Guest Contributor
The temperature drops and so does your families enthusiasm to spend all day outside, but it shouldn’t! Fall and Winter provide some of the best opportunities for having fun outdoors. Invest in warm boots, all weather pants and a flashy hat and get outside together to enjoy some of these fun family adventures.
10 Ideas to Take Your Family Outside
Hiking
I guarantee there are hidden gems within a 45 minute drive that are just begging to be explored. Water falls, tucked away lakes, rolling hills and trails leading through gorgeous forests. Get out there and enjoy. Google hiking trails around you, check out local ski hills that might be open for Fall rides on the chair lifts, have groomed cross country ski trails or follow that path into the forest near your house just to see where it leads.
Geocaching
A great outdoor experience for the whole family, Geocaching is catching on! The sport of using GSP coordinates from your smartphone to find hidden treasures and log books is happening all over the world and right in your own backyard. A simple download of the Geocaching app and you only need to hit one button that says Find Nearby Geocaches and you are off. It will lead you by compass and distance markers right to the area where you need to start looking in bushes, under logs and hanging from tree branches for the hidden cache. When you find it there will be a log book to sign and maybe a treasure to take, as long as your replace it with a new treasure for someone else. Check out www.geocaching.com for more information.
Corn Maze
So many local farms are getting in on the Corn Maze craze! Some are elaborate with 20 km of intricate design that families can explore and answer skill testing questions as they go. Others are easy fun mazes that kids can run in and out of for hours. Google corn mazes in your area and support local farmers by checking them out.
Bike Path/Toboggan Rides
If the snow hasn’t fallen yet, get those bikes and helmets out and strap on the training wheels. Most cities now boast bike paths that are even riding terrain for the newest cyclists in your family. Bike riding on new paths lead to new adventures and if you plan your journey right, you may even end up at an ice cream or hot chocolate shop! If the paths are full of snow grab a long toboggan and pull the kids along. When you tire, as the kids to give you a ride!
Horseback Riding
If you have older kids, why not look for a local horse stable that offers Trail Rides. Many have staff on hand that will walk along side riders as young as 3 and have horses that are gentle with beginner riders. Many are also open all winter long regardless of snow.
Archery
How good is your aim? Think outside the fruit farm and look for Conservation areas or Harvest Festivals nearby that offer archery or log cutting.
Visit a Pioneer Village
Wonder what they do at a Pioneer Village? Go check it out. You might just learn how to make sausages or see demonstrations on candle dipping, historic cooking, apple schnitzing, or grain threshing! Who doesn’t want to learn about apple schnitzing?
Go Fly A Kite
The wind that sets those fall leaves free from the trees is excellent for flying a kite at a nearby park or soccer field. And running with that kite will have the kids flushed and giggling all afternoon.
Leaf Jumping/Snowball Wars
No Family Fun is complete without a giant pile of leaves to jump in and mess up or a good old fashion snow throwing game! Get in on the action. Collect leaves and snow from all the neighbours lawns, shape them into a giant pile and then spend the afternoon rolling around in the leaves or playing in the snow with your kids. I promise they will never forget the fun they had watching you.
So much fun to be had outdoors, don’t be afraid to explore new ideas and events in your own community. You may be surprised at how many new Family Traditions you can create outside!
