Tag: summer activities

Why I chose to attempt the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge

ChelseaLeave a comment

Have you ever just felt called to do something? It isn’t often that I get this feeling but every once in a while, I just know I am doing the right thing. I felt it with being a mom. I felt it with staying home and homeschooling. I felt it with this. Notice how it all centers around my kids? Yeah. There are mistakes I have made in my life. So many choices I have wondered or known weren’t the best. But my kids are not even close to one of them. With them, I know I am meant to be their mama. And I know I needed to attempt this challenge.

I love my children dearly, but with 4 pulling me in different directions, we have gotten away from time. Time together, time to ourselves, and time with nature. In this digital age, everything is instant gratification. Everything is here and now. But in nature, you have to wait for the ground to thaw, the plants to bloom, the leaves to fall, and the sun to rise. It always happens but only on its own time. I used to feel a connectedness to nature. Like I was home when I was outside. Some of my favorite memories from growing up are from being outside. I remember being outside from the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep practically in the summer. I remember being on my bike the entire day, rolling down the neighborhood hills.

Grandma and I gardening

This past year we had a great school year. We did a lot more together, it was more organized and we had so much fun (well if you ask me, if you ask Monkey and Monster, they probably have a different idea of how it went). But I still felt like something was missing. Then I read Call of the Wild+Free by Ainsley Arment (not an affiliate, just a fan) and wow. Then I read Home Grown by Ben Hewitt (also not an affiliate). I felt such a purity in the way they were living life. Exploring nature, spending time connecting to Earth and each other, living off of their land and it just called to me. This is what is missing. In my wanderings through the internet, I came across 1000 Hours Outside page and a wonderful community started and growing through the efforts of Ginny Yurich. We all know how competitive I am, so naturally we were going to do 1000 hours. But see, I didn’t think about it. I didn’t plan for it, and we fell WAY short. Because 1000 hours outside doesn’t seem like much until you calculate that that is almost 2.75 hours a day! Do you spend 3 hours outside a day? Yeah, most people don’t. So it takes some serious intentional planning. So I’ve started my plans. And along the way it may turn into not having to. But right now I have to say yes, when I want to say no. I have to make the plan, when I want to stay home.

Monkey has a screen addiction, lets face it my whole family does. But screens affect his mood a lot more than the rest of us. He eats, sleeps, and breathes screens. Shows, games, now web searches, and it doesn’t matter what. Tinkerbell, Barbie, Pokémon, if a screen is on, it has his attention. So to break us all of the habit I decided to hit us hard with not only starting our 1000 Hours Outside challenge but also taking away screens at the same time (at least during the week) right at the beginning of our year!

Monster punting the football at 7am on a Saturday

They pretty hated me for two days because they got their chores done and *gasp* didn’t get screens afterwards (insert horror scream here). Instead they played with LEGO, we have gone to the park, we have ridden bikes, played football with the neighbors, and gone on a walk, made chalk pictures, and eaten ice cream. We started 6 days ago and already have almost 21 hours hours logged. They won’t hate it forever. Because soon it will become part of them.

Playing in the stream in the Smoky Mountains

They will see trees, sticks, streams, insects, and everything in between, as home. They will learn to observe nature, care for nature, and experience nature and all of its beauty. They will ground themselves in their surroundings, get natural vitamin D, learn to listen to their body, explore, learn, and live. Is it the right thing for us to do? I don’t know. But I do know that I have said yes to going outside a lot more than I have said no to screens in the past 2 days. And for that, I may just make it to 1000 this year.

Make It Monday

Chelsea1 Comment

I love kids art! I really do, but I don’t have space to save it all. They each have a binder they can put their paintings and drawings in. But I love to let them make things that have a purpose or will be used also. So this summer we are stepping it up and doing a lot of crafts that can be used around the house, outside, or worn. ( I will update as I can with pictures of our makes!)

  • Craft Stick Bird Feeders- Make a square using 2 craft sticks at a time (alternating between the two sides and the top/bottom) Attach to each other using hot glue. Line craft sticks up next to each other to create a platform on the bottom. Also about half way up the front add another craft stick coming out of the front for a perch. Tie ribbon, twine, yarn, etc around both sides and hang from a tree or other area where birds may visit. Enjoy watching the birds!
  • Tie-dye Shirts- This one is scary to me. Three young kids and dye that will stain anything it touches. (Ugh!) So we will definitely make this an outside project. We will also probably do it in black clothing. I bought a rainbow tie-dye kit that includes all the squirt bottles, rubber-bands, dye, etc. The only other things I will have to get is the shirts for them! You could (if you have the ability) to use Heat-Transfer vinyl and make the “Family Camp” Field Trip Shirts.
  • Dream Catchers- We are doing this because my younger son had heard about the reason for dream catchers. He gets bad dreams often and so he wanted to make one. These can be as simple as a circle cut from card board and decorated with yarn wrap in a net design around it, or as complex as macrame knots, crystals and multicolor designs. The choice is yours. We used a plastic embroidery hoop I had laying around along with some DMC Embroidery Floss. After looping it around the outside and continuing until the middle. We then used pipe cleaners and craft feathers to hang from the bottom. You can read about the lore behind dream catchers here.
  • Patriotic Slime- We are using this as a “Which Works Best Experiment” this summer. We are going to start with liquid starch recipe from Little Bins for Little Hands. Then also make their Borax Slime and Contact Solution Slime. In each I am going to add in red, white, and blue sequins. I also may buy some of the Flag toothpicks to let them play with it. We are going to see which recipe we like the most! (Look at the other days to find out all the patriotic activities we are going to do the week before the 4th!)
  • DIY Bouncy Balls- I did this in my Chemistry lab in college. Pretty sure it was a just for the heck of it day. I couldn’t remember how to do it on my own but this seems really familiar so we are going to try the instructions from The 36th Avenue
  • Terarriums- I am excited for this. I have a dragon, dino, and fairy lover so I think they are each going to get their own stuff. Once we find a little container, they can fill it with sand, moss, plants, benches, rocks, houses, marbles, gold, etc. Each can make their own habitat for their little friends and keep it in their room!
  • Marshmallow Structures- This one is very simple STEM idea. Toothpicks and mini-marshmallows. Have them do different challenges. Who can build the tallest? Can they build a structure that can hold a book?
  • Splatter Paint- This one can be done a few ways. But for ALL of them I recommend doing it outside! LOL. Use large construction paper, canvas, butcher paper, etc. Tape it to a fence, lay it on the grass, or hold it for each other (if you want to make it a really messy activity). Wear clothes you don’t care about. Using paint brushes dip deep into paint and then splatter or drip it over the canvas or other paper choice. Use as many colors as you want and just have fun. You can also water the paints down a little bit and use squirt guns to spray the canvas. Channel your inner Jackson Pollack!
  • Wind Socks- The short Pringles cans are great for this project! Wrap with white or kraft paper and decorate it any way you wish. Markers, Paint, Stickers, Gems, etc. can all work. Then using streamers or ribbon attach to the bottom using a single whole punch and tying them through the holes. Also poke holes near the bottom metal part and loop twine though it. Hang from a hook on the porch or a stick and run through the yard to show its beauty as the wind blows.
  • Name Crystals- I found this on one of my favorite places to follow on FB. Playdough to Plato has lots of fun activities but this one caught the eye of my crystal loving Monkey and so he wanted to make his name in crystals. Pretty easy with Pipe cleaners, borax, hot water, food coloring, pencils/pens, jars, and fishing line. Younger children may need help forming their name.
  • Friendship Bracelets- Any DMC Embroidery Floss from the Dream Catchers can be used for this. Mixing colors and knot types, you can make something as simple as a chain or intricate designs. Great for all ages!
  • Sharpie Painting- This works best on canvas. I found some small cheap ones at the dollar store of all places! Let the kids use Sharpie markers to color different colors and designs all over the canvas. Once you are done, spray or pour rubbing alcohol over the entire canvas. Allow to dry fully and you should get a beautiful watercolor-esque design.