Introducing Children To The Great Outdoors

By getting our children involved in outdoor activities we give them a chance to experience the excitement that nature offers.  Whether it's camping, fishing, hunting or just taking a walk through the woods these activities encourage our youngsters to get away from all the electronic devices and gives them the chance to become more active.

In addition to teaching our children to be active, these outdoor activities also give us as adults many wonderful memories to share with them. It may come as a surprise, but children actually desire to spend time with their parents. The least we can do is take a break out of our busy schedules to allow them this special opportunity. Believe me when I say the time flies. Although my children are ten and twelve, it seems like yesterday that I was holding them in my arms rocking them to sleep. We must realize that if we don't give them our time, someone else will and the influence they get may well lead them down the wrong path.

Try taking a weekend to go camping at least once or twice a year. Leave the electronics behind, forget everything but the time at hand with them. Take this time to teach them important survival skills such as fire starting and how to cook over an open flame. Show them how they can take the fish they catch and make a wonderful meal without the convenience of an oven or a fryer. Take them on nature walks and teach them to find wild edibles.... this may just save their lives one day. Teach them all you can about the outdoors before they begin thinking they know everything, the things they learn while they are young will stick with them, even the things that we don't think they are picking up.

Take a Saturday, a Sunday or even an evening and take them fishing. Show them how to tie their hook onto their line, show them how to find crickets, grasshoppers, earthworms or even how to catch their own minnows or shad. Show them how to bait their own hooks and how to figure out the right depth for catching fish. It is surprising how much fun children have while fishing, even when the only thing that seems to be biting is perch their faces will light up and it just may be the spark they need to light a life-long love for the sport.

Take a day and teach them about hunting. Even at four or five years old our children will enjoy a day spent hunting with daddy. No, it may not go the way we plan on it going, but just go with the flow and have fun with it. Children love watching for squirrels, being surprised by a rabbit they kick up as they stomp through the brush and even just seeing the little things like song birds.

Whatever it is we choose to do with our children,be patient with them. Remember they are just learning and being impatient with them may turn them away from the outdoors. The important thing is that we spend that time with them and help to nurture their love for being active and enjoying the great outdoors.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day