For any parents that are having a hard time getting out with their kids this summer, keep in mind that there are ways to get out. Remember when Gore-Tex was a specialty item? When your soccer jersey from the YMCA, some cut off jeans, and your hand-me-down sneakers were your only athletic gear? Today, we are lucky that we have many options of good clothing and gear that make getting out in inclement weather easier than ever. You don’t have to be Rocky Balboa or Grizzly Adams to get out of the house!
If it is 40 degrees and drizzling outside, it is easy to stay inside to bake and watch movies. But after a few days, remember that you got that rain jacket and fleece sweater for a reason. As soon as you put those on with your waterproof shoes or boots and step out of the house, you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated. The cool air will feel good. Maybe you won’t be allowed on the local sports field because it is too wet. But, think of the benefits of hitting the Town Lake Trail on a day when there aren’t 20,000 other people there! The Green Belt looks entirely different when the rocks are wet.
One activity that really keeps me and my kids going on less than sunny days is going on “Treasure Hunts.” At the Green Belt, we may bring a bag along to collect leaves, rocks, fossils, sticks – whatever your kids deem as treasure. Sometimes you even find a coin or two to add to the piggy bank once you get home!
