“The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day,” goes a striking quote by Battista, a Canadian American author. The quote resonates with most parents; whether you have just embraced parenthood or are on the verge of an empty nest, one thing you’ll know is that a child always longs for the companionship of his or her parents. As a social animal, being in the company of loved ones comes naturally to all human beings. However, for a child in his primitive years of development, it is extremely crucial to spend quality time with parents. These moments of love, care and playing together are instrumental in them developing into happy and emotionally balanced people.
The onset of summer invariably brings back the splendid memories of family vacations for most of us. Summer outdoor activities too hold a special place in our hearts. These outdoor activities where we indulged in adventure and fun, created some powerful shared experiences with our parents that we remember from time to time.
Now, as we become parents and wish for a happy childhood for our kids, a little thought and planning in investing our time for a fruitful summer vacation can go a long way. This will not only bring fun and excitement for the child but also allow an entire family the opportunity to bond.
To create a sense of shared experience with your child, it is essential that you plan outdoor activities and family vacations with them, keeping the requirements of your child in mind. Dr. Benjamin Spock, the author of the bestselling book ‘Baby and Child Care’ laid out the most basic fact about bonding with your child when he stated, “All the time a person is a child, he is both a child and learning to be a parent. After he becomes a parent, he becomes predominantly a parent reliving childhood.”
Here, we outline interesting, fun to do outdoor activities this summer for you and your child to bond better.
Go for a jungle safari
Exploring nature and its varied bounties is something all children look forward to with great enthusiasm. Visiting a jungle to experience the rich flora and fauna adds to a child’s understanding of the ecosystem. A break taken in the great outdoors is indeed one of the best ways to bond with one’s offspring while lowering one’s own stress levels.
A family vacation to a jungle safari tends to broaden the horizon of children in terms of their existence in the bigger picture, importance of other creatures and the intricate balance that nature maintains between its various elements. What they read throughout the year in their syllabus can come alive through a jungle safari.
If undertaking a jungle safari is not possible, one can also take a nature walk in the early mornings with children. Apart from exploring natural beauty, kids will love jogging, skipping or making friends with similar goals. They can be further encouraged to maintain a plant journal, where they collect parts of the plants they see and study more about them.
Make a splash
Come summers and we start craving for aqua activities like splashing in the big community pool or going to resorts during family vacations with outdoor swimming pools. Swimming can be a very refreshing outdoor activity for you as well as your child – a swim session whether in the morning or late evening tends to fill your entire day with abundant energy. Your child will absolutely love taking to the water, without even realizing the physical benefits it brings.
When you go for a swim with your child, you get to bond, exercise and have a fun and de-stressing summer outdoor activity all at once.
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