Ah, outside time… It’s a popular topic in today’s mommy circles and blogs isn’t it! It seems like everywhere you look there’s another article proclaiming the need for children to “run wild and free” and to “get their thousand hours in”! The thing is though it seems like many of the voices in this area are assuming you have access to tons of beautiful nature opportunities either in your backyard or near by. But what if you don’t… What if you want to foster a love of nature in your children, but your nature options are somewhat limited? Do we just forget the whole thing? Let’s unpack this together…

Thanks to the many blogs, books, podcasts, and instagram posts on the topic of children and outside time, most of us already know there are SO many benefits to our children spending time in the great outdoors. Especially unstructured time outside. (If you would like more information on benefits of outside time for children see the end of this blog post where I’ve linked some helpful resources.) Since so many of us are already familiar with this idea, let’s skip to the nitty gritty. How do we foster this love of outdoor time? Interesting fact about me… I LOVE being outside. It’s hands down my favorite spot to be and I credit my upbringing for this love. All six of my siblings and I grew up immersed in the outdoors. It was the best place to be and the most fun. It happened naturally through our living situation on a rural cranberry marsh, but mostly through continued encouragement from my parents to get outside. Even on those days we didn’t feel like it. But we now still have a deep love for the outdoors and outside activities (thanks mom and dad!!) Together or apart we’d build forts, climb bluffs, ride bikes, paddle skiffs in the pond across from the house and so much more.

Getting outside daily was an essential part of my growing up years long before the 1000 hours outside challenge appeared on the scene… When I became an adult and moved out on my own that daily habit of getting outside stuck with me. Even living in town where the view during walks was far less beautiful. I could write a whole post on the benefits of outdoor time for moms (and I probably will at some point!), but here I want to focus on getting our children outside when the outdoor space by our home is maybe less than ideal…

When I had my first two children we lived in a small rental in the heart of a mill town. Our backyard was the tiniest space imaginable and fully surrounded by other houses. And the oddest thing? There was not a single tree in the entire yard, front or back. Now for a girl who grew up surrounded by woods this was so frustrating! But I determined to not let our setting stop me from getting outside with my kiddos. I prayed a lot in that house that the Lord would make me content and thankful for the little outside blessings He gave with that house. And here’s what I became thankful for in that season… a river walking trail within easy walking distance of our house. Ducks that would wander through our front yard every spring. Neighbors with beautiful trees that we could gaze at across the street. There were so many things to notice and enjoy with my children in the outdoor city setting in which we lived! Those years we lived there my boys and I splashed in mud puddles, planted a tiny garden (which yielded my biggest carrot crop to date!), walked through the snow in the street in front of our home, and fed the birds that happened by our home. Little by little my boys learned about the bits of nature that came across our path.

In 2019, we bought our first house in a nearby small village. Since I had practiced being thankful for the small gifts of nature at our rental, this new home felt like a paradise! We were still in a town setting, but we had trees! A small patch of “woods” aka untamed yard. And the river was across the road where we could catch small glimpses of it. I was ecstatic and the kids and I enjoyed exploring our new space. What’s funny though is that it doesn’t take long for discontentment to set in. I started reading books and listening to podcasts about kids and the outdoors and began to think our small space wasn’t enough for them. They could never be “wild and free” in a small fenced in backyard. Then there were the comments from well meaning people in our lives. “Someday you’ll finally live in the country!” and “They’re such cute little city kids…” That last comment is like the ultimate insult to a mom trying to raise kids not afraid to get muddy and explore. I was doing my best, but it seemed like my best wasn’t good enough. You know what happened though? My kids proved me wrong. We faithfully kept getting outside as much as possible and my kids blossomed. They can now identify almost as many birds as me. They know the most obscure animal facts. Watching plants grow is exciting! My five year olds know deer sign and other animal tracks. Bugs are cool and worms are a special treasure to all of my children. Sometimes a bit too special of a treasure that needs to come live inside… thankfully I caught that one before a worm friend spent the night in my boys’ room!

Needless to say, I was worried for nothing. Sure, we may not live in the country, but there are so many neat nature things happening all around us if only we have the eyes to see it. And if we cultivate the contentment to be at peace and soak it in without looking for the next great thing. So here are some things I’ve learned about outside time in a city setting…

1. Look for the small things. The small flower pushing up in your yard. The bird perched on the power line. The bug crawling through the grass. Nature is all around!
2. Get outside daily to see how nature in your space changes through the seasons. So much changes outside so fast if you take the time to observe.
3. Allow for mud and dirt. Dirty children are happy children. Clothing washes, so let the splashing and digging happen! My children’s happiest hours are spent in their “Spring Peeper Creek” aka tiny puddle in the back of the yard. Children are happy for hours outside if water and loads of dirt are involved.
4. Encourage curiosity and keep learning yourself! Get some nature guides, buy the binoculars, go for a walk and see what you can discover. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer when your child asks a question, but DO be willing to do the reading and research together to find the answer!
5. Make space for the creepy crawlies. It’s so easy to be grossed out by bugs as an adult, but if we let our children sense our distaste they will mimic that and miss out on learning so much!
6. Modeling is everything. If you show an unwillingness to be outdoors, especially on those days when the weather is less than ideal, why would your children want to be outside? Outside time is good for you too mama. Get out there and soak it in!

I hope this was enouraging and maybe inspired you in your outside journey with your kiddos. I’d love to hear how you encourage your children to get outside and some of your favorite things to do outside together! Drop me a comment down below so we can all learn from each other!

Helpful Resources…

1. Thousand Hours Outside https://www.1000hoursoutside.com
2. Last Child in the Woods
3. Barefoot and Balanced