Guest Post - Outdoor Activities for Kids

First and foremost: A blog post about my epic Pinterest fail is a finalist in a blogging competition over at Undertendollars. Go vote for it, please? It's worth your read, I promise.

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Second, I have a guest post today on some outdoor fun for you and your family.



Family vacations offer a lot of opportunities for spending time and bonding with the kids. If you’re not
careful though, your vacation can become overrun with keeping in touch with people still at home,
spending too much time watching tv in the hotel room, and doing other activities that are rote for
everyday life.

The key to making the most of your vacation is planning. Look into what is going on around your
destination. Are there local fairs and festivals? Is there a really popular hiking trail within driving
distance? The key is to plan events to get your kids out of their comfort zone and into the mindset of
creating new memories. Below are some ideas for outdoor activities to participate in while on vacation.

Bird Watching

Whether you’re staying at a chain hotel or a bed and breakfast, you’ll be able to find information about
local wildlife. Many vacation spots have activities such as bird watching hikes to get people out and
experiencing the local fauna. At the very least, a bed and breakfast with a garden most likely has a bird
bath or hummingbird feeder where you can watch species that may not be familiar at home.

Give the kids a checklist of local birds and send them around the neighborhood seeing if they can spot them.
This is something they can do in the car as well, or when you go on different outings. The goal of filling up their checklist will keep them occupied during the whole trip.

Hiking

Don’t give into the temptation to spend your entire vacation in bed. It’s important to rest, but it’s also
important to see new sights. Nature also has a tendency to revitalize and re-center, so a nice hike may
do more to relax you than twenty naps would.

Hotels often have listings of local hiking trails. You can go as a family or participate in a scheduled group
hike. This is great to incorporate the bird watching checklist, as a lot of species can be found in the
woods and mountains that don’t always frequent the cities.

Water Actvities

Kids love the water, so if you’re having trouble dragging them away from their electronics, suggest a
swim. Whether it’s the hotel pool, or a nearby lake or river, the water offers tons of possible activities.
Kids are forever making up water games and having swimming competitions, so let their imaginations
run wild.

If you’re near a river or lake with fish, offer them the opportunity to catch their dinner. You can decide
whether they’re old enough to learn to clean the fish or if you want to keep that aspect of the circle of
life from them for a bit longer.

If you’re in a tropical area, scuba diving and snorkeling are fun family activities that are educational too.
First you’ll have to take classes to learn the equipment and safety precautions. Then while participating,
you can teach children about the different plants and animals they may spot.

Many lakes and rivers rent out boats or have daily rafting trips. Canoes and sailboats can be great for
a family lunch out on the lake or on the opposite shore. Rafting is an exciting activity that is sure to get
everyone wet and create fun memories.

All it takes to plan outdoor activities for your vacation is a little initiative. Look into what makes your
vacation spot unique. Whether there are unique plants or wildlife, or exciting activities offered, you’ll
be able to find something to do that ensures that your kids will have fun memories to share with their
friends. They won’t come back from vacation and say “I didn’t really do much.” So get out there and
explore today!


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Ernie Allison loves nature. More specifically, he loves birds and wants to teach others how to appreciate them, too. During this time of year, Ernie participates in several citizen science programs, paying close attention to hummingbird migration.