Exploring the Senses with a Winter Scavenger Hunt

It is the 14th day my family and I have self-quarantined due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Though it is a gorgeous, sunny day, and I, as the extrovert of the family am bouncing off the walls to get outside, my homebody-son is not.  My 3-year-old son is actually thriving in this new social-distancing era. He loves to stay at home and play trains and trucks and that’s about it. We do get outside most days but, to be honest, he’s a little bored with my usual arsenal of outdoor ideas and requires extra coaxing just to get dressed. I know I’m not alone here. At this point, everyone is running out of creative ideas (and wine...am I, right mamas?!). So, here are some of the things we’ve been doing to stay motivated to get outside every day!   Toy Scavenger Hunt  My son loves animals, especially night animals, so I took all of his tiny figurines outside and hid them in our yard. When I told him he had to come outside to find them because they were hiding, it blew his little mind. He kept asking to do it again and again and we spent at least an hour outside in the sunshine. There are endless possibilities like this that can be done right outside your door. Pro Tip: Count all of the pieces before hiding them so you don’t lose any and anything with bright colors is best. We had a hard time finding the grey wolf, brown bison and tan elk in our neutral colored yard. Nature Is Not Canceled  Though Hike it Baby hikes are on hold for the moment that doesn’t mean you can’t do your own. I am big on structure in order to make my day go smoothly. With the hiatus of groups like Hike it Baby, my days are left with gaping holes of time that I struggle to fill unless I have a plan. It helps me to schedule out time in my planner for a hike or outdoor time just as I would for a Hike it Baby gathering. In fact, this is the perfect time to participate in the Hike it Baby 30 Challenge. It’s a great motivator to get outside for 30 miles or 30 minutes 3 times a week in the month of April. Mix It Up We are creatures of habit and even though this is a new and bizarre situation, at this point we have acclimated and have a routine. Around the same time every day, I start to get antsy and want to get outside and thus begin the cajoling, begging and bribing of my son to get dressed and come outside with me. However, I’ve found going out at different times of day helps a lot. Try going for a walk at sunrise or sunset. Make note of the different colors in the sky, the animals, the way the air feels. If your child stays up late enough try stargazing.  Set Up An Obstacle Course I don’t know about you, but I think everything is more fun with an obstacle course (and fake lava or alligators). Social distancing makes our options pretty limited and I find myself visiting the same neighborhood trails over and over again. Adding obstacles to jump over, skip around, roll into or even throw can make the same old hike way more interesting for the little ones. If you have any ideas for staying motivated to get outside I’d love to hear them because, as you know, we are in this together! Help a mama out! While we are pausing in-person hikes for the time being for the safety and health of our communities, be sure to check out the virtual hikes and activities happening in your Hike it Baby branch Facebook group. Learn more about hosting a virtual hike here! About Hike it Baby Hike it Baby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to getting families outdoors and on trails across the U.S. and internationally, supporting, educating and inspiring families through their more than 300 communities across North America. Since its grassroots inception in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, Hike it Baby is now a growing community of 270,000 families and 500 volunteer branch ambassadors hosting more than 1,600 hikes per month. More information, as well as daily hike schedules, can be found at HikeitBaby.com, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Photo courtesy of Ashley Scheider.

Have you heard about the 10 Minute Walk Initiative?! No? Well, if you think that increasing access to parks and green spaces can lead to better overall physical and mental health, especially during a health crisis, or that your overall quality of life would improve with close access to green space, then you’re already on board with this new program. Photo by Monique Vargas 10 Minute Walk Initiative The 10 Minute Walk Initiative aims to “...ensure that everyone in your city has safe, easy access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home by 2050.” That’s not just their mission for already more green-friendly places in the nation like California or Colorado, that’s their promise for the WHOLE COUNTRY. Check out their website to see if your mayor and your city are taking part and if you don’t see their name, do what I did and sign up to stay on top of how to get involved. Maybe you can even convince your mayor to take part. If you’re reading this you are already part of the growing Hike it Baby community and you know that a cornerstone of their mission is to Leave No Family Behind. If you’re changing a diaper, feeding your kid, having a meltdown (you or your kid!), if you can’t do the whole hike or if it’s your first hike we won’t leave you behind! This extends to race, sexual orientation, gender, disabilities, and language. This is of course still our mission but we have realized that many families are being left behind by default because they do not have access. This is unacceptable. We need to do better and that’s why Hike it Baby wholeheartedly supports the 10 Minute Walk Initiative. To ensure no family is left behind, we have to make sure that all families have easy access to safe parks and green spaces. OutGrown works to be the most effective hub of tools, information, and community inspiring all families with babies and young children to get outside and connect with nature. Learn more about OutGrown's mission and how you can get involved. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.