Hellobee Boards

I think it gets really difficult once kids start school...which is when I think they really need to be outside to balance out all that indoor time.

They start to want to hang out with their friends and get a taste of activity places and it gets harder and harder to convince them that running around in the backyard is the best thing ever.

So, to combat that, we keep our summers very open and go outside as soon as we can in the morning, sometimes as early as 8 am. My son is really into the life cycle of plants right now, so we've planted a few areas around with seeds and will do some planters this weekend.

We set up a patio play area that's covered so even when its really hot the boys can play outside. I planted things this year that they can pick themselves and eat - both for nature and also to encourage eating fruits and veggies. I have DS water the plants with me. We talk about all the fruit trees we have in our yard and when things are ripe or not. We point out animals a lot and we like to take them to u-pick farms on the weekends, which usually also have animals to pet.

We prefer vacationing in Hawaii, although it will be a minute before we go back. We do occasionally take them to the lake or pool to get a taste of the water. DS1 especially loves water play.

DH and I are not particularly outdoorsy - we don't enjoy camping and we don't like bugs or being super hot - but we like peaceful settings and vistas. So we're more the type to rent a vacation home rather than pitch a tent. I'm fine with that - as long as we can expose the kids to those spaces (and go home to take a hot shower afterwards). When I was a teenager going through a lot of moods, I would go driving along PCH and listen to the waves crash and it was a really important coping mechanism for me. Later as an adult, I would feel the same peace when I walked in the woods or gardened, so I want our boys to have that kind of easy method of seeking solace.

We get outside.

Limit screen time, make outdoor habits. Answer their curious questions about anything outside.

We live in a built up area with quick access to boonies (across the road) and escape the crazy as often as we can. We can't instill anything if we don't live it ourselves!

This is so hard for us. Both DH and I grew up playing outside, all day, in mud and dirt, pretty much unsupervised. I wouldn't say that I'm hardcore super outdoorsy (I hate camping) but I love hiking, skiing, the beach, and generally being outside.
We live basically in NYC. Nature pretty much is limited to urban parks with little to no grass. We really struggle with how to expose her to nature. We stuff her in a frame carrier and go hiking as much as she'll tolerate
We've been toying with the idea of staying in our cramped rental (that we have a sweet deal on) after #2 comes along. This would allow us to purchase something for weekends and vacations in the Hudson valley or PA. Buying something here would max us out and really cut into our vacations too (I'm talking easily over 1.5 million. That is crazy with a capital C). It would allow our kids to grow up with a yard, animals, a garden, yard work, and just generally exploring nature. We are torn.

Love this.....

We have enrolled our older son in a Nature Preschool through a wildlife sanctuary/preservation in our area - it's entirely nature focused learning and it's awesome.... Knowing that he (and our younger son eventually) will only be there for 2 years I'm really hoping the the boys (And us!) learn some really valuable life lessons that we can take with us from here on out.

@hellobeeboston: My son was at a preschool on the grounds of a nature center and it was a phenomenal experience for him. They have an animal center and I credit the handlers for developing his love of animals.

He's going back again this summer for camp!