Your Soulful Summer Checklist: Fun Things to Do Outside With Kids
Get soulful this summer with the whole family! Nature is our favourite place to grow, learn, and turn any bushy eyed frown upside down. To help you squeeze the most out of the sunshine, we’ve created an action-packed checklist of fun things to do outside with your kids.
A smiling and sleepy child guaranteed, or your full money back…
Night-time Camping Adventure
Sleeping under endless stars, stories around the campfire, hot roasted marshmallows on sticks. There’s nothing quite like a camping trip as a child to show you the wonder of the universe.
In the daytime, Little Treeliners can build a secret den or make a fairy house in the forest, jump waves at the local beach or learn to set up their very own tent.
But when night falls, that’s when the magic really starts! Enter a whole new world as you stay up a little past their bedtime, tell fables around the fire, rustle into the tent together with headlights on or climb onto the top bunk of your RV. There’s something about a night-time adventure that is so full of excitement for the little ones! And don’t forget to bring your adventure blankets along. You can cosy up and teach them all the names of the stars and constellations in the sky (or make your own!).
Wildlife Scavenger Hunt: X Marks The Spot
It’s time to grab the binoculars and get lost in an exploration of birds, ladybugs, worms and wildlife!
Create a highly engaging day by giving your children hidden clues or riddles to solve as they scout for bugs and beetles on your scavenger hunt checklist. You can also hide fun things for them to discover along the way such as candies, juice boxes or colouring books. Drape them from trees, bury them in the soil, hang them from fences – wherever you can! And make sure you invite the neighbours too. You can enjoy a family-filled day where your kids also have the opportunity to play with others their age. Let’s keep the collective spirit alive!
Get Colourful with Paints
For the child who likes to get creative with their hands, we recommend taking some paints and canvases outside and letting their imaginations run wild.
You can create a super fun setup with easels and a designated paint station (make sure you have a paint cloth handy). The added benefit of being outside means you have many natural elements to draw. From trees to flowers, nature is the perfect inspiration if they’re not sure where to start. It’s what inspired many of our own jewelry collections here at Treeline Collective!
Perhaps you also have a maker and creator in the making…
Learn About The Land
Based in Squamish BC, Treeline Collective respectfully acknowledges the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Lekwungen (Lək̓ʷəŋən), Squamish (Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh), Lil’wat (L̓il̓wat7úl), and all Coast Salish Peoples, on whose land we live, work and play.
We encourage families to explore the history of the lands they explore with their children. Teach them about the traditional and historic names of the place they live and the indigenous people who hold much wisdom and work hard to protect the land. Learn the names of the mountains and the rivers and the animals so that we may honor and respect the place we call home.
With education, we truly hold the power for change.
Hot Day? Hit The Garden
Have you ever seen those kids with their gardening gloves on and a watering can in hand? The pure delight on their faces as they pull out the first carrot of the season or see the first tips of green on the tree they planted?
There’s nothing more soulful than getting your hands dirty. It’s one of our core values at Treeline Collective and we believe it’s important for our children and youth to connect with the earth and never be afraid to get stuck in.
Watching your very own tree grow or helping your favourite gardener pull the weeds can show you so much about the intricacies of nature, as well as be an enjoyable activity on a hot summer’s afternoon. What better way to spend some quality time with your loved ones?
Learn A New Skill
There are many things to do outside, but we think it’s the go-to destination to learn a new skill.
Dust off the stabilizers, the armbands, the crab nets or the miniature golf kits. Teach your kids the joys of riding a bike with the wind in your hair, building miniature boats to float on your local lake, hiking a mountain in the backcountry (depending on age) and the freedom that comes with doing the activities you love outside.
Maybe the next activity they learn will be the lifelong hobby to pull them out of the house and ignite passion in their bones. What skill or activity would you love your child to learn this summer? We’re voting for bikes and boats.
L Stands For Lemonade
When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade stand!
From creating their very own business sign to squeezing fresh juice and having someone stop to buy it, lemonade stands can be both fun and empowering. It teaches young minds the value of money, teamwork (if they do it with friends) and confidence to meet new people. Plus, all the lucky locals get to cool off with a nice cold beverage. Win win!
For The Love of Science
Watching your food coloring turn into fireworks or seeing the tiny legs of a spider close up is sure to thrill your kids.
For an explosive afternoon, you’ll need to start with one large glass jar. Fill the jar with about two-thirds of warm water. Add 2 tbsp. of oil into a small bowl with 8 to 10 drops of red, blue and green food coloring and mix well. Pour the oil mixture into the water and watch the fireworks as the food coloring separates from the oil and diffuses into the water. So cool!
For outdoor science activities with a little less mess, take your kids on a nature walk to learn about the names of the local flora and fauna. If you don’t know them yourself, this is a really fun way to learn together. There’s lots of books to help identify plants, birds and all the in-between. Try your local bookshops or library for assistance.
Time For A Nice-Cream
One lick for you, two licks for me? Who doesn’t like an ice-cream on a hot summer’s day!
Rather than buying one from the supermarket, why not make it special and take them to your local ice-cream parlor or store. Our favourite local spot is Alice and Brohm in Squamish, BC.
Let them marvel at the colours and flavours through the sparkling glass – and of course test one of two before deciding which one they want. We also recommend ditching the ice-cream cups and plastic spoons this summer. A cone is way better for the planet (yey!) and a lot tastier too. If you’re gluten free, be sure to ask if they have any other options or bring your own reusable cup.
…And that’s a wrap! Let us know what you think of our soulful summer checklist and which activity you are most excited to try. It can be hard to think of new things to try outside with your kids, so we hope this gets you inspired and ready to roam. If you have any other ideas, make sure you stick them in the comments below so we can share them with our community.
————————————————————————-
If you haven’t already heard, we also have a new quarterly newsletter for all our fellow Treeliners. Make sure you sign up today for more fun blogs, VIP discount codes and upcoming product releases.
With love,
Treeline Collective
Share
