6 Tips for Going Outside with your Kids During Covid-19 Pandemic

It has been a strange few months and 2020 will go down in history as the year that so many of us would much rather forget. Whilst it has been tricky for everyone to try and navigate our Covid-19 lives, it is incredibly difficult for those who have children.

Not only have parents had to keep themselves and their families safe, but they have also had to find new ways to keep everyone entertained and sane during a time of lockdown.

We are starting to see lockdown rules be lifted and life return to some kind of normal, but that doesn’t mean that the threat has disappeared completely. We can now go out and explore the world around us and whilst this is great news for day trip fans, it still has its risks.

Want to try going outside with your kids? Worried about how you can manage this? Here are our top tips for going outside with your kids during the Covid-19 pandemic.

1. Turn a normal walk into a special hunt

Whilst many parks and attractions have started to open up and give us a range of options for our days out, we are still finding that as parents we are needing to source our own fun. The good news is that you can turn any old normal walk into a special event. You can use a walk to spot a variety of different animals or plants. You can also use it as a way to collect nature items which you can then take home and use during an arty and crafty project.

2. Take hand sanitiser

Hand sanitiser has become a necessity for most of us of late. Whilst it seems that a little while ago hand sanitiser was just as rare as gold dust, this isn’t the case anymore and you can find it in a variety of places. It is important that you take out your hand sanitiser with you when you are going out for the day. Of course, you should try to wash your hands as much as you can and many places will have hand washing stations spread around, but it also makes sense to do what you can to protect yourself.

3. Opt for open spaces

Of course, not every place that you are going to want to visit will be an open space, which is fine. However, if you are concerned about being around people again or you know that your child is, then you might want to consider planning trips to places which are open.

4. Try to encourage social distancing

Social distancing is one of the best tools that we have against Covid-19, so, you need to do whatever you can to encourage your children to distance themselves from people whilst they are outside. It can be a daunting idea for children, but it will soon become second nature and will be something that they do without even thinking about it.

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5. Limit touching things

Covid-19 is known to live on surfaces, and it is hard to know just how clean they are. It is a good idea to make sure that you explain to your kids that they need to limit how much they touch whilst they are out and about and if they do touch things, that they then need to avoid touching their faces.

6. Never forget your masks

Masks are part and parcel of life with Covid-19 and whilst children under a certain age don’t have to wear them, it is a good idea to teach them their benefits. It is going to be easy to forget masks in these early days, so try your best to have a spare in the car, or in your day trip bag, as this will mean that you have one to hand.

As you can see, there is going to be lots to think about when you are outside during this Covid-19 time. However, we can promise you that it will soon become second nature and we can all learn to enjoy our lives and our family time, even with the threat of Covid-19 hanging around us.

References:
https://arewenearlythereyet.co.uk/how-to-enjoy-a-day-out-with-the-kids-during-covid-19/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/7-tips-for-going-outside-safely-with-your-children-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-2020042719653