Ideas for Keeping Kids Excited about a Day Outside: Bring a Friend

The best way to get a child excited about doing something in nature is to bring a friend. This is also the best way to prolong a day in the wilderness. One child or even a child with their sibling is much more apt to whine and want to go home than a child with a good friend.

Just like an adult brainstorming exercise, a group of people together can come up with much greater ideas than one person can on their own. Ideas seem to run wild and children take one idea and build upon it until soon they've spent ours playing in nature and still aren't ready to go home.

This past weekend our family of 4 met another family of 4 at Rocky Mountain National Park for an afternoon of snowshoeing. We all had a blast and heard much less complaining about the cold from the kids than if we had gone alone.

There are times when it is great to spend time alone in nature with your kids but it is also very important for your child to share the experience with other children. Sharing your favorite natural places with your friends also helps other get out more often. If we are going to have a real impact on the future generations we must get as many kids as possible into nature. So the next time you head out, grab the neighbor kid or invite an entire family to join you.