Social Distancing Outdoors with Kids

So, they’ve finally loosened up on social distancing restrictions in your part of the world and the whole family has got the green light to be out and active. But guess what? Every family just likes yours is going to be doing the same thing.

So, if you’re looking to venture out, do it cautiously! And, if you’ve got young children, I’m sharing some tips on how I helped my boys to get into the habit of social distancing.

Explain to children how social distancing can help prevent the virus – we’re several months into the stay at home routine but as restrictions are easing up, kids need to be reminded to social distance. Before we go out, the kids get a quick pep talk from me and we’re off.
Stick to a routine – I remember the first time I took the kids out for a walk through our neighbourhood and into the trails in those early days of staying at home. They were happy to be out and everyone they met on the street had to know about it. I learned quickly and had to talk explain to them what social distancing means and why it’s important to practice it. For the first few weeks, I took them on the same route so they got into the habit of moving away from others to allow enough space, to stand back or speed up and to smile and acknowledge others who are doing the same.
Get your fresh air in when it’s not so busy out – the less people out, the easier it is for kids to social distance. We found that after dinner there were a lot of people out walking off their meal, so we switched it to 4:30pm. It made such difference and with less people out, we stayed out longer.
Think and prep for facilities that aren’t available – if you’re enjoying the outdoors close to home, you don’t really need to prep ahead. It’s those outdoor activities that require a commute that you’ll need to think about. Many parks are open right now, but their facilities aren’t. And if you think you can just walk into a cafe or restaurant to use their facilities, they’re closed too. So don’t venture too far out for too long. But if you do, I heard that gas station bathrooms are open.
Wearing a mask – do what makes sense for you and the family. Rule of thumb is if you can’t keep six feet away and you’re in a congested area, the recommendation is to wear a mask. We live in the burbs and hang out in the burbs, so it hasn’t been an issue.

The Benefits of Being Active and Outside

The last few months have been tough and in the early stages the weather wasn’t the greatest and the change was tough on us. But getting out for fresh air was great for us physically and mentally.

Wishing you safe outdoor adventures and if you have tips of your own, leave a comment below.

Sunshine Lily