MNN - Mother Nature Network

Summer is here! Are your kids bored and looking for "something to do?"  According to Jennifer Ward, author of Let's Go Outside!: Outdoor Activities and Projects to Get You And Your Kids Closer to Nature, as children get older and more socially active, it becomes harder to come up with stimulating outdoor activities that appeal to them and allow them to connect with the whole family. It’s often easy to get your children outside when they’re very young, but children ages 8–12 present a special challenge that requires creativity and well-planned activities that can compete with the allure of Facebook and High School Musical.

The good news is that as children get older, the range of things they are able to do grows—and so do the outdoor options. Ward's book, Let’s Go Outside! offers tons of activities specifically for preteens that encourages them to go outside and experience adventure in the great outdoors. Sections of the book include:

• Back to Basics: Reconnecting with twists on traditional games and activities such as Capture the Flag
• Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Picnics, doing homework outdoors, and socializing opportunities outdoors
• Outdoor Adventures: Canoeing, biking, and camping
• Environmental Experiments: Ways to explore how nature works