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If you read this blog regularly you'll know that we are big on outdoor play and we try to get outside every day, but getting outside with kids is fine in the Summer, but the rest of the year IT'S HARD!!
One of the best ways I've found to ensure we get outside is to walk everywhere, but with three under five this is not always easy either so to try and make it lots of fun we play on the way! Here's my top ten tips for keeping young kids walking.....
1 - Distract: Keep Talking
Walking is great concentrated time with kids, there are few distractions you've just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other! So what better time to chat! We chat about the boys latest interests, favourite food, the weather (we are British!), anything and nothing. This does mean I have to have VERY prolonged conversations about Yoda and Peter Pan, but the time goes quick.
A good conversation starter is 'which is better...', for example 'which is better chocolate covered in strawberries or strawberries covered in chocolate'. Or, 'who's stronger Hulk with one hand behind his back or Batman with a lightsaber' and so the discussions begin!
2 - Distract: Make Up Stories
More talking, but this time they have to engage their imaginations more! Great story starters for us often begin with something we see, for example a plastic bag in a tree. I make up crazy ways the bag may have got there (a giant dropped it, the tree grew it, a bag fairy lives there etc) and then encourage the boys to create their stories.
Another good imagination game is saying 'if I were a ....'. For example 'if I were a dragon I'd have pink wings' then get your child to tell you something they'd be like if they were a dragon and so the conversation begins!
3 - Distract: Play Games
Favourite games include not stepping on the cracks in the pavement or spotting things (essentially travel bingo), blue cars, buses, the number 7 anything that springs to mind! Plus, hide and seek is always a good one, letting them run ahead and jump out at you, always a winner!
4 - Distract: Feed Them
OK, a bit more practical now! My kids are always hugely distracted when eating and they just keep on walking, plus making sure they're not hungry or thirsty minimises a spiral into complaining that they're tried.
5 - Don't Walk, Run, Skip and Jump
Despite the fact that it consumes more energy and should make them more tired the boys seem to enjoy walking more the more adventurous they are. They could walk or climb on walls a lot further than they could on the pavement, so generally (when safe) I encourage them to take an alternative route, balancing on a low wall, weaving through bushes, swinging on a railing all make the journey more fun.
6 - Be Prepared
Again minimising negative distractions stops kids focusing on their tiredness so make sure they are warm enough, cool enough, fed, watered. Sunglasses, hats, suncream all needs to be there. For us the youngest is still in a buggy so I use Hamster Stroller Bags*
to carry all the extra stuff. And I always leave heaps of time - double what I'd take if it was me on my own.
7 - Set Targets and Rewards
So you've distracted them like crazy, discussed everything you can think of and they're starting to flag, time to start encouraging them. Set targets, 'as soon as we get to that red car we can have a rest / drink' and rewards 'wow you've walked so far I think if you can get all the way home walking it'll be ice cream tonight'. You get the idea!
8 - Look After Yourself
All that preparation distraction and encouragement is hard work. Make sure you're up for the task, have a drink and snack for you too. I was going to put make sure you're not too tired, but if you have young kids 'exhausted' is probably your permanent status! But, seriously the happier you are the more energy you'll have to distract like crazy!
9 - Bribery and Corruption
Yep, when it comes to it I'm not above a bit of bribery and corruption. For desperate times I carry chocolate and sweets (candy) and I'm not afraid to use them! If it gets them round the last corner I am not afraid to use a sugar high!
10 - Have a Back Up Plan (a.k.a Give In)
Sometimes young kids are too tired and they really just can't go any further that's when you need a back up plan. When Bud was younger I used to let him sit on the front of the double buggy, not often as pushing three kids was hard work, but sometimes it was the better option. Now Bud walks everywhere and Champ is allowed to use the Buggy Board
* when he's too tired. Just think it's still outdoors time so you ticked that off the to do list even if you ended up pushing them!
(*Affiliate links)
Now to the Outdoor Play Party, my featured post from last time is Ice Jewels from Fireflies and Mudpies I only wish we had the weather to do the same, so far just a sprinkling of snow for us!
I'm very excited to see what outdoor play you've been up to. Please link up any child related outdoor posts, doing so gives us permission to share and pin your post, and you can check out previous shared ideas on our Outdoor Play Party Pinterest Board.
