Getting 15 Minutes Outside Even on the Road

We all know that it’s important to connect with nature on a daily basis. Sometimes, in the chaos and frenzy of traveling, we forget to satisfy our body’s most basic needs: 15 minutes outside!
Rebecca P. Cohen, gardening and outdoor lifestyle expert and author of 15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids tells Momaboard readers how to ensure you get that time, even when on the road.

Rebecca says:

I love traveling with my kids, and road trips in particular make me feel like I get to vacation more frequently. From pond skating rinks in winter to swimming holes in summer, outdoor activities can be the highlight of short weekend trips or offer a welcome break on longer journeys to make traveling by car not only more affordable, but also more fun.

Right now, you may be planning for spring break or summer vacation. Since I am on a family road trip at the moment and it also happens to be the release of my new book 15 Minutes Outside, here are some of my favorite ways to get your fifteen minutes outside on the road:

1) Pick-your-own fruit. We are traveling to Florida during strawberry season, which makes its way northward as temperatures warm in late spring and early summer. My kids and I can’t wait to experience that great melt-in-your mouth taste of fresh strawberries. Fourth of July vacations are also the perfect time to look for blueberries and blackberries across the U.S., which we did in Indiana last summer. http://www.pickyourown.org has harvest calendars for whatever region you may be visiting in the States.

2) Grab some local food and have a picnic. Keep a picnic blanket in the car to use whenever it’s time to eat! For example, we drove through Georgia at lunchtime, so I quickly did an Internet search on my phone for the best barbeque along I-95 and combined that with a picnic at a nearby state park. You not only get great local fare, but also a glimpse of the local landscape and wildlife while the kids get a chance to run around too.

3) Have a nature treasure hunt out the window. Keeping kids happy on the road is the key to successful family road trips. Give children a list of things to find on the trip (or pictures if they can’t yet read) with prizes at intervals along the way. In addition, my portable Curiosity Cards with engaging open-ended questions or laminated pocket nature guides by state are a great way to keep kids from getting bored. With KleenSlate dry erase paddles, the kids can also draw what they see!

Organizing a few simple, fun items is key and you can learn more about them from my book. New in bookstores in the U.S. and available on Amazon.com, 15 Minutes Outside is a compilation of 365 fun and simple ways to stay connected year round through family time outside. I wish you and your family countless memories outside, wherever your travels may take you.

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Also check out Rebecca’s fantastic Curiosity Cards and an exclusive 30% discount for Momaboard readers!