Outdoors with children? (6yr old girl)

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Alexandra

Alexandra

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Neighbor
Joined
Jul 19, 2015
Messages
43
Location
Norway
Soooo I have 2 stepdaughters, the oldest is turning 6 in January, and the youngest just turned 1.
Lack of money makes activities a little more complicated but I at least want to take my boyfriend, his x and her new husband and my stepdaughter out for fun and games.

So have any of you tips for games and activities outdoors? I need som inspiration here, my mind is close to empty.
 
somekind of easy nature trail where the young one gets introduced to plants and perhaps animals around you??
a small fire and bbq some sausage when hungry??
have a possibilty to fish??
make a small wicket (gapahuk) for shelter??

but my own kids they just love to explore :) all else is bonus.
 
Alexandra said:
Soooo I have 2 stepdaughters, the oldest is turning 6 in January, and the youngest just turned 1.
Lack of money makes activities a little more complicated but I at least want to take my boyfriend, his x and her new husband and my stepdaughter out for fun and games.

So have any of you tips for games and activities outdoors? I need som inspiration here, my mind is close to empty.
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When my kids were young we didn't have much money either. We went for hikes, fishing, camping, swimming, making things out of the stuff they found, etc. They would even make up their own games. They loved anything outdoors, still do.
 
maybe take them to a campground with swimming hiking,playground,and some place with a fire pit for a cook out.there you can teach the 6 year old a lil bit about fire starting..especially if it includes a magnifying glass.
my b-day is in january as well.and yes.us capricorns are stuburn and hard headed..lol
 
jontte said:
somekind of easy nature trail where the young one gets introduced to plants and perhaps animals around you??
a small fire and bbq some sausage when hungry??
have a possibilty to fish??
make a small wicket (gapahuk) for shelter??

but my own kids they just love to explore :) all else is bonus.
Click to expand...

I have actually thought about these things :) I hope that we can go fishing and if we catch anything we'll eat that for lunch :) As for trail, I was thinking a scavenger hunt maybe. Finding leaves, berries, insects and stuff like that. Winter is closing up so that will be closer to spring.
Also, I was thinking about teaching her how to use a knife (basic rules and handling + making tinder maybe) as I remember being taught the same around the age of 5-6. That depends on her mother though.

Any ideas for winter activities? The experts says that there will be a seriously cold winter and a lot of snow (don't know about the snow, but I can agree about the temperature).
 
jimLE said:
maybe take them to a campground with swimming hiking,playground,and some place with a fire pit for a cook out.there you can teach the 6 year old a lil bit about fire starting..especially if it includes a magnifying glass.
my b-day is in january as well.and yes.us capricorns are stuburn and hard headed..lol
Click to expand...

She is quite stubborn, yes! I have some firesteel laying around (basic thing my dad taught me when I was a kid) and I don't know if she'll like it, but I'll try :)
 
Alexandra said:
Any ideas for winter activities?
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maybe a temporary shelter with snow,or tree branches.and maybe make a game out of it..and maybe make a wall around it as well..

went on a campout in 2013..where the park rangers had a lil get together with a handful of campers.and the kids loved it more then the grown ups.mainly the ones that got to try it out.do the creeks and rivers freeze over? if so.then maybe ice fishing..
 
In Alaska everyone loves ice fishing, sledding, snowshoeing and skiing. We like to drive out on a lake or river and build a nice fire and have dinner and light off fireworks. The kids get hot chocolate and the adults get something a little stronger. They enjoy getting pulled on sleds behind the snow machines too. Once they're sufficiently frozen they'd huddle around the fire and thaw out. Sometimes we'd take the Sno-Cat out and build a shelter and spend a couple days. Great times. I remember doing many of these things with my father.
 
Arcticdude said:
In Alaska everyone loves ice fishing, sledding, snowshoeing and skiing. We like to drive out on a lake or river and build a nice fire and have dinner and light off fireworks. The kids get hot chocolate and the adults get something a little stronger. They enjoy getting pulled on sleds behind the snow machines too. Once they're sufficiently frozen they'd huddle around the fire and thaw out. Sometimes we'd take the Sno-Cat out and build a shelter and spend a couple days. Great times. I remember doing many of these things with my father.
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How do you build a fire on the ice? And isn't that a good way to go swimming! :) ( kids hell, I would enjoy being pulled behind a snow machine!)
 
Alexandra said:
Soooo I have 2 stepdaughters, the oldest is turning 6 in January, and the youngest just turned 1.
Lack of money makes activities a little more complicated but I at least want to take my boyfriend, his x and her new husband and my stepdaughter out for fun and games.

So have any of you tips for games and activities outdoors? I need som inspiration here, my mind is close to empty.
Click to expand...
Any kind of gathering involving food usually brings people together. Even something cheap like grilling hotdogs. It helps with costs as well if it's a pot luck where everyone brings a dish. By the way, I applaud you for not being jealouse and wanting to include his ex. I see so many that put their own insecurities over the well being of the kids.
 
My nine year old has been involved in the County 4h shooting sports club, learning firearm safety and practicing, for a year. In a couple of weeks I'm taking him out to the deer woods with me for the first time. Even if he doesn't shoot anything, it'll still be a great experience for him. We've been out scouting a couple of spots already.
 
When I was growing up we were hunting or fishing every week and sometimes every day . I took my Kids hunting and fishing and now take my Grand Kids . My Grand Daughter is just 3 and can catch fish like a pro . We dont go as often as I did growing up but I make sure they know how .
 
How do you build a fire on the ice?
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.

Well, not on a frozen lake, hehe...but otherwise, same as you do anywhere else. Just need to keep adding it to it more often.

As for fun outdoors....

Find a nice, nearby playground.

Get a badminton set. Fairly cheap.

Go sledding (you mentioned snow). You'd be surprised how easy it is to do makeshift sleds.

Build snow forts, have a snowball war.

Play a game of hide and seek outside (with set boundaries).

Granted, the one year old can't do much with these......but then, a one year old can't do most things.
 
Than you guys so much for tips! I'm all new to this parenting "thing" and feel kinda lost sometimes. I refuse to be the kind of stepparent that doesn't do anything with the kids.

I was thinking about bringing the youngest one with us if we (for example) go out to play in the snow. However, it won't be this year due to her upcoming heart surgery. I'm not telling this to get sympaties, but to know if anyone has an idea to something that doesn't get her heartrate too high? I was thinking these boxes you put different shapes into the right place and similare things.

And I was also wondering if anyone knows any fun science experiment to do? As I said, I'm new to this and need to get te creativity flowing.
 
Brent S said:
How do you build a fire on the ice? And isn't that a good way to go swimming! :) ( kids hell, I would enjoy being pulled behind a snow machine!)
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When its -20 or colder the ice is pretty thick to start with. Usually I'll cut some green logs and lay them side by side on the ice and build the fire on top. The ice might melt a little, but not much.
 
Arcticdude said:
When its -20 or colder the ice is pretty thick to start with. Usually I'll cut some green logs and lay them side by side on the ice and build the fire on top. The ice might melt a little, but not much.
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I'm not sure I want to be out in -20! :).
 
I lived in Alaska, and I still think I'd want to stay in at -20, lol....
 
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