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Design a nature-friendly backyard

Make your kids part of a birdhouse-building or setting a butterfly garden. Encourage him to observe his creation by setting up an observation station nearby using the three useful things: binoculars, a camera and a journal.

Take a hike

Now, take your kid into another level of adventure. You can help your kid to construct a plan of walking into an extraordinary destination, say for example a waterfall. This time allow him to invite a friend and do a joint venture. This would bring him farther in his journey if he has a good companion.

Make a splash

Challenging him to a water fight is pretty exciting. Don’t think much about how to do this. You can use the traditional way, such as squirt guns and water balloons.  Well, you can be more unconventional by using plastic cups, thick sponges and squirt bottles.

 Tap into his techie side

Capturing the adventure through making movie or a video ignites your kid’s interest. Invite your kid and his friends to go outdoor with a digital video camera to film their own independent movie. Try a video scavenger hunt by giving you kid a list of silly things to hunt down, and take a video every time he finds them, upload the footage and enjoy watching the moment in the end of the day.

Rebecca Cohen has given more ideas in his book, 15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids:

  • Speed racer –Create an obstacle course in free spaces like at a local park or in your backyard. The obstacle includes climbing over a log, touching a rock, race to the third tree and run back!
  • Stick-athlon – Ask players to collect sticks and make letters, words and create special messages. And to make it tough challenge them to build a tunnel of branches and crawl through after.
  • 100-yard splash – Use the pleasure out of the rain in and take everyone outside for a splash gathering. Try this water game for warm weather.