Tag Archives: outdoor activity

Magic Paint Sparks Imagination

Want a fun activity that is easy to do, sparks imagination, and will get your preschooler interested in playing outside? Give them some “Magic Paint”! This has been a big hit with the preschoolers I have worked with in my years as a day care teacher. Feel free to rename this activity if you don’t approve of the word “magic”. You will need the following items: small plastic containers that will hold water old paint brushes of any size, shape, and quality water a safe outdoor space to play in Gather all of these things, and your preschooler, and head … Continue reading →

Get Your Vitamin G

Haven’t heard of vitamin G? This is what experts call time spent outside, in green spaces. Outdoors time can help reduce stress, improve school and work performance, reduce ADD and ADHD symptoms, ease depression, promote healing, and increase life expectancy! A Japanese study of time spent outside found that interaction with the great outdoors can increase your odds of survival by as much as 15% over five years. The bad news: the average American spends way too much time stuck inside according to studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kids are spending 7 more hours per week on … Continue reading →

Walking and Children

With so many indoor entertainments today — video games, computers, cartoons, etc — it’s not surprising that the level of participation in physical activity is going down. Kids are less active; parents are less active. And in case you haven’t noticed… everybody’s weight seems to be going up! So what can you do to help get your kids up and moving a little? Walking is a great exercise for physical AND mental health. You just need the right motivation. Make the walk exciting. Have a destination in mind that will be interesting to your child, even if it’s walking to … Continue reading →