A little over one year ago, I sat inside with my journal wondering about my New Year’s resolutions for 2023. I knew I wanted to prioritize outdoor time for myself, and also set a goal to be more intentional with outdoor time for my kids, ages 1 and 3. After a bit of internet research, I stumbled upon 1,000 Hours Outside. This is a for-profit organization that was founded on the premise that nature and the outdoors are extremely beneficial for child development, and kids these days are spending more time on screens than outside. They have a curriculum for parents to use to guide outdoor adventures, as well as an app-based outdoor time tracker, a podcast, a book, and a blog.
I decided to make a goal to get my kids outside for 1,000 hours in 2023. I did not follow any curriculum and was not strict about timing us, so I don’t actually know if we hit 1,000 hours. But, what I do know is that we spent A LOT of time outside last year. We went through trials and tribulations, hit setbacks, meltdowns, etc. But I also got to experience my 3 year old discover her love for the outdoors, see how our time outside improved all of our moods, and learn to roll with less than ideal conditions (a good lesson for all of us).
I have specific memories of trying to push our jogging stroller through the snow, watching my almost 1 year old try to walk in snow boots and a snow suit, and taking the kids skiing midweek to Mission Ridge on the magic carpet. I tried to be of the mindset that there is not any bad weather, we just needed to dress appropriately. With that being said, we usually did not go outside when it was below 20 degrees. I also knew we would make up time in the Spring and Fall. We spent about 6 hours outside most days when the weather was temperate. Overall, despite our challenges, we had a great year exploring outside. It pushed us all outside of our comfort zone, we learned a lot, and appreciate our time outside now more than ever.
Here are a few of my favorite outdoor activities with little kids:
Winter
Sledding
Walking at the park in the snow, simply playing in the snow
Cross country skiing
Downhill skiing
Warmer weather
“I spy” games on a walk (this one is great in any weather!)
Hikes on our local trails
Biking the Apple Capital Recreational Loop
Exploring around the Columbia River beaches
Lunch at a park
Bike rides
Gardening
Ohme Gardens exploration
Pump tracks in Wenatchee, Leavenworth, and Cashmere
Hopscotch in the driveway
