As a parent, it’s important to occasionally give your child a sense of adventure. Instead of keeping them cooped up in the city, it can pay dividends to get them out into nature and exploring the wild. 

But how should you do this? What sort of thing do kids find the most fun? Let’s find out. 

 

Fossil Finding

 

Kids love the idea that the world is unbelievably ancient. The fact that it stretches back so far is a real mystery for them and something that inspires the imagination. 

Even better, fossils are a connection to the past. These stone objects represent the shapes of creatures that lived tens or hundreds of millions of years ago.

What’s nice about fossils is how they fit into neat categories. You can find all sorts of examples of each along beaches and even sometimes inland in special areas. Looking for them is a thrill in itself and something that kids who love collecting things will do for hours. 

 

Scavenger Hunting

 

Scavenger hunting is a similar activity that encourages kids to focus on the here and now, looking for items they can use practically. Searching for resources is a primal pursuit and something anyone can do with a little knowledge. 

The best approach is to tell kids to look for safe items, such as sticks of dry wood or certain types of plants. As they get older, you can introduce things like fungi and berries. 

What’s cool about scavenger hunting is that it involves problem solving. Kids have to work with nature, not against it. 

 

Mud Bogging

 

Another cool option is to take kids on a mud-bogging expedition. Here, you drive a 4×4 truck through muddy terrain, trying to get around a course. 

To take part, you’ll need something like Super Swamper tires and a suitable gear ratio. However, once you get going, it can be tremendous fun for everyone involved. Just make sure you top your vehicle up with plenty of screen wash before you travel!

 

Hiking

Going on a long hike is another idea if your kid loves to travel outdoors. Walking along lonely trails introduces them to the natural world in a way that city parks never could. It gives them a sense of the scale of the outdoors and how it is a new type of playground for having fun and enjoying new experiences. 

You could also combine it with camping for a true wilderness experience. Children love learning how to set up campfires, cook food in the open, and put up tents. 

 

Rock Climbing

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you might also want to take your kid rock climbing. You can do these on artificial climbing towers or real rock faces of varying difficulty. These activities build stamina rapidly. Kids soon build up strength in their hands and legs, allowing them to scale even the most challenging surfaces. 

If you’re not sure how to instruct your child, there are plenty of teachers you can hire for the day to help you.

 

*This is a collaborative post