1. Go for a walk

This sounds obvious, but some of the best conversations I have ever had with my kids have happened outside just walking. When we put the electronics away and breath the fresh air in, magic happens. The kids seem to relax and take the weight of all the pressure from school and life off their shoulders. It is honestly one of my favorite things to do with my kids. I also love going on walks alone or with friends. When alone, I force myself to slow down, take deep breaths, regroup, and lots of prayer. The quiet time forces us to start to listen to the voice inside us that we are temporarily covering by all the noise, by constantly staying busy, but the truth is, we are allowing fear to have the control. Use this time to look inward and reflect and start healing.

2. Go to the playground

Bike riding is an easy way for the whole family to get some fresh air as well as exercise. It will help a child with balance and coordination. It also helps build their leg muscles. Bike riding is a difficult task for a child to learn. I remember when my daughter was learning to ride a bike, she would get so upset when she struggled to stay balanced. But that moment she figured it out, the smile on her face was incredible to see and she told everyone she saw for weeks that she knew how to ride. So, conquering a difficult task like this could really boost your child’s confidence to try another difficult task again, I certainly know it did for my daughter.

3. Take a bike ride

Let’s face it, kids love to go to the park! Call a friend up who has kids and meet at the park for a play date. You get a friend to chat with and your kids get to burn a lot of that energy out. Make sure you go even if none of your friends are able to. Just getting the kids out in some fresh air after being in school or stuck in the house will do wonders. It’s another free activity that doesn’t involve being in your tiny home.

4. Study nature

I feel that it is so important for each of us to learn about nature. I remember a few years back when our family just moved to North Carolina and my kids found these pine cones that were bigger than theirs heads. It was super fascinating to all of us. This lead us to take a trip to the library (another amazing free activity) ad get books about pinecones and trees. Its been 2 1/2 years since then and we still have those pine cones sitting on their dressers. Another example happened last week, my son saw a bird and asked me what kind of bird it was. I had no idea so we spent time looking it up as well as other birds that reside around our home. This lead to a fun conversation about their colors, size, nest making habits, & what they eat. We spent the next 4 days making different paper birds.  My kids are always asking about certain trees, leaves, bugs, fruit trees, why there are fire ants in the south and not when we lived up north or why the grass is so different here in North Carolina then their cousin’s grass in Indiana.  The possibilities about nature knowledge is endless and such a great tool for anyone to learn. 

 5.  Toy made obstacle course

This is one of my kids favorite. This activity can be played at the park or in your backyard. It’s essentially a kids ninja warrior course made of things you have laying around. Get creative, add counting and direction following and add a little incentive for at the end. It burns a lot of energy, it teaches them new skills, and it shows them how to use the toys they play with all the time, in a new way. I also use this activity for some healthy competition, learning how to cheer on others, and how not to be sore loser. Have fun! Get creative. There is no wrong way to create an obstacle course.

 6.  Scavenger Hunt

This type of activity can go many different ways depending on what you have and where you are at. Make sure the location is safe and try to come up with creative ways to write down what you are looking without having a large waste footprint. Examples of the type or themes of scavenger hunts that my family does are color, shapes, objects, animals, and even smells. I make sure we do it as a group because it helps teach them to work together to solve clues, complete tasks and overcome challenges and make sure everyone gets a turn to voice their opinion. These are import skills to learn that most people will use on a daily basis, especially in the work place as adults.

I hope this list sparked something in you to turn off the tv, get outside and enjoy nature!

The post Outdoor Activities appeared first on Simplify for the Good Life.

Card Games

Depending on your child’s age, card games might be difficult. But most kids from the age of 3-4 and up can play a handful of basic card games. In an age of technology, sometimes we need to get back to basics and stop overthinking entertainment. My kids and I bond so much when I sit on the floor and play a simple game of “go fish”. A few of my family’s favorites are Go Fish, War, Old Maid, Animal Rummy, Spoons and of course Uno. So many of my favorite childhood memories involve playing games with my family. It is where some of the best conversations happened and these experiences will create a tight family bond as well as some healthy competition.

Hang Man

Laugh all you want but my kids and I play Hang Man on a white board a few nights a week and it is a blast. The white board is not very large and doesn’t take up much space and the dry erase markers are left over from my daughters school supplies from last year. Not expensive and not much space. My kids ages are 10, 5, & 4 and each one is in different stages of learning but it’s a simple activity the whole family can enjoy. Hang Man helps my children learn their letters, spell words, take turns, and again doesn’t involve electronics or toys that take up lots of space. 

Charades

We play this a few different ways. Either we act it out for the rest of the family to guess or we pull out that white board I was just telling you about and we draw it. The person to guess the most wins. This game involves lots of laughs and lots of creativity. 

Scavenger Hunt

An indoor scavenger hunt is so much fun. This one can require planning ahead but is just as easy in a small space as it is in a large space. My house is very small but still has lots of spaces. Hide clues around the house that will keep your little ones busy solving riddles and working together as a team. At the end they find the prize or treat. It creates a sense of accomplishment that builds confidence and they start to navigate that hard world of solving problems together. 

Book Making

A few white pieces of paper folded together and stapled and then let their imagination run wild. At the end, let them each take their turn to read their book out loud to the family. This is a common activity in my home. Now my 4 yr old’s book is mostly filled with pictures while my 10 yr old’s book is incredible; filled with details, a great plot and has sparked in her a love for creating books. She is currently on the third draft of her book which she hopes to publish one day.

Get in the Kitchen

The kitchen is a great place to create memories and bond as a family. The earlier you teach your kids cooking and baking basics, the better. I can’t say this loud enough, Let your kids in the kitchen with you! I don’t care if its making a basic pb&j or a 5 course meal. Start letting them help and at least teach them the basics. 

Play dough

Play dough can be found in every classroom or daycare and for a good reason. There is no wrong way to play with play dough. It’s not a competition and children often feel success about their creations. Playing with play dough has so many benefits including building their finger and hand muscles, creativity, work on their concentration, and can be a great calming activity. You could also make your own play dough with a few ingredients you most likely already have at home. This activity can help your child learn to measure, follow simple directions, have a sense of accomplishment and have a great activity to share with friends and family. 

Arts & Crafts

I know what you are thinking, what in the world does this have to do with minimalist living. Isn’t this bringing more stuff in our home? Yes and No, hear me out. Let’s get the benefits of making a craft and instead of keeping it, give it away. There are lots of articles about the benefits of art for children, but there is also great benefit in giving and thinking of others. I love spending the time with my kids making the crafts but our house just doesn’t have the space to keep them. Just have the conversation with your kids before you start that we are going to do a craft and afterward we are going to go to the local nursing home and hand them out to put a smile on someone else’s face. You could also take them to a children’s hospital or send them to a grand parent. The point is, don’t let being a minimalist deter you from the incredible experience making art with your kids. One spring, my 3 kids and I painted around 30 easter pictures on construction paper. It took us a few days to complete them and after I wrote on each picture the name of the child who painted it and what their age was. On Easter Sunday, I drove my kids to the local assisted living facility to hand them out to people who had no where to go on this holiday. I am not sure which were more excited, my kids or the residents. It boosted moral in the facility and my kids beemed with pride. Since this, we have made it a point to do something for others, especially around the holidays for those who are alone.

Family Jenga

This is a made up game that I read about a few years ago but has become more of a family favorite as my kids get older. This would be a great game if you have older children or just a group of adults. You take a regular wood Jenga set and write one question on every piece and then set the tower up as usual. The player pulls the piece out, reads the question out loud and answers it before putting it at the top of the tower. You learn a lot about each other and create a better bond as well as have fun. 

Build a Fort

This one is a blast but can be a bit tricky in a small space. Yes it makes a big mess but it takes up hours of the day and creates lot of laughs. Everyone has to work together and everyone gets a turn to express what they want in the fort. In the evening we turn the fort into a pretend tent for a sleepover/movie night or we build a pretend camp fire out of our toys, bring our star machine out and shine it on the ceiling and pretend we are sleeping under the stars. Let your imagination run wild and have fun. Trusts me, it will all be worth having to clean up the mess.   

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