Join us in the #1000 Hours Outside challenge this year!

My family loves being outside.  

We love walking, hiking, playing soccer/golf/football/anything in the yard, watching the birds (and documenting their songs on our Merlin ID bird app), looking for frogs, catching fireflies, going to the beach (in all seasons, sometime just to walk or collect rocks), riding bikes, scootering, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk/driveway, etc.  

BUT.  

We also live in the Midwest.  And for several months out of the year it is really cold and snowy, or cold and oddly sunny, or cold and rainy, or warm and tornado-y... you get the idea.  The weather isn't always great for being outside.  BUT, could we still get outside?  Can we try to spend more time in nature, despite the weather?  Maybe for an hour a day on the not so great days and longer on the beautiful days?  We are trying to, with the #1000HoursOutside challenge.  

This challenge is based on the idea that we should spend as much time outside as possible, instead of as much time inside on our devices or in front of screens.    There are proven health benefits from being in nature, breathing fresh air, using our curious minds to explore, and I could go on and on.

With the ever-increasing pressure on children to engage with technology and ever-present screens surrounding us, even when we're trying to avoid them (like at the gas pump?!), we decided it was vital to increase our "green time" and decrease our "screen time".  My husband and I know our children "have" to use computers at school, for many school assignments done at home, and that we will continue to engage in movies and cartoons for leisure (time-limited).  BUT, we're choosing to reduce their screen time when possible.  Please note, we understand sometimes using screens for leisure is a truly good thing and provides educational opportunities, as well.  We are not "anti-technology" by any stretch.

Here are a few things we try to do in our home:

• no TV before school (in the morning, we use that time to get prepared for the day, no screens)
• no screens during family meals on most days (we have some exceptions to this, like Pizza and Movie night, but the other 6/7 nights or more... there are NO screens at dinner)
• family dinner is basically mandatory...  or as best as possible.  As physicians we sometimes have schedules that don't allow us to be home in the evening, but whoever is home, will be eating at the kitchen table as a family (friends, family and guests included)
• our children do not have their own devices, yet.  We love the idea of the "Wait Til 8th" campaign, and plan on "no social media" until at LEAST 8th grade- hopefully longer.   I'll link their website below.
• Children must ask before using the TV, computers, tablet (again, they primarily "have" to use them for school work, but also if they want to watch a show we ask that they discuss with us first and we come up with a plan- maybe they need to work on their household tasks, finish homework, or clean up from a snack first, etc).  
• 1000 Hours Outside GOAL as a family.  We try to get SOME outside time every day.  Recently (its March 1 now!) weather has been improving but there were a few days in the past weeks that temperatures were below freezing or we had constant heavy rain for 2-3 days straight, and we do not require the children to go outside in those types of conditions.  But if we can dress for the weather, you bet we're outside!  Maybe even just on the porch doing homework, but we really try to get out there.  (I'll even bundle up in a winter coat and boots and do my morning meditations on the porch!)

The 1,000 Hours Outside founder, Ginny Yurich says, "Match screen time with green time!".  I love that philosophy!  If you're going to spend time on screens or allow your children to spend time on screens... can you also spend as much time outside in nature?  

We're going to try!  

Join our family in the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge.  There are paper diagrams/"trackers" that you or your children can color in as you complete every hour outside (we roughly estimate our time).  There is also an app that you can use to track your time.  I printed one tracker per child and also one for myself.  

The 1000 Hours Outside website has free monthly outside play prompts, book ideas, activities, links to other resources, some nature curricula, etc.  Also check out their podcast!

Ginny Yurich also wrote a book that is FULL of engaging activities for your children to spend more time outside, complete with pictures. These are relatively simple and include things like building a mud kitchen.  (The baby loves that idea!).  Ane I love that it's organized by season!  For example, we took a "hot cocoa hike" on New Year's Day this year, and the kids were much more willing to walk knowing that Mom had cocoa ready to go when we felt cold.  (We drank it probably 3/4 of the way into our walk).  

Let's see how much time we can all spend outside this year!  

This post is NOT sponsored, I just love this challenge.  See more of my family's progress in my Instagram Highlight reels.  

Ginny's book can be purchased here: