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If you’re looking for ways to bring your family together, there are plenty of ideas that you can try. While many indoor ideas are fun, try spending more time outdoors to mix things up. Getting everyone away from familiar surroundings can help your family focus more on the activity and on one another. Here are a few ideas to get you started in creating great outdoor adventures for your family.
Create a Drive-In in Your Own Driveway
If you want to stick close to home yet want to do something different, get your family outdoors with a trip to the drive-in. You can throw a sheet up over your garage door to create an impromptu movie screen. Next, you can buy a projector that will hook up to any mobile device for as little as $20. For more advanced projectors, you should expect to pay several hundred dollars. You can use sleeping bags, lawn chairs, or beanie bag chairs for seating. To create more ambiance, hang colored lights up around the screen or garage door. Just add snacks for the perfect evening movie marathon.
Start a Garden Together
Another great way to bring the family together without leaving home is to start a backyard garden. You can let your younger children start their own gardens and, with a little guidance, they can grow their own foods. Since gardening requires regular attention, this is an activity that will bring you together on a regular basis. You should show your children how to pull weeds, remind them to water their gardens, and show them how to tell when it’s time to harvest. When your fruits and vegetables are ready, you can all make a hearty and healthy meal.
Take a Camping Trip
When you take your family camping in Virginia State Park or your particular locale, you’ll give them memories that will last for a lifetime. Camping is actually many activities wrapped into one family trip, so your family should be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, swimming suits, first aid supplies, and healthy snacks. Bring along a paper map of the area and flashlights because there may not be a way to keep everyone’s phones charged. Some fun activities you can enjoy on your camping trip might include swimming, rafting, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking.
Volunteer at Your Local Park
You can contact the rangers at a nearby state park or the parks department in your own city to find out about volunteer opportunities. Local and state governments may even organize official volunteer programs to help them keep their parks in good condition. Your family can get involved by picking up litter, painting fences and benches, or performing other tasks that are intended to keep the parks looking beautiful. This type of volunteer work will help your family get more exercise as they learn about caring for the environment. When you’re done with your work for the day, you can pick up a quick lunch at a nearby store or restaurant and bring the food back to the park for a picnic.
Go Hiking
There are plenty of parks that offer guided or unguided hiking trails, so your family can enjoy a hike in a different area every week. Each person should bring a backpack that contains extra clothing, a flashlight, a map, snacks and water, and first aid supplies. If you’re taking smaller children with you, keeping the hike interesting for them is as easy as organizing a scavenger hunt. Print out a list of items that each child should find on the hike, such as a bird’s nest, a squirrel, and a smooth stone. The idea is to get them to look for things that are commonly found in nature, but advise them to only point at the items to avoid upsetting the habitat of the animals in the area. Hiking with your family can provide a great way to relieve stress and bring everyone closer together.
Conclusion
There are many other outdoor activities you can enjoy with your family, so don’t feel limited by this list. A good idea is to ask each family member to come up with ideas and try to do something from each person’s list. This will make sure everyone gets to do something they like, while exposing everyone else to something new. As each family member’s life gets a little busier, finding times for these activities may become more important in maintaining a close-knit family.
