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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When my kids were smaller they loved a bucket of water and a paintbrush, these days bikes and scooters are are their outdoor favourites.

Top tip to get kids outside is to ban the iPad/gaming boxes. I encourage DD to get out on her bike outside or on her trampoline.

We often have a "treasure hunt" which happens while we walk the dog. The kids look for things like a white flower, green front door etc. and we all have a lovely stroll. Also, I let them dig a hole at the bottom of the garden aka mining for gold. Sometimes I throw a coin in there for them to dig up 😂. Every now and again I put the soil back in and they start again!

Joined our local community garden. DS loves to go there - he looks at the chickens, digs with a little trowel, and has lots of old ladies giving him biscuits when I'm not looking

Having a puppy means we are always out and about and the children have built up their stamina for long walks whatever the weather!

Our DD has a play house which she loves to play in. During warm weather we keep lots of her toys outside so it's just natural for her to go outside to play, even if she's just doing jigsaws and drawing.

we build dens in the woods and dens in the garden, collecting logs and twigs. They love building pretend fires to sit round and tell stories.

We don't have much of a garden, but what we do have are lots of woodland walks surrounding us, and canals, and the kids love Stickleback fishing, or building dens, it keeps them fit and healthy, and me as well. Even the older kids still love their jam-jar fishing! lol We also seem to find a lot of stones with messages on, that we then re-hide for others to find! The kids love it, I must admit I enjoy it too. :-)

We go out walking with our dog in the countryside, often asking friends along to encourage DS so it will be more fun. DS has a trampoline and a basketball hoop to encourage outdoor play. I also join in with snow play and always offer to take he & his friends sledging when we have snow.

I have 3 boys (9, nearly 7 & 4) & I find they are very much like dogs, in that they need to eat plenty & to get outside every day, otherwise they go stir crazy

In the winter we go out in wellies & squelch in mud & jump in puddles, in the spring we spot birds' eggs & newborn animals, in the summer we take buckets, spades & kites to the beach & in the autumn we collect conkers & blackberries.

They also love playing on the swing & trampoline in the garden while I hang washing or clean out the chickens.

my girls love a bike ride or a dog walk- i have to borrow a dog thou! we also garden and i give them money for weeding- my kids love being outside and playing and see the ipad as a wind down thing to do if they don't like the others tv choice

We took the plunge, bought a tent and started camping. We all get away from technology and to enjoy the outside with family bonding, walks, and games - it not a successful trip if my eight year old is not up a tree somewhere before breakfast.

We usually get out and about on a Sunday exploring as many 'off the beaten tracks' as we can find! We are lucky to live somewhere that has a lot of woodland walks, secluded beaches where you can enjoy peace and nature. If we're stuck for something to do we will go for a walk through our local woods with large river - guaranteed to spot many wildlife and fun to splash on the river edge in wellies. Always muddy, always fun!

My 7 year old son is never happier when out and about. Now he's getting older he has been reluctant to go for a Sunday stomp but as soon as we're out he loves it. The promise of a hot chocolate in winter gets him motivated.

Having fun outdoors is about having the right clothing. The whole family puts on welly boots and a warm coat and goes for a walk together and we all splash in the puddles.

Geocaching!

My kids are teens and I am so happy when they chuck a load of snacks and drinks into a bag and go for a walk with their mates. All those years of walks, outings and picnics have paid off, they appreciate the outdoors. I always made sure we spent time outside, whatever the weather. Having a dog has helped too.

Walking in the woods with our dogs

We've tried to make the garden as child friendly as we can. I've separated it into sections with grass, a stoned area with diggers and a raised flower bed at child height. Dd is really into finding interesting twigs and jumping in mud at the moment so getting her outside isn't too hard. I find that as long as she's wearing a good warm waterproof suit when it's cold we're OK.

Camping is our favourite way to explore the outdoors and get kids exploring. Making friends on the site and exploring, it's what childhood is all about! The muckier the better, armed with a sticky stick!

I'm part of a loose collective of mums living in the Peak District who refuse to let having babies get in the way of enjoying our beautiful local countryside and want our children to grow up appreciating the outdoors.

We have a Facebook group where anyone can post a walk and anyone can join. This can be anything from a buggy walk round the park to a multi mile sling trek in the hills.

We have all been taking our babies since they were very young and they are used to being out on the open air. Only really bad weather puts us off!

My tip would be don't rely on a car. I have a car but only use it for long journeys so my kids don't expect me to drive them, they automatically assume we're walking. If we go into town we catch the train (with a railcard it's cheaper than parking). We always walk/bike/scoot to and from school and pass through a park. On the way home the kids will naturally stop and play so they get a good hour of running around every afternoon. If we drove they would miss out on this.

I try and get out for a walk when we can. If we want to go on a long walk this hen the kids take their bikes - we have a nice 3 ish mile route via the garden centre cafe! We live next to some woods as well do try to get out in them when the weather is better.

Den building. If there's den building involved my 7 year old DD will be out there come rain or shine. Or you know, taking great delight in pointing out all the worms to me because she knows I have a fear of them... (I'm aware it completely irrational)

In the back garden it's the trampoline, swings or any type of ball to entertain them. Bike rides as a family are a favourite of my two or walks in the woods to hide in dens or climb trees.

We take the kids for a picnic and take a football for a kick around. Lovely bonding time