Ditch the manufactured fun and head out into nature!

As a society so bent on making sure our kids are occupied all the time with academic, sports or other activities, we can easily slide into that  same mentality when pursuing a family vacation. We may think that our vacation needs to offer our children programmed activities to "keep them busy." We may search out places that have water parks, kids programs and wi-fi capability readily available to keep our kids connected at all times. I challenge you to consider if this is really a family vacation or just a change of scenery with all of the comforts of home. 

How did we get to the point as a society where our kids ( and ourselves ) are so dependent on manipulated activities to hold our attention? We could probably talk for days on this topic but the short and sweet answer to this question is: we just did. We've allowed it to happen to our children as well as to ourselves so when we  choose a family vacation, we often tend to go with what feels comfortable in order to keep everybody happy. 

Want to know how to get your kids outside more?
Click on the photo.

What if I told you to remember back when you were a child and what you remember of your family vacations. Would you recant the time when the resort babysitter took  you to the water park? Would you bask in the memory of being able to make crafts with Big Bird OR would you recall memories of climbing trees and stumbling upon a waterfall and feeling amazed at something you'd only ever seen in encyclopedias? Would you remember the time you white water rafted with your family down the Colorado River and felt your heart jump out of your chest with such an adrenaline filled rush that left you feeling wildly competent in your survival skills?

Click on the photo to read more on the beauty of climbing trees.

I encourage you as parents to remember what set your soul on fire as a kid on vacation. Remember that our natural surroundings were our first playground. How many of you had rock collections? Seashell collections? Where did you get those? You got those by exploring what called to you. There were no pre-programmed guides telling you where to look. Nope. You followed your curiosity and discovered them all on your own. This is the beauty of going on a vacation where there is no manufactured fun. We may feel fearful that our kids would "never go for that" or "they are so picky and don't like much physical activity" so we cater to what they've been used to. Are you okay with this?

Trust that we are natural beings and we thrive in nature. Our kids may not be as used to it as we'd like for them to be so there will be a bit of "uncomfortable" moments when first introduced to something new. That's a good thing because when we get a little bit uncomfortable, we grow. We think differently. We analyze. These are all great things to help manifest in our children.

If you're not quite ready to throw in the towel and get rid of all of your comforts, you can ease into a more exploratory vacation by taking excursions that bring you closer to nature. Take an adventure. Get off the beaten path and explore something new. Our children are naturally curious. Nurture their curiosity by bringing them to places that promote questions and exploration. I can guarantee you that that they will never forget the experience. They'll never forget the time they jumped out of a huge tree that they discovered and then skinned their knee. They'll look upon their scarred up knee for years and remember the time they were adventurers.

Nurture their curiosity. Nurture your own curiosity. Come together in exploration. Give your children the gift of knowing that the world is their playground and that a simple stroll on the beach can evoke creative and analytical thoughts that may change the course of their lives.