by Shannon Lawrence

Created on: April 27, 2009

The beauty of the outdoors is that there is always something fun to do, and often it is free. Now that spring has come upon us, there are more and more days of sunshine to get out and enjoy. Time to shake off the cobwebs, shed those sweaters and boots, and have some family fun! In this age of video games and endless TV cartoons, it is doubly important to make it a point to get outside with your family and encourage physical activity.

One way to have fun with your kids is to plant a garden, whether small or large. Strawberries are a good option, as the fun will go on all summer when the kids get to pick strawberries to eat as a fresh treat. If you want something more basic, you can plant flowers, such as marigolds. Of course, if you have older children, you can always cultivate a vegetable garden with veggies of your choice.

Whatever you choose to plant, children will enjoy many aspects of it. We all know that children enjoy playing in the dirt, and now you're giving them permission and a reason to do so. Many dollar stores have gardening tools for children in the spring, or you can find them at large stores, like Target or Wal-Mart. Allowing them to help you dig with sticks or their little hands will work just as well, so tools are entirely optional. Speaking of little hands, they possess little fingers, which can be perfect for the distribution of tiny seeds, depending on what you're planting.

Once you have prepared the garden, your children can help with the watering. Whether this involves a hose, a pitcher, or an actual watering can does not matter, but it is a simple and important job that a child can help with. They will be so proud when the first sprouts appear, especially knowing how much work they, themselves, put in.

If gardening is not your thing, now is the perfect time to discover new places in your community, such as parks. Newer neighborhoods often have parks as part of the plans, and there are usually many city parks. Discovering new parks adds variety to your summer, helps keep the kids entertained, and keeps parents from getting bored with the same old thing every time. Adding a picnic lunch to the day at the park is inexpensive and easy, and your children will love how special it is. Search online for city parks near you that do educational walks and activities for children.

Hiking is fun for many, so now is a wonderful time to look into hiking areas if you'd like to try it out with your family. It is fairly easy to search online for state parks,

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