It’s spring! What a great time to wander outside in the warm weather! We have talked about various activities in our Activity Hacks series, and today we are highlighting some additional family activities you can enjoy outdoors.
Being in the sun helps our bodies to produce vitamin D and absorb calcium. This is important for bone health, especially for growing children. When enjoying the warm sunshine, make sure to apply sunscreen to protect your skin. Also, bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. Now let’s get into the activities!
Scavenger Hunt Walk
Previously, we talked about the benefits of walking. Walking is an easy activity that could be done almost anywhere, and a blooming spring offers great views to be enjoyed on your next family walk.
To keep the walk engaging, challenge your child to find certain plants or animals on your path! Here are some things you can try:
- Yellow flower
- Flower bud
- Branch with 2 new leaves
- Bird in a tree
…and anything else that comes to your mind!
There are many scavenger hunt guides available online. Here is an example:
Jumping Rope
This activity only requires a rope, which is a cheap and portable piece of equipment. It can be found for under $10. The length of the rope can often be adjusted to fit the height of the person using it, so it can be used by different family members. The rope is easy to carry around, so jumping rope can be done almost anywhere, including in your backyard or on your next trip to the park!
This activity is a great exercise for heart health and weight management. Amp up the fun by challenging your child to hit a goal, such as doing a certain number of jumps in a row, or doing a certain number of jumps per minute.
Frisbee
This activity works the shoulder and arm muscles. To make the throws more interesting, try alternating hands. Exercising the non-dominant hand will especially help with the development of your child’s brain by strengthening the connection between two sides of the brain. Running around when playing catch with others can also improve heart health.
While a frisbee is needed, it can be found for under $10. It is also easy to carry around. You can play catch as a group on your lawn, or use a tree as the goal to see who could hit it first.
What is your favorite spring activity? Share with us in the comments below!
