards.

We can go hiking or biking.

We can toss a ball or chase a frisbee.

We can stargaze, people-watch, and build a campfire.

We can run, play, swing, play hopscotch, or just sit on our porches and sip tea.

I'll be honest with you - my family isn't there right now. We love the outdoors and have spent loads of time and money on quite a few epic outdoor adventures with our kiddos that have become such a big part of who we are as a family, but the rainy weather we've encountered since leaving Florida last month has us waiting for bright sunny days that never seem to come. So most days in March we've been getting out for just an hour or two and then going back to our to-do's. But being outside makes us come alive in ways that cuddling up on the couch by the tv just doesn't, so I've been wondering,

What kind of togetherness boost would happen if we got outside more regardless?

I know from experience it would be a big one, but in seasons of uncertainty, we have to be a little more intentional to make it happen.

If you follow me on Instagram (link below), you already know that I've been completely swept away by a new book recently, and just yesterday I dove into the chapter called "The School of Nature" where the author cites expert after expert to say in all sorts of ways, "Time in nature is not a luxury. It is a necessity" (The Call of the Wild + Free, pg. 234), and I believe it.

Here are just a few:

Compared to kids confined indoors, children who regularly play in nature show heightened motor control - including balance, coordination, and agility. They tend to engage more in imaginative and creative play, which in turn fosters language, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving skills, together with a sense of wonder.

Scott Sampson (The Call of the Wild + Free, pg. 235) 

The child should be taken daily, if possible, to scenes - moor or meadow, park, common, or shore - where he may find new things to examine, and so add to his store of real knowledge.

Charlotte Mason (The Call of the Wild + Free, pg. 247)

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Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.

John Muir (The Call of the Wild + Free, pg. 234)

And if I know anything, it's that when we are at our best physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, family togetherness naturally follows.

This weekend, I hope you find a wild and wonderful place to get outside with your crew. I hope you get to relax and take full advantage of the giggles, the hugs, the muddy shoes, and the squishy toes that fill your life. I hope you don't make the mistake I made yesterday by trying to escape this stressful time. Instead, I hope you find wonder, beauty, and everything good while you stay at home and get outside too. (If you need a few ideas to spark your creativity, check out this list of 130 free outdoor things to do from Outdoor Family Magazine.)

And don't forget - we're all in this together, and I'm here for you.

If you need a friend, want to ask a question, answer my questions, or get or give some advice, join our email group and shoot me a message. My heart leaps when I get replies from you, mama. For now, I'll leave you with these words:

Get outside. Get dirty. Start oohing and aahing. Begin wondering and wandering again. Be afraid. Be adventurous. If you lead the way, I promise, before you know it, your children will be leading you. 

Ainsley Arment, The Call of the Wild + Free

Let’s go after those family adventures you’ve been dreaming of together.

Hang in there!

What's your favorite thing to do outside with your crew?

Hop into the email group and join the discussion!