Posted: Aug 2, 08 6:34pm

Outdoor Activity Ideas for Families

by Kyanna Sutton

Steven Cleaver has some ideas for outdoor activity ideas for families that will chase your family's blues away. Steven is the Executive Director of Horizons for Youth, an organization in Massachusetts that has specialized in environmental education for children for more than 60 years.

We asked Steven to share some outdoor learning activities and projects that families can do together. Here's what he told us:

1. Hikes--Taking a hike is a great way to get outdoors and get some exercise. State parks offer free trails to hike and many acres to explore. Activities such as scavenger hunts can add a little more structure to the hike.

2. Gardening--Gardening is a wonderful family activity. Not only can the whole family get involved, but everyone can benefit from the harvest. Since it's winter, you might just start with a family plan for the garden. What will be in it? Try to include flowers, vegetables, and herbs everyone likes. How big should it be?

Assign responsibilities to each family member. Who weeds? Who waters? What's the daily or weekly schedule? The garden can be a cooperative effort where parents can emphasize teamwork and accountability.

3. Berry/apple picking--These are great seasonal outdoor activities with immediate payoffs. Children get to see how fruit grows and everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

4. Astronomy--View the stars from your own backyard. Local newspapers often publish a regional "sky watch" that you can use as your guide. Start with something easily identifiable, like the "Big Dipper." Consider going to a local planetarium or observatory to learn about the night sky. Some colleges and universities have observatories that are open to the public.

5. Go to a Nature Center--State Audubon societies have many sanctuaries and there are usually smaller nature centers that offer family activities. Naturalists are on hand to answer kids' questions so parents don't need to worry about teaching the subject matter themselves.

6. Clean-ups--Participating in nature clean-ups or volunteering to do trail maintenance are activities that teach kids that they have the ability to do something positive for the environment and community. When parents get involved, they model responsible environmental behavior that will help instill those values in their children.

7. Other outdoor family ideas--Depending on the weather, consider biking, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, sledding, or birdwatching.