Make a List of Outdoor Activities To Break Up The Boredom
COVID 19 literally robbed most Americans of springtime outdoor fun. Typically, a list of outdoor activities that people cannot wait to get to is on everyone’s mind in the spring, but the spring of 2020 kept the list pretty short.
While COVID 19 is still raging along, all the experts agree, getting outdoor a working through a list of outdoor activities can help you to stay both physically and mentally healthy. Yes, the weather is getting a little chilly, but you still have some time to work on a list of outdoor activities before we turn in for our long winter naps.
Why Do You Need to Construct a List of Outdoor Activities?
There is a tremendous body of evidence that supports the idea that being outdoors is not only good for us physically but it is good for our emotional wellbeing as well, especially now that more of us are stuck at home because of the pandemic.
Getting outdoors helps to:
- Relieve stress.
- Get you away from the never-ending news cycles and media coverage about the virus.
- Give you a different perspective.
Being stuck in the house all the time can be really stressful. It can make you feel isolated. Of course, the fact that there are constant news updates about what is happening in the world is also very stressful. Going outdoors and breathing in that fresh air can change your perspective, and help to remind you that this is a temporary situation.
All the above is a great way to keep your mental health on point. There are more benefits that you can get from making a list of outdoor activities then following it. There are clear physical benefits as well to getting outdoors.
For example, making those lungs work a little harder. Getting your heart rate up, and exposing your skin to fresh air. Outdoor exercise does not have to be running a marathon to deliver measurable benefits. A walk around the block can be enough to get your blood pumping and those feel-good hormones pulsing through your veins.
Making a list of outdoor activities and sticking to it, will give you a plan that is easy to follow. Make a list of outdoor activities for each week to ensure that you are scheduling in getting outdoors.
Some Ideas for A List Of Outdoor Activities
There is a wide range of outdoor activities that you can participate in that are great year-round. For example, if you have access to a body of water there are plenty of fishing boats for sale this time of year. The beauty of making fishing your go-to outdoor activity is that it is something that keeps you away from other people, has the potential to put a meal on the table, and according to those that fish it is one of the most relaxing outdoor activities there are.
You do not have to live on a lake or live near the ocean to get some fishing in. Most of every location in the US is within an hour’s drive to a body of water. Invest in live bait coolers, a few fishing rods, and load that boat up on the weekends to find your slice of outdoor paradise.
Of course if you do live on a lake or another body of water, custom docks can mean getting outdoors is no further than walking out into the backyard. What if your vision of the outdoors has nothing to do with being on the water? That’s okay there are plenty of things you can put on an outdoor activities list that will keep you on dry land.
When you are making your list consider this:
- Is getting outdoors something you are going to do solo? If you do not have a partner or kids to worry about then you can make a list of outdoor activities that customized to your particular likes and dislikes, but if you are thinking about a list of outdoor activities that involve other people, then you will need to get some feedback to make sure that list includes activities that your group will enjoy.
- Can you incorporate what you love to do with a list of outdoor activities? You betcha. For example, you love guns. Instead of leafing through the latest catalog or visiting an indoor shooting range, consider getting out and going to an outdoor gun range.
- What is your ultimate goal? Are you interested in getting away from the house and getting in some exercise, or are you more of a staycation in the yard type of person? Getting outdoors does not mean having to travel away from home, you can get outdoors in your own backyard.
Making sure that you are planning a list for outdoor activities and keeping your partner or your kids in mind when you are making that list is a great way to bring the whole family together outdoors. For example, if you are a winter person that just loves the snow, consider looking for snowmobiles for sale. If your whole family loves to be outdoors in the brisk winter air a snowmobile is something that everyone will appreciate.
A List of Outdoor Activities For the Whole Family
Many families are very much still in “safer at home mode”. Kids are learning virtually, and parents are working remotely. It is more important than ever to get everyone outdoors and away from the office, school, home.
Don’t ignore the potential of your local park. If you are lucky enough to live nearby to a state park even better. Parks are a great place for the family to get in some exercise, reconnect with nature and even spend time with four-legged family members.
Many parks have dog parks that include dog playsets as well as kids playsets. Taking a hike through the park is always a great way to spend some quality time with the kids and pets. Whether you stroll or take on the challenge of hiking off-trail it is a great way to get in some exercise, and really connect with the kids. Long walks through the changing colors of fall can remind the whole family that beauty is all around us.
Want to take your outdoor activities up a notch? How about camping? Many families have been making a mad dash to find repairable salvage RVs for sale to hit the road. Camping together in the comfort of an RV is not only a safer way to travel, it can be a lot of fun. A repairable salvage RV can cost a fraction of the cost of a new RV and you can make restoring it into a family project.
If you want to do things old school you always have the option of dragging out the sleeping bags and tents and visiting your state parks. A weekend in the woods is a great activity to add to your list of outdoor activities.
Maybe camping overnight is not possible because the kids are too young still. Don’t worry there are other things that you can add to a list of outdoor activities that the whole family can enjoy including:
- Visiting the zoo. Many zoos have reopened with restrictions. Take the kids to the zoo for the day. It is a great way to spend some time outdoors and get in some exercise.
- Golf anyone? A family fun day of golfing will get everyone out of the house.
- Go biking. Take the family around the neighborhood on their bicycles. Biking is a great exercise and just about every family member can participate.
There is a wide range of things you and your family can do together in the great outdoors that is inexpensive (many times free) that will get everyone away from the screens and out of the house. Make getting outdoors a weekly scheduled activity.
You can get the whole family involved in making a list of outdoor activities. Each person can choose an activity that they want to do outdoors and add it to the list, then each week the family gets to try something new. You can make a game out of it with a rating system and a prize going to the person that comes up with the most favored thing to do on the list.
A List of Outdoor Activities For Your Own Backyard
You can improve your property value and create a great outdoor space for getting outdoors right in your own backyard with a few simple additions. Fencing in the space can give you privacy and help you to create designated areas in your yard. Consider hiring a surveying service to make sure you are not going over your property lines.
Erect a fence and add some specific “play” spaces. Adding sheltered areas in your yard can help to turn some of the space into a workout area for the family. Get creative and add some obstacle courses. Of course, you want to make safety a priority. The 9000 urgent care centers are seeing about 89 million patients each year, you want to make sure that you or your family member is not one of them. Of course, if you do overdo it, there is always a pain management clinic nearby that can get you back on your feet.
Add a fire pit to encourage outdoor use year-round. A fire pit is easy to construct and can become a great family project to put together. Of course, you can also purchase a ready-made fire pit to add warmth and lighting to any backyard space.
Turning your backyard into an outdoor oasis can easily fill a list of things to do outdoors right up. Creating a beautiful green space will enhance your home and make you want to be outside. If you are starting from scratch, hydrograss technologies can help you to quickly get a green space in the backyard. Even if it is late in the season, everything you do now will reward you in the spring. We really have no idea how long COVID 19 is going to keep us near the house, you might as well get started on creating that outdoor space that you want to be in.
Here are some inexpensive ways you can make your backyard a great outdoor space:
- Invest in yard games. A badminton set, horseshoes, and other outdoor lawn games are a great way to fully enjoy your backyard.
- Consider adding some comfortable seating to encourage more outdoor time.
- Lighting is a must. Keeping the backyard well lit will ensure that the space is inviting.
Making space in your own backyard for friendly games of catch, tossing around the football, and playing other games will ensure that you will be outdoors more often. Why not make home the place you want to be outdoors?
Learning and Outdoor Activities
Many school systems are offering virtual learning options and many parents have decided that at least for this semester virtual is best. If your family has decided that virtual learning is best right now, you can make a list of outdoor activities that will enhance their learning.
Getting outdoors can be educational. For example, you can turn a rainy afternoon into an afternoon of amazing discovery. Collecting water samples from various areas around the yard then comparing them under an inexpensive microscope can reveal exactly how much life is flourishing right in the backyard.
An impromptu scavenger hunt outdoors is also a great way to enhance education. You can make a list of easy to find things around the neighborhood in nature like “find a yellow leaf” “find an insect”. There is so much to explore on a simple neighborhood walk. Fun outdoor scavenger hunts can be turned into science lessons, counting lessons, and even vocabulary lessons.
You can use outdoor time as a teaching opportunity to teach about animal habitats. Nests, burrows, and more are all around us, sometimes we just do not take the time to notice. Kids love being outdoors with their parents and will relish in the opportunity to explore even if it is in their own neighborhood.
Teach the kids about the weather with some simple tools like a barometer, thermometer, and rain gauge. They can go outside and “chart” the weather in the backyard, up the block, in the park, and more. There are a lot of fun ways to help kids learn outdoors.
Make a list of outdoor activities, and get outside, you will feel rejuvenated.
