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There’s nothing better than heading off into the outdoors with the family for an adventure. There’s only one problem: thanks to video games and smartphones and the other hyper-entertaining products of the 21st century, it’s not always easy to get children to agree to leave the warmth of the home and spend a day in nature. But only for the first time. If you get things right during your outing, you won’t have any trouble convincing them to head out to Mother Nature with you in the future. Below, we take a look at some tips to ensure everything goes as smooth as possible.
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Keep Things Modest
A family adventure is not an opportunity for you to show off how fast you can complete a hike. If it’s going to be fun for everyone, then you’re going to have to keep things pretty modest. Your children have the smallest legs; they can’t keep up with the giant stride of an adult. As the old rule goes, the slowest person should set the pace. Avoid making the journey into the outdoors a mission to conquer something, and instead just make it about enjoying the adventure of being in nature.
Comfortable Clothing
Your children will have a good time. But these are children we’re talking about it here; it doesn’t take much for their mood to change. They’ll go from “isn’t this the best day ever” to “I want to go home” in a matter of moments. While you can’t always prevent this change of mood from happening, you can decrease the chances. One of the most important things is making sure that your child has comfortable clothing; they’ll suffer, and then you’ll suffer, if they don’t. Make sure you’re buying one or two ultra-soft kids shirts before your day out. You’ll also want to get them a warm coat - they can always take it off if they don’t need it.
Pick an Activity
There’s nothing wrong with just heading into nature and seeing what happens, but if you want to make the journey into the outdoors a regular occurrence, then you might want to consider picking an activity. This could be hiking, cycling, horse-riding, skiing, or anything else - it’ll all depend on what your family is naturally drawn to and what the terrain near where you live is suited to. Once you’ve all got a passion for the activity, you’ll have something that will allow you to explore the world in an interesting way.
Freedom to Roam
Though you might have an activity, and will want to ensure that your children are kept safe, it’s important to indulge in your child’s “wild side” a little bit. There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to explore but being told “don’t go there, don’t do that” all the time. If you’re sure that the area is safe, then give your child the freedom to roam. The idea isn’t just to take your child to the outdoors, but for them to fall in love with it.
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