Running With The Wind: A Parents Guide to Having Fun With Their Kids Outside

Courtesy of: anthonyarts.com

It is something amazing about how the air would kiss the cheeks of my children as I pushed them down the street in their stroller. The hugs of relaxation would grab me on our walks while they were lulled to sleep. Ever since infancy, the outdoors has become my chocolate high a verdant oasis that is an extended classroom where my children wait to be fed new knowledge. Just being outside makes us feel alive, attentive, and carefree.

Playing outside with your kids is great in many ways:

You can teach them SCIENCE, while planting, weeding, and composting. Also let your child explore, caves, museums, mountains, hills, rivers, waterfalls, flowers, parks, etc.

You can strengthen your calves and start the formation of abs by EXERCISING for while with your child/children who beam with joy just because they are with you. They run through the thin blades of grass squishing bugs underneath their rubber soles, making mud pies –too gooey to try, getting dusty and dirty while having fun.

You can teach SHARING as they learn to take turns on playground equipment, as you listen to the swish-swash of the swings that vibrate cutting through the air and workout your muscles while pushing back and forth watching them fly up and down. For a moment your children will think they have wings flying, high up in the air: protected and secure.

You can teach PATIENCE as they learn to wait for their turn. A sliding board can take them on a rapid adventure into a land of their own. For an afternoon they will be explorers, captains, pioneers, scientist, botanist, mountain climbers, etc.

You can teach KINDNESS as they learn to add food to a bird feeder or feed a household pet. Kindness can also be taught through imaginary play, which will allow children a chance to role-play in positions of leadership and service. This type of play will help them learn to lookout for others and possess empathy.

You can teach ADMIRATION as they behold the beauty of the world beyond them. Knowing the world is bigger than them is important, but taking time to understand that no matter how big the world is they are special, talented, and worth listening to is a lesson that they will cherish throughout their lives.

You can teach COLORS AND NUMBERS by counting the green trees, white clouds, beige and gray rocks, one big blue sky and much more. The lessons become tangible and more concrete and will help them develop an appreciation for nature.

You can teach NEW WORDS while writing and drawing with chalk on a black top, patio, or driveway. It is much more fun to draw your name in the sand then write it on paper, but nothing is wrong with a little repetition to deepen the impression.

You can teach RESILIENCE. Because sometimes they will fall, but while your child is young you will have a opportunity to show them how to get back up again, brush off a bruise and learning how to move on.

You can teach LOVE as they learn to enjoy and get a long with other children that are just like them.

 

“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.”

About Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster:
Getting dirty is much more fun when it’s easy to get clean. When the outdoor fun is finished, Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster gets out the tough stains, so your kids can take part in healthy fun and get dirty over and over again.

About Clorox:
The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,100 employees and fiscal year 2011 revenues of $5.2 billion. Clorox markets some of consumers’ most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products, Green Works® naturally derived home care products, Pine-Sol® cleaners, Poett® home care products, Fresh Step® cat litter, Kingsford® charcoal, Hidden Valley® and K C Masterpiece® dressings and sauces, Brita® water-filtration products, Glad® bags, wraps and containers, and Burt’s Bees® natural personal care products. Nearly 90 percent of Clorox Company brands hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories. The company’s products are manufactured in more than two dozen countries and sold in more than 100 countries. Clorox is committed to making a positive difference in the communities where its employees work and live. Founded in 1980, The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded cash grants totaling more than $84 million to nonprofit organizations, schools and colleges. In fiscal year 2011 alone, the foundation awarded $4 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at $13 million. For more information about Clorox, visit www.TheCloroxCompany.com.

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