240: How to Get Your Kids to Play Outside // Angela Hanscom

We are now in the thick of summer, and if your kids are anything like mine, you might be hearing a lot of, “I’m bored!” And if you’re like me you might be wondering, why don’t they just go and play outside?? It doesn’t seem like it should be that difficult–but sometimes it really is hard for kids to figure out what to do outside, and it’s hard for moms like you and me to know how to get our kids to play outside.

I’m so thrilled to be re-airing this episode with Angela Hanscom that originally aired in May 2020. Angela is a pediatric occupational therapist, as well as a mother of three and the founder of TimberNook, an award-winning developmental and nature-based program that has gained international popularity. I hope Angela’s takeaways will give you some great ideas for how to get your kids to play outside during these long summer days.

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1. Make loose parts available to them. Remember, these are materials that they can carry around with them and use to build different types of structures. Find materials that can be used in multiple ways, such as sticks, sheets, boards, tires, and buckets.
2. Invite children over to play for the day, not just for a few hours. When you invite children to play for the day, they really have the time and space to see what they can come up with.
3. Purposefully stage the outdoor environment to invite play. You can have sports equipment, building supplies, or mud kitchen supplies available and see what it inspires them to come up with.

>>>Are these tips from Angela Hanscom helpful? What would you add to the takeaways? Tell us in the comments below.

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• Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children by Angela Hanscom

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