May is National Walking Month and over the past year, it’s the one daily thing that’s really helped our mood and helped balance out screen time! It has so many positive physical and mental health benefits and has been a great family activity to all do together during lockdown. A new study has found that walks in nature help to restore attention and allow you to better pick up on social cues. The study found that a walk in nature actually increased positive interactions amongst the families that participated. Running out of inspiration for walk activities to stop any whinging from the children? Check out these 10 ways to make your family walk more fun.
#1 Rock art
It never fails to make our children smile if they find a painted rock hidden on their walk! Anyone can play the hide and seek rock game – they can be found anywhere and then just rehide them – a perfect way to make the family walk more fun. Why not join a local rock facebook group, it’s amazing to see where some of the rocks have travelled from!
If you fancy getting the children creative, follow these top tips to painting your own rocks to hide.
#2 Go on a bear hunt
Well maybe not for bears but a scavenger hunt is a great way to add some excitement to their daily walk and get them up close to nature!
These magnetic waterproof boards are perfect for a outdoor scavenger hunt, whatever the weather! From plants, to mini beasts, whatever they like to look out for – pick up your set here!
#3 Get snap happy
Why not get them to take their camera out and take some photos? It’s a great way to boost their creativity and self expression plus it will help their mood too by reducing stress or worries.
They may want to take photos of specific things (animals, plants, vehicles) or something that they are interested in. Get them to think about the colours that are in the photos, whether they can tell a story and adjectives that they’d use….a great conversation as you’re walking along!
#4 Be a superhero
Let them dress up as their favourite superhero and get them to head off on their own mission – a great way to get them to develop their imagination and creativity! Plus, they’ll forget they are a walk and they head off to save the world!
#5 Tell a story
Tired of the usual fairy tales? Use a walk and your surroundings to make up your own fairytale….one seed of an idea can lead to a magical tale! You won’t need to prepare anything as your active people will find all the necessary accessories in nature! Sticks, flowers, stones can become wands, crowns and magic potions. Take it in turns to add the next chapter of the story as you walk along!
#6 Put on your happy shoes
Positive Vibes Hearts Shoes
If they love having their own style, try these unique colour in shoes which will spark their creativity! Our range of colour in shoes are practical as well as stylish as they are robust and are cushioned for comfort. Plus, they come in adult sizes as well!
#7 Go foraging
One of the most enjoyable things about foraging is the way it compels a greater awareness of one’s surrounding – the need to slow down, pause and look.
Whatever the time of the year, there are lots to eat! Check out the Woodland Trust’s month-by-month guide to what’s in season and how to eat it.
#8 Collect some sticks
From sword fights, catapults to just seeing which is the biggest they can carry with friends, our kids LOVE sticks…do yours? We love this awesome stick adventure kit which combines adventure and crafting and makes an exciting and different children’s gift – almost certain to inspire fun, outdoor experiences! And children can use their stick adventure kit tin to collect little woodland treasures too!
#9 Game of 20 questions
Hide a small object (something from your bag, or that you find along your walk) in your hand and have the children try to figure out what it is. Don’t forget to give them a turn too to let you guess!
#10 Go on a Bug Hunt
Open the door to wildlife and go searching for those mini beasts! Lift up rocks, look in trees and under leaves. A bug hunt will keep them distracted from the walk and engaged in their surroundings.
Why not try one of our activity boxes which are a brilliant combination of lasting learning and play? – They are full of STEAM-inspired activities that will keep little hands and minds busy and are the perfect potion for making fun family memories.
Hope we’ve provided you with some new ways to make your family walk more fun! Thank you for reading and happy walking! Share your favourite walking activity or game in the comments below.
For even more ideas, download our FREE walking calendar!
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