Playing Outdoors with my Family

Even though the warm weather of the summer is over, we can now enjoy the cooler weather that is perfect for outdoor activities.  Playing outdoors with my family not only includes the fun activities, but also exercises such as hiking, running, and cycling.  I would like to share some of the outside activities that we enjoy with our immediate and extended family.

One of our favorite activities as a family (and as an extended family) is to travel down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a long weekend.  We usually rent a chalet close to the Smoky Mountains National Park. The best part of the trip is all of the hiking trails that are available, for free!  When we travel with our 3 year old twin nieces, we usually pick out the easier trails like the short distance trails and the paved trails.  The girls really enjoy being outside because they can pick up leaves and sticks.  This is also a great learning opportunity.  What better way to discover nature than in a forest full of sticks!

When we babysit our nieces, we love playing with them in the back yard.  We usually go around the yard and look at all of the plants.  We touch and feel the plants to understand the differences.  Their favorite plant is lamb's ear because it is so soft.  One time, we picked up walnuts in our back yard and hit them with a hammer to see what was inside.  Even though the girls are allergic to nuts, they still enjoyed sitting on the porch and hitting nuts with a hammer.

My husband and I usually enjoy running and cycling outside.  We really enjoy seeing the beauty of leaves turning colors this time of the year.  If you do not particularly enjoy running and cycling, then you can always go on a nice walk after dinner.  Getting outside and enjoying nature, whether you are walking around in your backyard, or getting dirty on the grass with your kids is the best way to enjoy this time of the year.

>> What do you enjoy about this time of the year?  Do you play outside more because of the cooler weather?  If so, then take the pledge at Clorox2 Play 2Day Pledge hub, http://clorox2play2day.com.  At this website, you can learn more about the healthy benefits of playing outside with your kids.  You can also learn how to get those grass stains out of the clothes!


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.