Have a real adventure: Games and activities that will get children outdoors
Absolutely not going out – and certainly not in bad weather! A dull walk or a sandbox will probably never tempt computer whizzes and bookworms outside. So for homebodies: get creative and come up with games and activities that aren't necessarily ordinary.
Treasure hunt: Kombiniert einen Spaziergang doch mit einer Schatzsuche! Dafür könnt ihr vielleicht eine kleine Schachtel mit Süßigkeiten oder kleinem Spielzeug befüllen und an einem sicheren Ort verwahren. Pfeile auf der Straße oder kleine Rätsel, die unterwegs gestellt werden, weisen eurem Kind den Weg.
Wildlife park/zoo: Animals - and especially wild ones - are exciting for most children. A trip to the nearest wildlife park or zoo is therefore a welcome change from the animal book.
Make a campfire: Children usually don't have much to do with fire. Parents - rightly - repeatedly warn about the dangers of flames. All the more exciting is a campfire that you can, depending on the possibilities, make in your own garden in a fire bowl. Many barbecue huts also offer public areas to have a campfire. With tasty bread on a stick, even homebodies can be enthused.
Geocaching: Aimlessly wandering around outdoors quickly becomes boring for many children. Much more exciting is geocaching, a kind of treasure hunt for older children and adults. Using GPS you have to find caches and solve puzzles - ideal for an outing with the whole family.
Dog-sitting: Most children want their own pet, but few parents can fulfill the wish for a dog. Homebodies who are reluctant to go out may be delighted if they are allowed to walk the neighbor's dog. Many animal shelters are also happy when someone regularly takes the four-legged friends out. The advantage of arrangements like these: you can set regular appointments that your child then has to stick to. That way they not only learn responsibility, but also get out in the fresh air regularly.
Bike ride with ice cream: The prospect of a treat is an incentive for many homebodies to go out. It's also always sensible to have a destination when you're on foot or by bike, because that motivates and makes questions like "When can we go home again" unnecessary.
Visit to the farm: Especially for city children, it's a great experience to visit cows, pigs and chickens in the countryside. Some farms offer the opportunity to visit the barns at certain opening times and watch the cows being milked. But the friendly farmer in the nearest village surely won't mind a visit with a child either - best to just ask.
Why doesn't my child want to go outside?
It's not always laziness when your child doesn't feel like going outside. So you should refrain from accusations and assumptions.
Fear: Some children who suffer at school, are under great performance pressure or are bullied, withdraw - and that's easiest within their own four walls. A trusting approach gives your child a sense of security.
Time for themselves: For some children, everyday life is more exhausting than for others. Maybe your child just needs more time to relax and to process the many impressions of the day?
Homebodies - so what?
Playing in nature is great for body and mind. Letting off steam energetically is usually not possible in the apartment - and usually causes more stress than it helps to burn off excess energy. Many children still prefer to spend their free time indoors. And that's not a problem at all, as long as a good balance is provided. Your child should spend about an hour a day in the fresh air - so it's perfectly fine if they then retreat with a book. It becomes more problematic when your child just hangs on the smartphone, watches TV or sits in front of the computer. Therefore agree on a limit for how long your child may consume these media each day. We've compiled tips on media consumption for children here (Link) compiled for you.
