In the age of Netflix, iPads and the Nintendo Switch, getting kids to unplug and play outside might seem like more of a challenge than ever before.
One way to get kids to venture outdoors is by offering them books that are inspired by nature. Here are a few picks that will hopefully encourage outdoor play in your backyard this summer.
There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes something like this.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
The same is true about talking to your kids about the environment: It might be something that you wanted to bring up years ago, but it’s not too late to start. If they’re kids who value outdoor play, they might even be inclined to listen.
Here are a few ways to get started.
Reading is fundamental.
It's an idea that's so important that there's a non-profit – RIF – based on those three words.
And for some kids, reading is not only fundamental, it's also fun. They're happy to spend a few hours getting lost in the worlds of Harry Potter or Harriet the Spy. Some of them read these books and go on to create stories of their own.
But for other kids, reading is a chore. But there are ways to motivate your child to read while they're still young, including making it part of their regular outdoor play time.
We turned to the British website Nurture Store, the parenting blog Childhood 101 and Growing Book by Book, an online guide for encouraging literacy, to get some ideas for outdoor games designed to get kids interested in reading and writing.
Work life balance.
Having it all.
There’s been countless articles written on this topic: women juggling family life and work. (There’s far fewer articles about men attempting the same juggling act, but that’s a topic for another day.)
It’s hard enough giving time to your job and while also balancing child play time, household chores, exercise and sleep.
But what if you’re attempting to balance work, motherhood and school? Not your child’s school schedule – as hectic as that might be – but your own.
It’s a lot to deal with: a job, a family and going back to school, but it can be done. The website Working Mother offers these tips (while also acknowledging that things won’t always go smoothly).
