We’re all dealing with some new challenges when it comes to increased stressors, working in a new environment, or feeling isolated from friends and family, and some of us are experiencing the added challenge of working from home with young children while trying to juggle everything else.
As most of us here at TRR are outdoor enthusiasts, and spend a great deal of our time adventuring in the woods, we thought we’d share some fun outdoor skills you can make a game of with your families that will help you not only reduce stress for both you and your children, but will provide an opportunity to teach them some things they might not learn in a traditional school setting.
Turning Outdoor Skills into Games
In order for everyone to do our part to help curb the spread of COVID-19, we should all be putting in our utmost effort to practice social and physical distancing, which includes not having playdates and even avoiding playgrounds or other high traffic areas, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get outdoors (while respecting public health orders). Here in Newfoundland & Labrador, we have the benefit of access to many safe outdoor areas, including local trails and green spaces, where you might plan for an afternoon walk, a family snowshoe, or a game of hide and seek.
We’re big fans of fun outdoor activities, and you can come up with lots of things to do for children of any age, which might include learning some outdoor skills, such as navigation (teach them map and compass skills), basic shelter building, learning to signal with a mirror, or even animal track or plant identification. The best way to make things fun though is to turn these skills into a game!
- You could make a treasure hunt that requires finding clues using basic navigation skills such as a compass, or even just using natural landmarks such as trees or large rock formations.
- With a couple basic supplies you might already have around the house such as a tarp and some string or rope, you could make a game out of building a shelter. Who can get their shelter up faster?!
How about making a scavenger hunt out of finding natural vegetation or animal tracks outdoors?
These are all teachable moments, and even as our children are out of school, there’s many skills that we can use this time to teach them that could be invaluable and even life saving if they ever need to use them, but it will also help to provide them with some mental and physical exercise to make working from home just a little easier when it’s time to concentrate.
Download our TRR Adventure Challenge Sheet for an easy outdoor activity to do with your family and be sure to share some photos of your adventure using the Hashtag #TRRChallenge on either Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
Please keep in mind that we expect everyone to do their part and follow all Public Health Orders. If you are venturing out for a little hike, please be respectful of all physical distancing measures, and if you are sick, or otherwise should be self isolating, stay home and do your part.
Also, if you plan to head out for some fresh air in the woods, be mindful that as spring is upon us, waterways are beginning to open up and no ice is safe right now. Be safe out there!
Some other resources that may be helpful while working from home with your children, when you need to be inside and productive include:
- Scholastic Canada is offering free online courses – Including interactive stories, lessons, and activities for children in Pre-K up to Grade 6
- Other Goose – Homeschooling platform that has currently waived their fees so parents can setup home learning plans
- Oliver Jeffers – Children’s Author has setup a live daily story time on his website
And there’s many other resources available out there, with generous companies, groups, and individuals who are all doing their best to do their part. We’re all in this together.
Stay well.