Outdoor Explorers!

I love summer. I don't think the nostalgia of long, lazy, carefree summer days will ever go away. Summer as a kid meant exploring outdoors and having zero agenda. Things look a bit different from the adult side...but I still feel a rush of relaxation when I think back to being a kid in the summer.

One of the downsides to summer can be the lack of structure and kids feeling like they are bored and they NEED to be entertained. Boredom is good for kids. Truly. This is when they get to flex their creative muscles. Left to their own devices (and not electronic devices), kids will figure out things to keep them occupied. It is so good for their brains to have the mental space to come up with something to do. Here are some ideas to jump start their imaginations as they look for ways to fill the long summer days:

Remember to show interest in what they are doing. This goes far beyond the rock collection and 1000th beetle. If you show interest in the small stuff, they will share the big stuff with you too. Life lessons.

For the Geocache, once your family has a few caches under the belt...maybe you can become a geocache owner! If you have a great spot in mind for a cache, check out what it takes to be an official geocache owner and how you can get it set up on their app. Kids will love being a part of this world-wide community. This is super fun to be able to do on vacation as well - it is a great way to explore a new area.

Community gardens in our area have no fees this year as a way to help families get outside and spend time together during these uncertain times. See what is available in your area...if there isn't an existing garden...could one be created? Find out if your town, HOA, or school would be interested in starting a garden. There are likely more people in your area who would love to be a part of this!

Stay Wild and Free!

Michelle