When you’re an outdoorsy family, there are so many different adventures to be had. You’re built differently to other families. You don’t shy away from rain or mud, and you don’t complain at the first sign of exercise. You don’t need comfortable hotel beds and you’re an expert at packing for a hike. Outdoor adventures with children can definitely be a challenge, but you’re not afraid of taking on a challenge if it means you can all have fun together.
Your outdoor activities might already be fun, but what if they could be even better? There are always ways you can enhance your adventures so that they’re even more memorable (for the right reasons).
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Document Your Adventures
When you’re enjoying time outdoors as a family, you don’t necessarily want to spend all your time documenting it. Focusing on actually making the memories is probably your priority. But it’s definitely still fun to have some physical reminders of all the fun you’ve been having. And there are some great ways you can document your activities that are easily incorporated into whatever else you’re doing. If you’re someone who likes to play with tech, your top choice might be to carry a camera and capture photos or videos. If you’re really committed, a drone like the DJI Mavic Air 3 is even better. Not only can you capture stunning images of your surroundings, but you can also create plenty of excitement for the whole family by flying it around.
Of course, some people are a little more analogue than techy, or at least they prefer to be when enjoying the outdoors. If this sounds like you, there are still some fantastic ways your family can document your activities. You can keep a journal or a scrapbook, collect interesting things, and give the kids all kinds of activities to do that will result in things they can keep.
Try Some New Activities
Even the most enthusiastic outdoor adventurers can sometimes get a little bored with doing the same things all the time. Fortunately, there are always new activities for you to explore, whether it’s something small or you want to try something completely out of your comfort zone. Maybe you often go on camping trips, but you’d like to consider something like a canoeing or rafting trip to combine both camping and paddling. You could learn some wilderness skills, go on a pony trek, try surfing, or just hire some bikes and give mountain biking a go. There are so many different options that are perfect for families with children of all ages.
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Be Prepared for All Weathers
If there’s one thing you need to keep in mind about the outdoors, it’s that it’s unpredictable. You might be somewhere that doesn’t get particularly extreme weather, but there’s still the chance of it being wetter, colder, or hotter than you expected. Fortunately, variable weather doesn’t have to stop you from having fun. In fact, being prepared for any weather will make any family outdoor adventures more enjoyable. If you’re ready for a downpour, or for the sun to come out unexpectedly, you can continue with whatever you’ve planned for the day. So make sure you’ve packed both your raincoats and your sunscreen.
Make It More Than a Day Trip
A fun day out at the weekend or during the holidays is a good way to get out of the house. At the end of the day, you can go back home and sleep in your own beds. But sometimes a day trip isn’t really enough to allow you to experience the wonders of the outdoors. What you really want is to have more time to explore, get to know somewhere new, and perhaps travel a bit further away from home. If you plan a longer trip, you can go anywhere in the country or even abroad without worrying about getting home for bedtime.
Camping may be the logical choice if you love the outdoors, and there are different ways to do it. In some places, you’re limited to official campsites. This can often be more convenient for families, giving you access to proper facilities. But there are also countries where you have the right to roam more freely and can camp where you want to. However, camping isn’t the only option. You can still enjoy the outdoors if you choose to stay in a cabin, cottage, bed and breakfast, or even a hotel. And you’ll have somewhere to clean up at the end of the day, as well as comfortable beds to sleep in.
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Set Challenges for Children
You might love holidays and day trips outdoors, but it’s not always as easy to get the kids on board. They need things to do, and might not be too keen on just walking or riding a bike. Luckily, there are lots of activities they can enjoy and that you can enjoy with them. One of the things you could try is setting them challenges and activities to complete. Not only will it keep them occupied, but it could give them a chance to learn something new too. Try giving them a scavenger hunt to complete or a list of things to identify. Set them the challenge of helping to start a fire or building a shelter, or one of the many other ways they can interact with the outdoors.
Boost Your Camping Meal Game
Cooking while you’re outdoors can be tough. Even when you’re staying at a comfortable campsite, you may need to be creative with the meals you cook. It’s easy to just heat up tins of things, but there are ways to get more creative with your meals too. It can make everything a lot more enjoyable for everyone if you’re having meals that are tasty and exciting. There are plenty of recipes you can find that are convenient, cheap and quick to make. Or if you’re feeling brave, you might like to experiment and come up with something new.
There’s always something new to do or somewhere new to go if your family loves the outdoors. But if you find yourself lacking inspiration, you can find new ways to enjoy your adventures.