I admit it – I like hiking way more than my kids do. So rather than “enforce fun,” I look out for activities that pique their interest… and oh yeah, just happen to get them into a little outdoor exploring. Here are two that have been a hit:
Photography
This one was totally unintentional. I found a photography camp for my tween daughter (it gets harder and harder to find camps that either accept or appeal to teenagers, but this one fit the bill). Much to my delight, the instructor took them outside every day to scout out subjects. She also put a lot of “focus” (sorry) on close-up photography, so my daughter really got a chance to connect with the amazing textures and shapes of natural objects. Now if she seems bored or uninterested in going outside, I can suggest a “nature shoot” instead.
Disc Golf
Disc golf uses special throwing discs (not exactly Frisbees, but close enough that we like to call it “Frolf”). You hike around a course (whoops, did we say “hike?”) and throw the discs at targets that are kind of like a funnel made of chains. The chains stop the disc in flight and allow them to drop into a tray under the target. Once you know to look out for the courses, you will find them in lots of places. The Professional Disc Golf Association lists 51 in the metro Atlanta region alone in their directory. We’ve seen them at Georgia State Parks, and even in our local county park in Cumming, GA.
You can often borrow discs from the course, but my son had so much fun with the challenge that it was an easy gift suggestion for the next Christmas – plus a great family activity when we were all sick of sitting around the house and needing to work off some eggnog.