Tag: family

September hits and so does school, homework, soccer practice, after-school activities, social engagements, etc. That is an abrupt change to spending our days swimming, camping, hiking, riding bikes, and going to outdoor festivals. It has always been hard for me to make this change, especially because fall is so lovely in the Pacific NW. The rain doesn’t really hit hard until sometime in the middle of November, which means we have several months of ideal weather. So, why spend it all inside?

Getting outside with our kids once school starts up is certainly a challenge. It is important, though. Studies show that getting outside helps our kids’ mental and physical health. It can also help kids while they are at school by reducing stress, improving focus, and more. Add in some screen-free family connection, and there are endless benefits. 

The nice thing about getting outside with kids is that it doesn’t need to be Instagram-worthy (and I would argue that we need to normalize local, low-key outdoor activities with our kids)! Any amount of time or location outdoors WILL be beneficial. You’ve got 15 minutes? Get outside! You can certainly fit that in most days.

Here are a few ideas for getting kids outside once the school year kids off:

• Take advantage of early release days
• Take after-dinner walks or bike rides until the time changes in November
• Keep it local (check out Strolling and Wheeling Around Vancouver, WA for Clark County trails and little feet hiking: Portland Metro for Portland-area trails)
• Take dinner outside, even after the rains come (find a park with a picnic shelter)
  • Clark County picnic shelters are first come first serve 10/1 – 4/30
  • Vancouver picnic shelters are first come first serve 10/1 – 4/30
  • Portland has its own rules around picnic shelters 
• Visit a playground (see here and here for our favorite playgrounds)
• Plan a family adventure field trip – check out this blog post for ideas on fall hiking destinations
• Take homework, art, board games, or books outside
• Start a nature journal (you can even do this while looking out the window or in a backyard)
• Go stargazing – take advantage of earlier nights and clear skies
• Go birdwatching
• Visit a fall festival or pumpkin patch
• Watch spawning salmon
• Camping trip – many Oregon and Washington state parks have year-round camping
• Do a neighborhood nature scavenger hunt

Whatever you do, have fun with your kids outside!