Stepping Outdoors

Increasingly, school, homework, television and computers conspire to keep children indoors. Here are some ways to get kids outdoors for activity and vitamin D.

Host a photography contest. Give your children and their friends an outdoor theme, and prompt them to take some good photographs.

Organise a nature search. Make a list of things that can be found in nature — fallen leaves, twigs, flowers — and give your child and friends the list. This can be done when you travel, if it is not possible near your house. The person who brings every object listed is declared the winner.

Outdoor crafts. Give your child basic craft materials like fevicol, scissors and cards. Let her hunt for objects like twigs, pebbles, feathers and stones and design creative greeting and thank you cards.

Also read: The importance of creative play