7 Tips to Get a Reluctant Child Outside
What do you mean you don’t want to go outside?!
For parents that love the great outdoors, it can be confounding to find that your offspring is not a big fan. However, in the wake of COVID-19, this is becoming a more and more common problem.
Getting kids to go outside is a lot like getting kids to eat vegetables. In the wise words of Jennifer from Kids Eat in Color the best way to make sure your kids NEVER eat vegetables is to never give them any. The same goes for kids that are reluctant to go outside. Just because your child doesn’t like being outside doesn’t mean you should let them stay home all the time. In fact, that is the best way to ensure they never learn to like the outdoors.
But should a parent force a child to go outside? Let’s go back to the vegetable analogy. Does force feeding your kids vegetables help them like them? Nope. The same goes for forcing a kid to go outside. In fact, forcing your child to go outside can actually compound your child’s aversion to the great outdoors.
So what’s a parent to do? Thankfully helping your child learn to enjoy being outside isn’t rock science. Below you will find some helpful tips for turning a reluctant child into an excited child when it comes to adventuring in the great outdoors.
7 Tips on How to get a reluctant child outside
Tip #1: Start building outdoor time into your child’s daily routine
There are a variety of reasons as to why your child may not want to go outside. There could be sensory issues, screen addictions, or fear of bugs and dirt, but honestly more times than not the main reason kids don’t want to go outside is because it is not part of their regular routine. Kids are huge creatures of habit, especially little kids, and if going outside is not part of their regular daily routine you are bound to meet some resistance.
Luckily building outdoor time into your kid’s routine doesn’t have to be complicated. You can start with something as simple as taking a daily walk around the block after dinner or reading stories outside on a blanket after lunch. To start I would recommend finding a way to build 15 min of outdoor time into your child’s day.
Tip #2: Go with them
For parents that grew up running barefoot through the neighborhood, it can be easy to think that kids should automatically want to go outside. But for a child that is feeling tentative about the great outdoors, they need the comfort of a parent or caregiver being near. Even for a child that is not feeling reluctant, you will find that kids will stay outside longer if you go with them. So get out there and start enjoying some nature time with your kids.
Tip #3: Try a variety of activites
When it comes to kids that don’t want to go outside, sometimes the problem is that they don’t enjoy the method in which they are spending time outdoors. To help you spice things up, I have listed a couple of fun outdoor activities and adventures below.
At Home Outdoor Activity Ideas:
- Water Table
- Kiddie Pool
- Pouring Station
- Bubbles
- Jump in Puddles
- Fly Kites
- Climb Trees
- Run through Sprinklers
- Jump on Tramp
- Sidewalk Paint/Chalk
- Gardening
- Water Baloon Fight
- Star Gazing
- Bonefire/Campfire
- Backyard Camping
- Bird Watching
- Outdoor Kitchen (mud pies and stone soup)
- Nature Scavenger Hunt
- Build a Fort
- Look for Bugs
- Picnic
- Outdoor Movie
- Jump in Leaves
- Shovel Snow
- Build a Snow Cave
- Frozen Bubbles
Outdoor adventure Ideas:
- Hiking
- Snowshoeing
- Skiing/Snowboarding
- Fishing
- Mountain Biking
- Rock Climbing
- Swimming
- Sailing
- Canoeing/Kayaking
- Stand Up Paddleboarding
- Camping
- Backpacking
- Geocaching
- Geode Hunting
- Archery
- Horseback Riding
And if it is winter I would recommend checking out my post: 19 Affordable Winter Outdoor Adventures for Kids
Tip #4: Invite friends
Now let’s switch gears a little bit and talk about what you need to do to help your child enjoy being outside once you get them there. The first thing is to invite friends to come.
I know for some parents this recommendation may sound terrifying. The possibility of having friends witness your child have a huge meltdown can be a bit nerve-wracking. The best way to combat this is to be upfront with the parent of the friends you are inviting. Let them know that you are working on increasing your child’s outdoor time and that your child may have a freakout moment. Then trust in the magic that friends bring. Not only is your child more likely to enjoy the activity, but they are also more likely to be better behaved. And if that freakout moment comes, it can be super helpful to have another adult there to help with damage control. All around it is a win-win for everyone!
Tip #5: Let them lead
When it comes to enjoying nature with kids, it is important to remember to SLOW DOWN. Sometimes as adults we get a goal or destination into our head, which can cause us to rush our kids along. Instead, try and focus on just being outside. That in and of itself is a victory. And as you let your child take the lead and move at their own pace you will find that they will begin to enjoy being in nature more and more. Yes, this may mean that you only make it 10 feet from your car on a 30 minute hike, but if your child is happy and engaged that is all that matters.
Tip #6: Keep it short
As I mentioned in tip number one your goal, in the beginning, should be to get your child out into nature 15 minutes a day. While this short interval of time makes it more doable for everyone (parent and child included) it also makes it so that you have a better chance of ending your outing on a good note. While I have no qualms with you staying out longer, you just want to make sure you don’t end up in a situation where you are far away from the car when your kids decide they are done. That is one of the quickest ways of turning a magical outing into a miserable outing. Your goal should be to end the activity while your kids still have energy and are happy.
Tip #7: Make it special
The last tip for helping your kids get outside and like it is to make it special. There are a few ways you can do this.
FIRST: You can couple the outdoor activity with something your child enjoys. That could be bringing their favorite treat along or finding ways to incorporate one of their favorite activities into your outing.
SECOND: You can add novelty to the outdoor activity. Some ways to do that is to take a traditional, mundane task and do it outside. Things like reading books, cooking, washing dishes, sleeping, or even taking a bath are all great ways to make getting outside feel more novel and fun.
You can do it!
I understand that the prospect of getting reluctant kids outside can feel daunting. Just remember that it is worth the fight. And thankfully just making a few small tweaks to your approach can have a huge impact on getting your kids more nature time. If you are looking for even more suggestions on how to make getting outside with kids easier check out my post 9 Tips for Easy Outdoor Adventures with Kids.
