Outdoor Activity Ideas for Homeschool Kids

Most recently updated January 20th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Home school kids need to get outdoors in the sunshine and play – for their physical and mental health and for ours, too.

If you’ve recently  become a remote worker AND a home-schooler all at once,  courtesy of COVID-19, you’re probably already running short on patience.

Getting outdoors, either in your own yard or in a local park or forest, can help boost the entire family’s mood and immune system.

Footpath in Lake Crabtree County Park
Footpath in Lake Crabtree County Park

Sitting still for long periods of time is hard for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for energetic young ones who may have shorter attention spans.

When children have the space and freedom to move around, they can work off their excess energy and be more focused on learning when playtime is over.

Through physical outdoor learning activities children can improve their speed, strength, stamina and motor skills, too.

Here are some ideas for incorporating outdoor time into your new at-home daily schedule, and some tips on places to go for outdoor fun where you can still avoid crowds, for social distancing purposes.

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Umstead State Park: Combining Trails for Longer Hikes

Most recently updated September 30th, 2022

Working remotely doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors – in fact, it’s healthier for you to take breaks and get outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine!

Being stuck indoors by yourself  – or with your kids – with no end in sight could make you nuts.

Paved trail beside Big Lake in Umstead State Park
Paved trail beside Big Lake in Umstead State Park

Getting out on the trail on your own, or with 10 or fewer members of your family or friends, could help bring you back from Crazy Town.

If you’re a hiker local to Cary or Raleigh, NC, you know the nearby hiking places, and have been on the trails.

They’re beautiful, have varied terrain and are easily accessible. 

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Starting Small – How to Hike with Kids in Tow

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Have you suddenly become a home-schooler and/or a  remote worker because of the new social distancing requirements?   

Hopefully, this won’t last forever. 

Meanwhile, you could take the kids outdoors for a hike to make it feel a little less oppressive.

Running a 5k with my five year old.

In spite of my asthma, I’ve always been an active person. 

Becoming a mother didn’t change that, or my desire to be outdoors in Nature. 

But it did change how I could participate if I wanted (or needed) to include little ones.   

Here’s how I did it!

When I first discovered recreational hiking, I was working at a full-time tech job, a single mother of a toddler with few babysitters around, and my closest family was 1500 miles away.

So most of my activities (outside of work) included the company of my little Mini-Me, and hiking was no exception.

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