So it’s a gorgeous day and you tell your kids to head outside for some fresh air fun. They’re out there 15 minutes when you suddenly hear the back door open. They’re b-a-a-a-a-a-a-ck. They proclaim there’s nothin’ to do. It’s too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too buggy. Too this or that. Really? You remember when you were a kid busting through the screen door to ride your bike for hours, stopping only briefly at lunch to gobble down a bologna sandwich and some grape Cool-Aid. Then you, your new purple mustache, sweaty ponytail, and gritty fingernails hopped back onto your bike to discover what other outside adventures awaited you.

What happened? Who would have thought you’d have to teach your kids how to play outside? When did dirt and grass and sticks and open spaces lose their cache?

Here’s some food for thought. There are no battery operated gadgets awaiting children outside that tell them which moves they make or that give them choices or bonus points to make it to the next level. There are no passive entertainment options. There are no referees organizing their activities for them and helping them make their decisions by monitoring their behavior. They have to use their own deep creative thinking. They have to move their bodies and use their minds. They have to totally rely upon their own problem solving skills and imaginations.

All is not lost though. Parents play a vital role in helping their kids rediscover the great outdoors that was so beloved by earlier generations. What we didn’t realize when we were growing up was that we were not only having a fabulous time, we were enriching our minds and increasing our well-being at the same time.

Trey Botley is the Strength and Speed Coach at D1 Sports Training in Little Rock. The staff works with a wide array of age groups even as young as seven years old. Botley encourages parents to “find out what your child likes to do outside. Encourage them and provide relevant equipment or items that relate to the things they enjoy. Also, go outside with your kids and do activities with them sometimes. It makes a huge difference in maintaining positive energy and having fun. You don’t want kids to feel obligated because then they won’t enjoy it.”

Author Richard Louv, in his National Best Seller “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” urges parents to “restore childhood to the unplugged state of casual outdoor play.” Louv states, “As the nature deficit grows, another emerging body of scientific evidence indicates that direct exposure to nature is essential for physical and emotional health.” He cites studies suggesting “exposure to nature may reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and that it can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression.”

26 Natural Ways To Nudge Your Kids Outside

When you’re tempted to turn on that television babysitter for the third day in a row, take a moment to consider the following ideas. Grit is not only defined as that grimy stuff attached to your kids’ tennis shoes after an afternoon outside. It is also defined as persistence of motive and effort. Individuals high in grit are able to maintain their determination and motivation over long periods despite experiencing failure or adversity. There are direct ties between one’s grit and positive psychology. Help your kids develop their true grit while developing their bodies, well-being and connections to nature.

1. Don’t let the cold beat you. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, there is no evidence that exposure to cold weather causes the common cold. Just bundle up and have a blast!

2. Create a nature notebook. Have your kids keep track of what they see while outdoors like birds’ nests, creepy crawlers, groovy shaped rocks and more.

3. Rock On! (With a rock collection) Turn loose your rock hounds to find specimens of every size, shape, color, texture, and sheen imaginable. Compare their traits or turn them into crafty pet rocks.

4. Discover new play spaces. Check out parks you’ve never visited and turn kids loose for unstructured play-time.

5. Go for a bike ride. Biking is a great way to explore your community, so plan a family ride soon. You can take picnics, bird watch, and more. Go to www.arkansas.com for great bike trails in Arkansas.

6. Go climb a tree. Tree climbing is a rite of passage. When you feel like your kids are ready for it, tree climbing can teach them assessing risk and building self-confidence while exercising their bodies.

7. Explore the water. Vacationing near the ocean, a lake or a stream this summer? It’s a good way to stay cool while sparking your child’s imagination and love of nature. Try fishing and canoeing in The Natural State. Visit www.agfc.com for cool ideas, guidelines, and fishing hot spots.

8. Paint with berries. Picking fresh produce is a great way to get outside while showing your kids that food doesn’t originate in the plastic wrap in the supermarket. Find a nearby pick-your-own farm. Use extra berries to make your own watercolor art.

9. Watch the clouds. No supplies or expertise needed for this one. Identify shapes in the clouds. Be as creative and silly as you want to be. This is a great activity for the visual learner.

10. Explore down under. Carefully turn over almost any rock, log, brick or patio stone to reveal the hidden world of insects, worms, snails, slugs, and more.

11. Build a fort. No batteries or instructions, just lots of imagination and fun. All you need are some fort making materials like long branches, appliance boxes, sheets, or any number of other materials. Let your child’s imagination run wild.

12. Make a nature map. Have your child make a map of your neighborhood using natural landmarks. This will heighten their observation skills and can be the first step in creating a field guide to the nature in your neighborhood.

13. Meet the wild neighbors. Take a walk through your backyard, neighborhoods, or local park and discover the many different kinds of animal homes to be found. Nest, webs, hives, holes, and more will abound.

14. Bug off! Sure, there will always be the occasional biter to watch out for, but the vast majority of insects are harmless. Get a magnifying glass and study them up close.

15. Take a night hike. Spend some time with the moon, the stars and all the animals that like to be active at night. Go for a moon walk, trace the constellations of stars, and learn to identify nocturnal insects and sounds. The darkness outside makes it more of an adventure.

16. Get dirty. Put a spoon or small shovel in their hand and they will dig a hole to China, or make a dozen mud pies. Let your kids get dirty. No yard? No problem. Set aside a large container or flower box just for digging in the dirt.

17. Make art from nature. Make a keepsake of a favorite natural find like a leaf print, or flower and grass jewelry, or pine cone and rock table displays.

18. Plant a garden. Gardening is a great family activity that can help teach children about so many things – life cycles, pollination, and nutrition, just to name a few.

19. Sing and splash in the rain. Let your child pull on a pair of rubber boots and a raincoat and have some super soggy fun.

20. Walk this way. Make a walk a part of your family’s routine.

21. Buddy up with the birds. Invite birds to your own green space with birdfeeders or homemade nesting boxes and bird food. Use a bird watching guide to identify the aviary visitors to your yard.

22. Jump in a pile of leaves.

23. Go on a photo safari.

24. Be nature detectives. A nature scavenger hunt is a great way to explore any yard or green space.

25. Enjoy simple pleasures like skipping stones, making a daisy chain, or blowing a grass whistle.

26. Ever try geocaching? So cool! Go to arkansas.com/geocaching for ideas close to home.