Kids and the Outdoors
One of the greatest gifts you could possibly give the next generation is a love of nature and the outdoors. Sometimes it seems as though we get so busy with the hustle and bustle of our daily lives that we forget there is a big wide world out there, just waiting for us to take a walk through it.
The health benefits of spending time out there are numerous, from fresh air to exercise. Not to mention the peacefulness that can fall upon you as you sit and admire the beauty of the trees, the fields, and the critters. But, how do you get the young’uns interested? How do you get them to put down the phones and tablets and head outside? Here are a few suggestions.
Safety First
Every child old enough to operate one should have a whistle with them when they head into the wilderness. The sound of a whistle carries much further than that of a screaming voice. The whistle is the first line of defense, so to speak.
From the time they are just old enough to understand the instruction, teach your child that if they ever get lost in the woods, to stop and hug a tree. That isn’t necessarily meant literally, of course, though if that helps get the point across, go for it. The idea is to stay put as that will make it easier for searchers to find them. A moving target is infinitely more difficult to locate, especially in bad weather or at night.
As the child gets older and is able to take on more responsibility, add to the emergency gear. A flashlight is beneficial in many ways, from providing a calming illumination at night to helping searchers spot the child in the dark. A chemlight or glow stick can also serve well in this regard. While the dollar store ones are okay, Cyalume Snaplights are far brighter and last longer.
Let’s look at a few activities that are geared toward making sure kids are having fun outdoors. If they enjoy themselves, they are obviously more likely to come back for more, right?
Cooking Outdoors
While on a winter hike last year, my wife and I crested a forested hill and found a father and his two daughters sitting at the side of the trail. He had obviously been pulling one or both of them on a sled through the forest. They were taking a break and he was heating water on a small jet stove to make each of them a cup of hot chocolate. I’m fairly certain those girls will remember that little adventure for years to come, based on how excited they were at the prospect of sipping hot chocolate in the forest.
Any time you couple food with the outdoors, it is a winning combination. Even a simple backyard campfire over which you roast some hot dogs and marshmallows makes for great memories.
Take it a step further and put together some hobo meals for everyone. These are simple and easy. Just aluminum foil packets filled with a hamburger patty, potatoes, and some vegetables. Seal them tightly and toss them on the hot coals to cook. If you search “aluminum foil packet cooking” online, you’ll find hundreds of variations.
Getting the kids involved with preparing food outdoors teaches them valuable cooking skills. Almost anything you cook in the kitchen can be prepared outdoors, given sufficient planning and preparation. Some favorites include pancakes, eggs, hamburgers, hobo meals, and, of course, s’mores.
Scavenger Hunt
Most children like to play games, so put together a scavenger hunt next time you’re going out on a hike. Make a short list of things that the child is likely to see or be able to find. Examples include:
· Bird feather
· Animal print or track
· Pine cone
· A bug (bonus points for correct identification)
· Spider web
This not only makes the trip to the forest more fun for the child, it teaches them to be observant. This is a habit that has lifelong application.
Geocaching
This one requires either investing in a handheld GPS unit or downloading an app to your phone. Basically, the way geocaching works is someone will hide a container (the cache) somewhere outdoors and post the GPS coordinates of the location to a website. Others download those coordinates, travel to that spot, and try to find the cache. It is sort of like a combination of hide and seek and a scavenger hunt.
Inside the cache, small trinkets are usually placed. We’ve seen everything from marbles to action figures to plastic flowers. The tradition is the person who finds the cache is allowed to remove something from it, but then also has to contribute something in return.
There is also usually a sign-in log of some sort where you can enter your name and the date you found it. When you get back home, you can go to the Geocaching website and log your find there. Many people also make a note as to the condition of the cache, so the person who owns it can maintain it as needed, such as replacing a wet notepad or adding another pencil.
Once you have some experience with finding caches, you might consider setting up your own.
Caches come in all sorts of sizes, from pill bottle containers to small plastic totes. There are even caches that aren’t containers but rather just destinations. Keep in mind that, as a general rule, the smaller the container is, the more difficult it will be to find. When your child is just starting out with geocaching, maybe encourage them to go for the larger containers first, so they gain some confidence with their searching ability, before they start looking for the micro caches.
Geocaching not only encourages trips outdoors, but it helps you and your children learn navigation skills, increases your observation skills, and have lots of fun doing so.
Be Good Stewards
Children emulate the adults around them. If you routinely toss trash out the car window, that’s what they’ll do when they get older. Conversely, if you always bring a plastic bag when you hit the trail and pick up trash you find so you can cart it out, they’ll learn that behavior.
Human beings, as a species, are slobs. It is rare to go for a hike and not find evidence of those who came before you. Footprints, sure, but also cigarette butts, soda and beer cans, candy wrappers, and other detritus. Take a moment and pick these things up when you see them.
Mother Nature and her critter denizens will thank you for it.
One last bit of advice. Don’t overdo it. You cannot reasonably expect a young child to be ready to tackle a hike of several miles without at least some experience first. Take it slow and let them set the pace. And bring lots of snacks.
About the author
Jim Cobb is a well known freelance author on survival and other topics.
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We are very lucky that most of our grandchildren enjoy the out of doors.thank you, this is a very well written article,never thought to cook any food on a nature hike.They have had multiple experiences camping and most of them enjoy going on a nature hike,the most requested hike is to a local golf course which is only 1 1/2 miles from the house,on one occasion we found 193 golf balls part of the course had been flooded for a good part of the year and when we went the flood waters had produced a lot of golfballs talk about some excited children,mind you they were only 9,7,and 3 at the time and nobody complained about the length of the excursion we had put on at least 5 miles that trip thanks for the article.
Hi all, have not commented here for a bit, but always out here reading and appreciating your Site, Thank You.
The reason I felt the need to speak up now?
This is an extremely timely and important Article.
We are in the mist of a HUGE problem, and being in Lockdown the idea of getting Outdoors should be of paramount thinking.
There are literally millions upon millions in total disarray with no end in site.
There are people getting arrested and fined for just being “Outside”….
Please let’s keep up the Articles like this for the well being of “hope” we will return to sanity soon.
Thank You
I’ve actually been spending a lot of time outdoors following my passion, nature photography. I think I’ll share some pictures of what I’ve been doing, lots of birds and such.
One thing to keep in mind about COVID and other viruses is that UV rays kills them dead dead dead. There’s no better UV generator in our solar system than the sun, and being out in the sun is a good way to stop these viruses cold (as long as you remain isolated).
Very good article Mr. Cobb. When I first read the heading “Safety First” I cringed a bit thinking it would be a bunch of ‘bubble wrap the child’ stuff, but the whistle and the light were excellent ideas (as well as stay still when lost).
I am not working now, apparently I’m not essential, but having said that this is my first real vacation in over 30 years. As a sole proprietor, when I take off, the work just piles up in front of me. There is no work piling up right now. Its a small blessing in these difficult times.
I am spending a lot of time in the back woods working on bushcraft type projects at my various campsites and testing new or homemade gear. Today we are having a good rain so I’m testing the weather-proof capabilities of my shelters. Good times.