Over the Christmas break from school I saw pictures from a cousin who lives up north. She was freezing flowers in ice to hang as ornaments in trees outside with her young son. She's "Pintresty" like that. But she used the hashtag #1000hoursoutside this time and I was curious. Turns out 1000 Hours Outside is a movement about just that - spending time outside, specifically 1000 hours outside over the year.
I'm not sure if it was the sunny days we'd been having or all the screen time my kids were logging, but I felt like this was something we should try. So here we are a few days into 2021 and the kids and I have done 6 hours. Well, I actually sat around a friend's fire pit the other night drinking wine so I've probably added a couple more hours then they have, but I'm not sure that counts. LOL!
So what to do if you want to try 1000 Hours Outside? First, print out a paper sheet "tracker" to help the entire family keep count and the kids feel invested. Check out this page to download a bunch of free pdf files to color in as you go.
Need inspiration? Follow @1000hoursoutside on Instagram. While her Michigan winter doesn't look like our outside right now, you can always go check out her summer activities which look a little more like our weather. Also, it reminds me that if her family can build an igloo, I can go bounce a basketball. :) Check out #1000hoursoutside on social media to (and share yours) for other motivational moms doing the same.
Happy 2021!