Fun Friday activities are quick-and-simple ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
The idea: Head out the front door for a nighttime walk around the neighborhood.
With my oldest in all-day kindergarten (and an afterschool program to boot), we don’t get much time to play outside during the week. Taking a walk after dinner is one of the easiest ways for our family to get in some play outdoors time every day. Not only that, it helps us slow down, reconnect with each other and run off any last bits of energy before getting ready for bed.
Our notes from the field: We take nighttime walks a lot. I’ve learned that even if you don’ have a forest or beach for a backyard, there is plenty of nature to be discovered just outside your front door.
Every night is different depending on everyone’s mood and energy level. Sometimes we go on a “wolf” hunt because my youngest is a big fan of dogs and the older one is always trying to find him one. When we do, we usually greet the wolf with a howl.
Sometimes we take time to listen to the night and how it sounds different from the day. There are no birds chirping, but we do hear crickets. If we’re quiet enough, my oldest will venture toward the nearest light to find them.
We always look out for the moon, too, and talk about where it is in its cycle. In it’s absence, my son likes to use the neighborhood light posts to find his shadow.
There’s plenty of fun to be had in the neighbors’ front gardens, too. The kids love hopping on stepping-stones, searching for gnomes and fairies, and even touching bushes, flowers and trees. I’m convinced they’re rediscovering these items for the first time every night – as if the night bestows them with some magical powers not visible during the day.
Take-home tips: The reason we take so many nighttime walks is because it’s so simple. You really only need to keep a couple things in mind:
- Dress for the weather. Your kids will stay happy if they’re warm. My 5 year old can almost always be coaxed out the door if he’s allowed to wear his hat and gloves (and no, it’s not that cold out!).
- Keep it short. Our kids are usually pretty tired by the time we make it outside for our nighttime walks. Which is why we keep them pretty short – usually about 15 minutes.
Do you take nighttime walks with your kids? What are your favorite things to do to help you connect with nature during your walks?
In the summer when the sun is still up around bedtime, we often take "pajama walks". Essentially the same idea. If they get into pajamas quickly, they get a longer walk. Makes getting them into pjs far less of a struggle.
We take a walk after dinner almost every night during the summer/fall, but we've let that tradition fall by the wayside during the winter. Too cold and icey. But just a couple days ago we took a pre-dinner walk and it was so nice to get back into the habit. Thanks for the reminder about how nice a family walk can be.
Catherine, it should be mandatory for every family to take a walk together at least once a week. It's that great a way to connect with each other.
Lovely idea – great family time.