Don't Want To Go Outside!

Living in a place that is abundant with nature right outside your door, one would believe that being outside, enjoying the outdoors is the desire for everyone, including children. Some, but not all. Now there are all kinds of reasons why not, and many valid... but the one's involving the technologically trapped, can't get out of your chair, need to finish that level, need to keep watching this show, "As long as I am quiet, my parents won't bother me." With up to only 6% of children between the ages of 9-13 taking part in the outdoors and ages 8-18 spending up to 53 hours a week facing some sort of screen. It's time to get out on the trails and yes, it can be done.

There are so many benefits in understanding that the outdoors is a part of their/our world.

Children/We learn about and how to adapt to their/our surroundings, they learn to appreciate difference, and they learn to cultivate and care for something beautiful that makes the spirit feel free, they learn to calm their bodies and allow it to breathe, they learn to allow mental traps to expand beyond what was thought to be a limit, and overall health can improve, balance can be found and so much more... all this...without hurting anyone. Right now, in our world today, that is something worth giving to a child, to yourself and heartfelt experiences to be had over and

over again.

It is them, our children who will inherit this earth. It is important that they have a sense of what they're dealing with. Not sure Mindcraft and all those other tech traps can give that same experience or knowledge. Yet with everything in nature, this world, there needs to be a balance.

Trailulive supports the Nature Conservancy and their desire to spread the awareness and their inspiration of building a relationship with children, parents and nature. You can find facts, outreach programs and more interesting ideas on how to get your children outside at their website: www.nature.org.

If getting outside is tough from where you live, here are some TUL ideas that can assist in developing that relationship with your children:

Nature stories/books (many can be found at your nearby library)
Photo books
Magazines
Nature crafts
Backyard camping(if no backyard, bedroom camping!)
Discovery Channel (then writing a report or doing a report together on what you watched)
Forming animals in the wild out of clay
Creating habitats from clay and other useful items/objects
Drawing, painting
Nature Theatre at home and you're the director!
Finding, Gently observing, then letting it go (catching bugs and such live things)
Plant science