How to spend more time outdoors

[BeHereNowx32]

Hi!
Just wondering if anyone is managing to spend most of the day outside with their young children/ toddlers? And any advice on how to do this.
Where to go? What to take etc?

We go out everyday for a class and a wander, but home by lunch and then spend all afternoon watching tv. It’s getting me down. Maybe I should just take lots of toys out into the freezing garden lol

Thanks!

Can you go out just for a walk? Maybe go to a local park? Do you live near a woods? Kids love exploring nature. They don't need anything to have fun. I always take a pack of wipes wherever I go as my DD just gets filthy and usual stuff in the changing bag like drinks, snacks, nappy etc.

I bought a nice comfy "snuggle" chair and blankets so we can even just sit outside in garden to read. Kids love their climbing frame. Def a great investment if you have the space.

Other than that it's walks in parks, the zoo, garden centers, national trust properties, wwt places, farms. Even the beach can be quite nice this time of year.
Mine also came litter picking with me (using kitchen tongs-kept just for LP! - when little and a proper picker once they were 4 and could manage it)

I miss it now my kids are in school. Can't seem to fit in much on the weekdays any more.

If you have a garden there's loads you can still do outside. Especially if you don't mind a bit of mess.
Mud kitchen
Bubbles
Lots of crafts/building things - dens for example.
Tubs of water and floating toys.
Brushes - sweeping for some reason kept me occupied as a child for hours
Gardening
Building simple ramps and tracks for cars, could use cardboard boxes
Just wrap up warm and pop back inside regularly if you start getting too cold
Our sandpit got used most of the year

Thank you for the tips everyone.
Think I just need some motivation. We used to spend loads of time outside, but my DD seemed to get bored of just going out in the garden.
I will try these ideas! Thanks so much

Things we do outside;
Park, luckily have 4 local ones around us.
Walk to feed the ducks.
Walk in the woods.
Out around estate on scooter.
Walk to the shops.
If a dry day, paint brushes out in the garden (can just use water and paint decking/paving)
Water activity table in garden (I've been putting warm water in whilst it's cold)
He's still happy on his slide and trampoline.
Last one is abit random but he likes to sit on a bench on main road with a snack and we count and say the colours of cars/buses etc - can easily take up an hour.

It's obv cold but get yourselves wrapped up and it's fine.

I’m doing worse as I’ve got more pregnant, but our typical routine on a good day is:

• breakfast and get dressed
• playing at home (DD often argues for TV but I’ve got a strict no TV before nap time rule to make it easier to resist)
• snack
• some sort of group, class, museum visit, soft play or other activity
• lunch
• nap
• park/playground for a few hours
• watching TV while I cook
• dinner
• books, playing at home, generally winding down for bed
• bedtime routine

It helps that we live reasonably close to a big London park, with an amazing playground. The walk from home to the playground is about 35 mins so I guess doing that in each direction takes up time too.

We spend a lot of time outdoors but not all day.
Things like -
Feeding the ducks
Walking in the woods (we used to look for the gruffalo or the little mouse and Shreks swamp)
Beach (for walks or collecting shells in colder weather)
Collect stones for painting (buy the pens designed for rock painting)
Fly a kite
Play catch or kick a ball around a park
Get a magnifying glass and binoculars to spot bugs and birds.
My dc gathered twigs and leaves once and spent ages making a home for an animal
Build a fairy garden or dinosaur land in a corner of the garden.
Tidy up the garden

Make some paper planes and fly them in the park.
Bike and scooter rides

How about getting a dog?

Thank you everyone. I am writing down all these activities and will do one each afternoon. Just need to push myself. You’ve all given me lots of ideas

@SparrowNest that looks like a really good routine. Thank you. Helpful to see. I basically put the tv on whenever my DD asks. Which obviously doesn’t help. It’s just so easy after a busy morning!

@SandandSplashes we do actually have a dog. But they’re not keen on going different places. It’s a very anxious dog. They can join us in the garden!

An activity my 2 DC enjoyed a few weeks ago was arts and crafts in the woods. Took a picnic blanket, pencils, crayons, paper on clip boards, glue. We used leaves and sticks for leaf rubbings and create nature pictures. Had a picnic then they went off to build dens.

Softplay? Or any toddler groups or play groups near you?

@ItJustMyFace that sounds lovely! I really like that idea. Thank you! Could collect things to use at home too.

@Comedycook yeah, we are lucky to have some small groups on in the morning, or soft play. We do these in the mornings and by the time I get home. I’m too tired for anything else! That’s why I was thinking to try and be out for longer 🙈 thanks tho

We still have lunch picnics outdoors unless it is really bitterly cold (more prep, but less cleanup!). Take blankets and maybe soup, but the food distracts them from the chill . In the afternoons at home we play really simple games in the garden before snacktime - kick ball into “goal” (two chairs), egg and spoon race, throw balls into large toy basket etc. Also soft toy (washable ones!) hide and seek, or treasure hunt with flashcards or postcards or anything you have taped to branches etc. Making dens in the garden with picnic blankets? I agree its sometimes just so tempo

Just so tempting to stay in that was meant to say!

Agree that toddlers are easier to manage outside rather than in the house!

It's hard to be out full days I find but if you are home for lunch and then want to go outdoors again that's a good idea.

How about:

Balance bike? Scooter.
Autumn walk to collect leaves, pinecones, acorns etc and then home to make pictures with them.
Tree rubbings with paper and crayons.
Toddler wheelbarrow and toddler garden tools to rake up leaves.
Toddler table outdoors and take out paper glitter and glue and let them make a picture (mess).
Now it's getting dark early, a short walk with a torch.

@Lostthetastefordahlias yes, food always helps! Lol thank you for the lovely ideas

@Chocolatetrifle I know, I find that I can get quite stressed in the house. I used to be good at going out or activities in the garden. But now my DD is older I feel I need to be more imaginative with what we do. But I’m probably just overthinking it! It doesn’t need to be complicated Thanks :)

I think the really important element for spending time outside is making sure you are both properly equipped. You need decent warm and waterproof clothing and footwear. Spare clothing for DC in case the waterproofs fail. A relaxed attitude to getting dirty and muddy - that is part of the fun of being outside!

Why does it get you down is it because you feel like you should be outdoors ? Because you don’t have to be if you’ve already been out once. I hate winter we normally do the same thing as you but I prefer being at home in the afternoon it feels ok if we’ve been out at least once. But I don’t feel bad about film and tv time either it’s too cold 😆

@Seeline yeah, I agree. Good to embrace it all!

@Dcrolo12345 yesteday, the tv was on for about 4 hours... actually probably more. I could just turn the tv off! Haha.

I've recently taken to channelling my dad and just switching the TV off and sending them out into the garden to play themselves, no arguments.

First time I did it I felt a bit mean, but they had had too much tv and they needed it, and actually, it worked quite well. Occasionally I'd take a tennis ball out and get them to play fetch, but after they got outside, they usually got into a groove. And I refused to let them back in for the first 10 minutes as there was some initial whinging, then they were happy to stay out for ages.

I also get mine out helping with the gardening, which they seem to like.

A dog is one suggestion. Take a picnic basket and have lunch outside as well. Another tip, find a outdoor cinema and attend. You could also go for nature walks in the countryside for exercise and fresh air additionally. Take some spare clothes, a coffee flask and go orienteering. You can even cycle. On a nature walk, you could pick up fallen pine cones and other similar things. Or you could aim to sketch trees on paper using a crayon. Other activities include wood art and craft sessions that are themed or rock collecting. Feed the ducks, fly a kite, kick a ball etc. Buy a Frisbee or a kite.

Buy a newspaper. sounds mad, but it gives you somewhere to store muddy boots and buggy wheels when you get in, wrap them up in layers and head out. We're going to find a cat / ladybird / see the postbox etc. It doesn't have tp be structured. See how many coloured cars you can find.

Dog. I give my kids poo bags so they can basically collect shit, they love it and they're 11 now.

Not actual dog shit

Honestly, stop looking at or listening to whatever is making you feel like you need to be outside all the time. A morning activity, lunch and then a chilled afternoon in the house is a perfectly reasonable routine. All this competitiveness about little kids and having to have days full of activities is ludicrous.