Mumsnet user share how they get their family to explore the outdoors with HONEST® Kids drinks

[EllieMumsnet]

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With modern day technology making up a fairly large part of most families lives nowadays, it can be difficult to find ways to spend quality time together in the great outdoors. HONEST® Kids would love you to share your top tips for getting your family to put the technology down and get out and about.

Here’s what HONEST® Kids have to say: “We all love the great outdoors but sometimes it can feel a little daunting thinking of ways to make the most of what is on the doorstep whilst being suitable for the whole family to enjoy together. Our great-tasting, organic drinks combine organic fruit juices, water and natural flavourings to provide simple drinks that your kids will love and in the same way we want to encourage simple, organic family time together.

Giving mums and dads peace of mind, the HONEST® Kids range contains no added sugar, is low-calorie and sweetened only with fruit juice. Keeping children’s playtime refreshing and fun, it is available from selected Tesco stores nationwide."

Do you schedule a walk with the family once a week to ensure you all get that bonding time outside? What about planning different games to play outside, in order to engage the young ones more? Perhaps you make the most of your garden by getting your DC’s playing outside, doing a bit of gardening or even just relaxing with a good book in the fresh air?

Whatever your tips are, share them on the thread below in order to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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My three year old has a tablet, which he loves to play on, and loves his telly, but I would never have a problem geting him into the great outdoors. He'd choose playing outside to stopping in, no matter what the weather! It is myself that has to force myself to get up and out and about. I'd rather snuggle up with a hot choc and watch a disney film...not the best example!
We don't have much money, but we have gathered a bit of outdoor play equipment in the sales, and on freecycle etc.
I decided to set up a patch of garden that we could tend to together and grow some flowers and a bit of veg. That was really fun last year and got us both outside, enjoying the sun, and even grew a bit of produce we could cook with.
It was so successful, this year we will be expanding our garden patch and hope to grow some more different types of herbs and veg in the garden and containers.
I also bought a uv protective tent, so hopefully we will be out having picnics with the new baby this year both in the garden and maybe the park.

Our 7 year old son loves the outdoors - I blame the parents! 😉 I also think it's because it's something we started young with him so it is now a normal thing to do. Right from when he first came home as a baby we would go for walks nearly everyday. His first camping trip was when he was 6 months old and still on an external oxygen supply. We took him up hills and mountains in a backpack carrier when he couldn't walk but has now been up Snowdon without any help or complaints. There are times when he can need a little encouragement and that's when some 'scooby snacks' (as we call them) come in handy!

So my main tip is just to get them outside when they're young and as often as possible so it becomes a way of life. And don't forget the picnic/snacks!

There is a big difference in the behaviour of my boys if we don't go outside for a walk or run around. We got an allotment so they can have fun digging and growing vegetables whilst spending time together creating something as a family. Going outside doesn't need to be a big deal - just don't take the car, or park further away, and if they are grumpy, make it into a game, like a treasure hunt

Grow cress or a carrot top in the kitchen. Plant nasturtium seeds in the garden or a window box. Have a bugbox ready to look at any spider, beetle, ant or ladybird you meet.
Above all talk about the trees, flowers and creature you see.

We just get out there - a walk in the woods with the dogs, a walk on the hills, mountain biking or road biking in the countryside. Or wild swimming and kayaking

When it comes to the outdoors I just treat my children (aged 1 and 3) like puppies: out for a walk twice a day, no matter what. It can be a walk up to the shops or the local park, or more of an “event” like a walk on a beach or in the countryside, but it happens every day, whatever the weather. They have cheap all-in-one rain suits and wellies and we layer as required underneath. The best thing about walks is they’re free!

We don't do a weekly scheduled walk but my children go outside alot in the garden they would both much rather prefer to be outside than inside and they have lots to keep them busy and entertained in the garden. We have an outdoors jenga wooden blocks that the little ones love to play with in the garden and their trampoline and we love to chalk on the patio.
My daughter has a love of gardening so is always keen to help and has her own wheelbarrow and gardening set to help Mummy.
When we go out for the day we tend to pick days out which involve quite alot of walking so for example a zoo or if we go to a park we make sure we have a walk and spot wildlife whilst we are there. x

Not having a garden makes this more if a challenge, but tbh DDs need little encouragement to go to the park. We try to include outdoor activities in days out too. The most important thing us having suitable clothing, do they don't give up due to bring cold or wet.

We are lucky to live a short walk from a large park and a short drive from some beautiful country parks. While I've been on maternity leave I've taken DS to the park at least once a week for a nice stroll to look at all the plants, trees and the ducks in the pond and when the weather has been nice enough we strap DS in to a carrier and head out for one of the country parks to see the forest and so DP and I get some well needed fresh air and exercise! I can't wait until he's a bit older so we can start doing forest schools etc.

At home they're out gardening, riding their bikes/scooters, they go on 'adventures' (back packs included full of plastic play food etc), I don't have to do anything to get them outside, just unlock the back door.

We also walk most places, both children can walk a fair few miles with no complaints. They love mud and puddles, collecting sticks and leaves, there's always something for them to do.

Outdoor collages with sticks and stones and leaves etc , water ‘art’ on pavements , bug hunts and taking the bikes out together!

Our favourite activity at the moment is bird spotting, my dd aged 5 takes her children's binoculars out and her bird book and loves spotting different birds. Sometimes we do it in the garden, other times we get wellies on and go walking in the woods.

We also love planting things in the garden, so will be getting a trip to the garden centre in shortly and digging away in the garden.

We as a family, pot plants, fruits and vegetables and document how they are progressing through the year. We take great interest in going to parks, gardens and open spaces to educate ourselves about what grows And lives around us.

It's great fun. It's amazing what we as adults also learn!

Now that the evening is getting lighter we will be exploring the trails near our house on bikes and scooters. Previously we would go to the park. To be honest living where we do we have beaches, woods and walks of all types on our doorstep we're so lucky

Having play parks within walking distance is great. In fact we try to walk most places which gets us out in the fresh air, and stopping at the park on the way home can help make it an attractive idea.

Bribe them with a meal out or trip to soft play.

We got rid of our car. You can find cycle routes that take you through parks along by the canal etc even in a big city like London. So going just about anywhere involves getting out and about now.
Camping is good as well for getting out in the fresh air though we might need to think how we do that now that we’re car-less.

When my dc were younger, exploring only had to be in the garden, now they're older it needs to be somewhere new. We tend to look for dog friendly places with a good walk and they tend to dig and find rocks and if they're too big to bring home take photos of them, have a rock and crystal book which they look at to see what it is. This is all just a ploy to get them out in the fresh air. No matter what the weather we get out for a walk at least once a week.

At least once a day we go outside. Whether that’s out in the morning for a walk or in the park. Or running around the garden in the afternoon! So important to get out and about!

We are lucky that we are 15 minutes walk from a great nature reserve-so it doesn't take much effort to pull on some wellies and warm clothes and go for a trudge round. It always cheers us up, and we can wander back along the canal.

We are very much into organic food, we no longer buy anything conventionally grown, as we believe organic is best for the environment. Soil depletion is a frightening issue we are facing, so I'm glad to hear about your new range of organic drinks for kids. With regards to the outdoors, we have just bought a house with a garden and are organising our growing space. We also go to all the open allotment days as they come up, and spend as much time as we can in parks and woods nearby.

We bought a house with a garden and located near a park. We also make sure that even though they might not excel at sports they can still be sporty. So we let them try everything - skiing, football, rugby, cycling, golf.

If the kids don't have outdoor activities on, then we always make time to go to the park, or National Trust or other outdoor places like Junior Go Ape, or cycle rides.

And if it is raining we just make sure we get into the right rain gear and still go out regardless. Even if it's a walk to the library and back.

Anything involving water for my DS1. And he loves treasure hunts, so we do a lot of those too!

When they were younger, my children enjoyed playing in the garden on the swings, trampoline or just making up their own games in the wild bit of the garden at the bottom. My children have always walked to school and my son now cycles to college. They are teenagers now and not as keen on the outdoors as they once were but we force them out on family walks every now and again!

Fortunately, my son loves going outside - whatever the weather! I realise that at 5, his interest in technology is likely to increase & he'll want to spend less time outdoors, so we try to make it as fun as possible so he always makes that link between being outside & having fun!
Once out the door, it's trying to keep track of him that's the problem! He tears off demanding that we race with him (I struggle to catch up these days!) - my main issue is trying to get him to 'go for a walk' - he insists in racing at full speed, then he's worn out halfway through & wants a carry!
He's learning to ride his bike at the moment which he's enjoying, & trips to the local park are always a winner! Classic games like Tag & Hide & Seek are always fun & definitely best enjoyed outside!
For this particular season, I recommend an Easter Egg hunt - you can hide multiple tokens for each child & they can 'cash' them in for a small chocolate egg - lots of time spent hunting for tokens, but not too much chocolate consumed!