1000 hours outside: Top 5 things I learned in our first month!

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As we neared the end of 2019 I found our household in a bit of a life rut.  Too many holidays, treats, special outings and late nights and our entire family was quite frankly a hot mess.  I was over tired and stressed trying to keep work, activities, the kids, the household running and the children over stimulated, over sugared and melting down at every turn.  I knew we needed a change, something to reset and better both our mental and physical health, but what?! That’s when I came across the 1000 hours outside challenge!

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The 1000 hours outside challenge is just what it says!  It’s a challenge to get your kiddos playing outside for 1000 hours of the year!  Now why 1000 hours?! I hear you ask. The average American child spends 1200 hours a year attached to a screen!  1200!!!!!! Let that just sink in for a minute! The idea of this challenge is to try and match nature time to screen time.  

Checkout 1000 hours outside for more details and inspirations.

While my kiddos don’t have much screen time, they definitely have a LOT of indoor time!  Now as a licensed elementary school teacher and avid child psychology reader, I know the benefits of outside play for children.  However, life, too many plans and cold Colorado winter months and I truly had been slacking on getting the kiddos outside. No wonder we were all grumpy and on edge!  As I delved deeper into researching the 1000 hours outside challenge and saw people from all over the world embracing taking childhood back to nature, the joy in their pictures was contagious!  If I could get that much joy from seeing the happiness in their pictures, then I was sure this was the challenge for us!  

Hooked and inspired, January 1st we started!  Has it been easy?! No!!! Has it been life changing?! Absolutely!  Just like any change in life, it took a little bit to settle in to our new habits and we have learned many lessons along the way! 

Here are the top 5 things I learned in our first month!

1 – One pair of gloves is not enough for a small child!

The minute my kiddos get outside they always seem to gravitate towards the messiest area they can find!  I have learned that there is nothing more fun for a small child than to dig in the dirt, scoop up leaves or stir a puddle!  With this comes very dirty and usually wet gloves! While getting messy is fun! Wet gloves are not! The instant their hands start to get cold they ask for a new dry pair.  Most outings we go through 2-4 pairs each child. You can pick up a multipack of gloves, or for younger children you can also use old mens socks! These work particularly well for 2yrs and under as it keeps their entire arm dry!

2 – A warm head, hands and feet makes ALL the difference!

One of my biggest concerns when thinking about starting this challenge was the cold weather!  Now while we are having a particularly light snow year here in Colorado, it sure has been cold!  We have had some brutal winds and cold temperatures. This weather is unbearable to be out in without the correct attire!  However, the minute we made sure to wear appropriate socks, gloves and hats the cold no longer bothered us! A warm head, hands and feet makes ALL the difference in the fun to be had and length of time of play!

3 – You have to embrace the dirt……and the laundry!

Something that was difficult for me in the first week was letting go of control!  Constantly I would hear myself saying ‘Stay away from there, you will get dirty!’ or ‘Stop doing that! It’s such a mess!’.  I quickly realised though that it’s the mess and the dirt that is all the fun! What was the point in being out in nature, if I wasn’t allowing the children to explore it in the way they desired?!  Clothes can be washed, but the joy and laughter that comes from the messy play cannot be found elsewhere! Once I embraced the dirt and all the laundry that comes with it, I could relax outside, the children were much happier and self entertained for WAY longer.

4 – Food consumption by your children will double!

My kiddos have always been good eaters!  Compared to their peers they eat double, if not more than them!  Well that has skyrocketed even more this past month! It seems they are constantly hungry!  Is it the cold? Or the running around? Probably a combination of both! But we are now up to Breakfast, 2nd breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner!  

5 – No matter how long we are outside, the children always want more!

And the final, most astonishing to me, lesson that I learned this past month! No matter if we are out for 1 hour or 5 hours, the children ALWAYS want more!  While there has been occasional resistance on getting outside, once we are out the children are never done! If we play for 1 hour, or if we play for 5 hours the children beg to stay outside!  The fun and happiness they have, come rain or shine, is such a joy to see and I’m so happy to see my kiddos spending childhood again the way it is meant to be!  

I would love to hear your top lessons learned through undertaking the 1000 hours outside challenge! Comment below and let me know!

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