What activity do you consider adventuring with your kids? Well, all parents know that simply getting everybody dressed and out the door is already an adventure.
Unfortunately, it can feel a bit overwhelming to go out on an outdoor adventure with your kids.
Aside from all the preparation you need to do beforehand, it can feel like it was a waste of time when you go on an adventure and your kids are cranky and whiny.
Getting everything ready for an adventure with kids requires a lot of work.
Always keep in mind that adventure is a mindset. It doesn’t need to involve a hotel stay or a plane ride. It can be as simple as playing in a nearby creek, visiting your local woods, or going for a long walk.
Here are 8 tips to help you feel more confident when you want to go out with your kids.
Include The Kids When You Plan
Most of the time, your kids will get excited whenever you let them help with the planning. They’ll get excited even if it is just for a bit.
Of course, you should not give your kids complete reign in the planning process. However, for instance, if you are considering two different waterfall hikes, you should let your kids pick which waterfall you should visit first.
If you have been trying to choose between going to the beach or heading to the river, ask your kids what they would prefer.
Involving them in the planning process often goes a long way when adventuring with your kids. You do not have to do this all the time. However, you can simply test it out and see the results.
Consider the Attention Spans when Adventuring with Your Kids
One of the things you need to consider is the attention span of your kids. What do your kids like? Keep in mind that kids don’t often like everything you like. They are their people.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. You should look for a good compromise between what your kids like and what you and your partner like.
For instance, perhaps you and your partner love going for long hikes or going to bounce house parks. However, your kid probably doesn’t like that. Perhaps your kid can only walk for an hour before they start to complain.
If that is the case, you can try to bring a toddler carrier or stroller. You can also consider hiking for an hour maximum.
Adventuring Snacks for Your Kids
If you’re going for an adventure to an endpoint such as a park, lake, or scenic view, it’s always a wise move to pack a couple of snacks for the children.
This does not have to be a gourmet meal. You can just bring simple snacks such as fruits, granola bars, or crackers.
Also, it’s quite easy to look for adventure snacks for kids. All you need to do is to consider what your kids like that are easy to take with you.
You can also consider getting snack-size zip lock bags and create small snack bags for every child with their favorite candy, crackers, chips, and more.
If you’ve got older children, you can consider getting them a kid-size small pack to carry their water and snacks.
Furthermore, don’t forget to bring snacks for you and your partner as well. Perhaps you can bring a bottle of wine or a can of beer so you can relax or energize as well.
Dress Properly
When you’re adventuring with your kids, you need to ensure everyone is dressed properly. Ensure that you take enough amounts of clothing in case your kids get cold during the adventure or too sweaty when playing safely on a bounce house for hours.
Even if the weather is good, it’s still a wise move to bring rain clothes since they can be ideal windbreaker clothing.
Furthermore, you should also bring gloves and hats for everybody. Keep in mind that mornings can be chilly, even during the summer months.
Ensure that your kids have the right footwear. This can include hiking boots, sandals, or more. The footwear will depend on the terrain of the area.
Lastly, always pack a change of clothes for every kid. You can leave these clothes inside your car.
There is a huge possibility that your kids will be muddy or wet once you return from your adventure. With this, you can simply change their clothes before going home.
Don’t Leave Any Trace
Keep in mind that your kids are the future guardians of our planet. Thus, it’s best to start teaching them how to take care of our planet at a young age.
Whenever you’re adventuring with your kids, ensure that you collect all your trash. Professionals recommend you bring a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag.
If you want to make things a lot better for your kids, you can also bring a small garbage bag and tell your children to pick up any trash they see on the way back to your car.
Offer Some Control to Your Kids
Allow the kids to set the pace and let them make a couple of choices along the way. Allow your kids to choose where to stop for lunch or which trail to take.
Naturally, your kids will want to explore their surroundings. They like to check birds, spiders, and bugs.
If your kids appear to get distracted, you can bring several toys for them to play out on the trail.
However, you can also let your kids create their inventions using the things they find on the trail or on a bounce house playground. This can include leaves, sticks, and rocks.
Get Over It
This is an important tip to consider. If your kids do break down during the adventure, always handle the situation. It doesn't matter if your kid is bored, tired, or sleepy.
This might mean you need to stop and take a break in the middle of the trail. Perhaps you’ll have to carry your kid for a bit, even if they’re already 7 years old.
Once you handle the situation, move on and get over it. You should not dwell on it. You need to be happy and upbeat and continue adventuring with your kids.
Keep in mind that your children will feed off of your energy. Thus, be ready for this one so you can quickly bounce back.
Bring More Water and Food Than You Need
When adventuring with your kids, it’s a wise move to pack more water and food than you think you will need.
Water is extremely important. How much you need will depend on the age of your kids, the temperature, and the terrain.
In general, for 1 hour of hiking, adults will require 1 liter of water. On the other hand, your kids will require 1 to 2 cups of water for every hour of adventuring.
You should also consider carrying a water filter or a LifeStraw as a backup. Tell your kids to stay hydrated by telling them to drink their water when they’re thirsty.
You can also try to stop at particular intervals for family water breaks. Perhaps you want to stop every 1 hour to drink water.
When it comes to food, energy bars are an excellent way to carry more of them without a lot of bulk. Fortunately, there are tons of energy bars specifically designed for kids.
Should You Go Out on an Adventure with Your Kids?
The answer to this question is a big yes. There are tons of benefits when you go out on an adventure with your kids.
First of all, you are bringing your family closer. While adventuring with your kids, you can openly talk to them about anything.
Perhaps you want to know how they’re doing in school. Perhaps you want to learn what they want to do in the future when they grow up.
Another reason why you should go on an adventure with your kids is that it can make everyone healthier.
Keep in mind that during an adventure, your heart, joints, and muscles will be working hard. This can help improve metabolic rates and heart rates.
In addition to that, your kids will also use muscles that they might not otherwise use when they’re just sitting in your house.
Adventures especially on playgrounds and bounce house playhouses also allow your kids to release tons of energy. They will usually jump, run, yell, throw a rock, and more.
Lastly, going on an adventure with your kids will make you happy. According to studies, trees release organic compounds that can boost a person’s mood.
Studies also show that people who spend time walking in nature experience less rumination and are less anxious.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, going on an adventure with your kids might sound a bit overwhelming. This is particularly true if you haven’t done it before.
However, you can make your life a lot easier if you simply follow the tips mentioned above. Once you familiarize yourself with these tips, you’ll probably want to go on an adventure with your kids every month.