Travel Close to Home This Spring

Texas State Parks just reopened this week with social distancing rules in place (Check with each park individually for specific guidelines and opening schedule). Now is the time to think about your next camping adventure and stretching your legs outside your home. Here are some ways to venture outside close to home.

Though staying home is necessary for most of us right now there are still many fun and creative ways to get exercise and physical activity as well as spend time outdoors which is beneficial for both your mental and physical health. Here are some activities the whole family can enjoy that will get everyone spending time outdoors together and you can many of them outside your home or at a local state park: 

• Go on a scavenger hunt (outside or inside). There are lots of free printables online for nature scavenger hunts. Young children may also enjoy going on a “texture” scavenger hunt or “sound” scavenger hunt.
• Play classic movement games like hide and seek, freeze tag or duck, duck goose.
• Go for a family walk or bike ride in your neighborhood or driveway (practice social distancing with anyone outside of your immediate family or household).
• Play freeze dance to everyone’s favorite song or playlist.
• Stream family friendly workouts and workout together on the driveway, patio, or whichever outdoor space you have available to you.
• Plan an at home “camping” trip by creating a backyard campsite with a tent, tarp, hammock or sleeping bags. If you don’t have an outdoor space to camp in you can set up “camp” indoors with pillows, blankets, and low lighting.
• Make a homemade obstacle course using items in your house, garage, or in the yard.
• Have a picnic in your yard. Grab a blanket or old towel, something you don’t mind getting dirty, and eat your lunch or dinner in the yard. This is a way to make a weekday meal extra special while getting some vitamin D.
• Some more fun activities to try outdoors: throw a Frisbee or football, jump rope, four square, hopscotch, pull out the sprinklers, and try making chalk art together on the sidewalk or driveway.
• Grow a plant together. Take a look around the kitchen, you can use seeds from strawberries, avocados, beans and you can even sprout potatoes!

Virtual Travel and Learning

If you don't feel like traveling to a campground just yet but still want to get your travel fix you can keep your love of travel and learning alive by virtually visiting hundreds of museums around the world (and make a plan to visit them once we are able to start traveling again). Some of the museums offering virtual tours include the museum of modern art in New York, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the British museum in London. For a list of all the museums you can visit virtually head here.

We hope you enjoy these ideas to stay active and continue learning and “traveling” with your families. Please tag us if you try any of our ideas and remember to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We hope you continue to stay safe and well during these times.