Hiking Tip!

It isn't always easy to motivate your children to get outside for a hike or a walk, but when you add a challenge to the excursion, things might just get a little easier.

The other day I really wanted to get outside to breathe some fresh, spring air, but my daughter had little interest. I didn't want to turn our time into a power struggle and instead, I asked her, "What if we see how many spring flowers we can find on our walk and take photos of them?" She was in and so was I. Together, we walked casually through our neighborhood, down to a local deer park, all the while discovering spring's beauty.

I allowed her to take the lead, handed her my camera and together we had a wonderful time. It doesn't always take much and there was no magic involved. By allowing our children the opportunity to search, hunt, and/or discover, they might just be more inclined to say, YES!