Outdoor Adventures: Fun Things To Do Without Electronics

Have your kids entered the Zombie Zone? Aka: Too many electronics? Then check out our Outdoor Adventures post with 10 Fun Things To Do Without Electronics!

Thank you CLIF Kid for sponsoring this post. Be sure to check out the new CLIF Kid Zbar Filled and encourage your kids to get outside and play!

Right now, my kids are peacefully playing in a fort that they built yesterday afternoon. Apparently, my daughter convinced her Big Brother that building this “epic fort” was exactly what they needed to do before summer vacation ended.

So after much begging, he finally gave in and yanked every single sheet out of their closets and built the fort with her. When they were finished, they proudly called my husband and me outside to give us a tour. At first, I was a bit mad because they also created an “epic mess,” but once I got over myself, I couldn’t believe how huge it was. Their fort had a bedroom, a library, and a kitchen with a cooler full of snacks (like CLIF Kid’s Zbar Filled) and milk. I was very impressed!

But before anyone rolls their eyes at this magical day, let me clear the air. Right before they decided to stretch their imaginations, my beloved cherubs got yelled at. They were sitting on the couch like bumps on a log binging on their iPads. I was rather annoyed because it was a gorgeous day outside and they were wasting it. So, I took away their devices.

As they grumbled about, I told them that they could continue to sit on the couch staring at the blank television or they could go use their imaginations. Boredom kicked in after a few minutes and hence, the idea to build a fort was hatched.

Yesterday reminded me that most of the time, when our kids are hooked up to devices, all they need is a little intervention and their imaginations will get a chance to reboot. With this in mind, I’ve come up with a list of fun things to do without electronics. Feel free to reference this whenever your kids enter the Zombie Zone like mine did!

Outdoor Adventures: 10 Fun Things To Do Without Electronics

1.) Go for a bike ride.

Sometimes I go with the kids and sometimes I don’t. I like to balance the two because even though I love biking with them, letting them go alone gives them a chance to spread their wings.

2.) Take a hike.

We have so many amazing parks nearby and we try to frequent them as often as we can. Our favorite is Gardiner County Park because it is right around the corner. But when we’re in the mood for a drive, nothing beats Avalon in Stony Brook!

Since our hikes tend to be hours long, we always make sure to bring along some tasty snacks like CLIF Kid’s products. My kids fell in love with them a long time ago. Their favorite lunch box snack is the Iced Oatmeal Cookie and Chocolate Brownie Zbars. But recently, they found the new Zbar Filled Chocolate Peanut Butter ones and are in love!

3.) Playing with our pets.

Our home is full of love. Actually, it’s bursting at the seams. So, whenever my kids claim that they’re bored, I remind them that they have two dogs and seven chickens to play with. I hand them a leash and that’s their cue to take the dogs for a walk. Or, I send them out back to go fetch me some fresh eggs!

4.) Grow a garden.

My kids have been gardening since they were itty bitty. Each spring, we start seeds indoors and then transplant them outdoors when they’re ready. The kids always get to pick what grows in our garden and although the varied mix of items – cucumbers, watermelon, pumpkins, radishes, beans, and tomatoes – may not make sense to some, it makes perfect sense to them!

5.) Work on a craft together.

I love doing crafts with my kids. Even now that they’re school-aged, we can always kill some time making something together. Whether we choose to make recycled paper, or build baking soda rockets, or even create a pumpkin catapult, we try to keep it interesting.

6.) Cook or bake something.

For a long time, my kids thought you could only cook in the kitchen in an oven. Then we gutted our kitchen one summer and they found out that you can make a lot of things on the grill. Ever since then, they’ve enjoyed cooking outside “just for kicks” whenever the weather’s nice. Some of their favorite recipes are grilled pancakes and bacon, grilled pineapple with honey, and grilled corn on the cob with compound butter.

7.) Sell something in a stand!

When we first moved into this house, the neighborhood kids were always setting up lemonade stands in the summer. I would always make a point of it to stop and buy whatever they were selling. I just love the idea of kids getting outside and trying to make some money. So when our own children asked us if they could sell some of our backyard eggs last weekend, we told them to go for it. They sold out within the first hour!

8.) Go visit your nearest U-Pick farm.

On Long Island, we’re spoiled. We can visit U-Pick farms from spring through fall. It’s one of our favorite things to do. No matter whether we’re piling our baskets full of strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or apples – there’s always something to pick. And once the season slows down, we simply spend our winter days at the Farmer’s Markets instead!

9.) Find a local body of water and play in it.

Whether you’re boogy boarding at the beach or paddle boarding in a river, just got for it. There is truly a meditative quality about the water that restores your spirit and calms your soul. (Can you tell I’m a water lover?)

10.) Visit a local attraction.

No matter where you live, there’s always something fun to see and do. Our kids love visiting the Aquarium because there are indoor and outdoor attractions. I’m a big fan of the local game farms and wildlife refuges too! Turn your visit into a mini day trip and you’ll definitely get your steps in!

I know you must have some ideas up your sleeves too, so please share them with me in the comments below! I would love to hear from you!

Denine

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