Shannon Robertson is the mom behind the Instagram account Ramble on Wild. She describes herself as a "mountain-loving, mountain-living mom with a hunger for wilderness exploration, preservation and endurance sports." She lives in Eastern Sierra, California.
Contrary to popular belief, getting outside with your kids is easier than it may seem. I’ve never been the most planned-out mother with organized toys and snacks in tow, ready to hit the beach with my kids. In fact, I’ve been quite the opposite -- always leaving something behind -- and yet, it all still works. Leave your anxiety and anxiousness behind and get ready to make some lasting memories with your kids.
Pitch a backyard tent
No matter what the weather -- rain or shine -- pitch a tent in the backyard with your kids. With the convenience of being in your own backyard, you can make the tent as cozy and comfortable as possible. This is a great way to get kids used to the idea of going camping and backpacking later on. Have the kids use flashlights, walkie-talkies, prepare their own snacks, and help pitch the tent.
Make a habit of riding bikes together
Whether you are going to the mailbox, the local park or skatepark, ride your bikes there. Kids thrive on being active. Not only is the movement good for them, but it's also good for you, too. Whether we are home, or traveling somewhere else by car, we bring our bikes with us on a bike rack and make it a point to ride as much as possible.
Disconnect from screens and connect with nature. Start small, be patient and let it grow gradually.
Create running challenges
Some kids thrive on friendly competition, either with their peers or with themselves. My daughter loves challenging herself and created her own goal of running 5 miles. She started with 1, then 2 and then she was ready for 5. She was so incredibly proud of herself when she completed her goal and that was, by far, the best part.
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✨Skye has big dreams!✨ . After recently realizing she loves running, Skye set herself a lofty goal to start working towards. Yesterday, Skye ran her very first mile then declared she wants to run 5 straight miles, because she’s 5! 😆 . I chuckled knowing what that would take. I told her, “If you really want it you’re going to have to train for it. It won’t be easy, but let me tell you Skye, if you can run 5 miles you can do anything!” She was sold. . This morning Skye was ready to train! She was eager to run. There was fresh snow covering the dirt road and Skye said, “It’s ok, I’ve got this.” She put on two puffy coats and proceeded to blow my mind as she ran 2 straight miles through sub-freezing temps and fresh snow. She doubled yesterday’s PR with ease. . In Skye’s mind, she CAN do anything, and that makes me happy! I’m so proud of her and it’s just a matter of time before she completes her goal. 🤯🙌💖
A post shared by Shannon Robertson (@rambleonwild) on Mar 27, 2020 at 6:37pm PDT
Go explore places close to home
Oftentimes, there are places close to home that we've always wanted to visit, yet have never taken the time to drop by. Make it a point to visit a couple of those places. Chances are you'll surprise yourself.
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For Mother’s Day the kids and I had the privilege of visiting my Mom in her quarantine oasis. We hadn’t spent time with anyone since the quarantine began. She had been isolated for many weeks and we had too. In an instant we all got what we had been lacking for so long. Personal connection with our closest family, and all the extra love and hugs our hearts had so greatly yearned for. It was just what we needed. . On our way home we passed another oasis we had driven by so many times before. Every time previously we had been in a hurry- to either get somewhere or to get home. But this time something different happened. With their trained eye-spy-eyes the kids noticed that way off in the distance were some beautiful, striking sand dunes. Despite the blazing hot temperatures, the kids were psyched on an adventure. We diverted from our path and we set off into the desert heat. . The sand swept way off the dunes onto the desert floor. As the sand got deeper and deeper we quickly found out we wouldn’t be able to get as close as we had imagined. We got on our flip flops and were off on foot in the 100+ degree evening sun. The wind was whipping as we walked miles out to the dunes. We were getting pelted by blindingly sharp pieces of sand, yet the little ones remained psyched to continue. . After hundreds of sloggy, laborious steps up the steep sand of the dunes we finally made it to the highest point. Bodhi yelled, “This is the BEST Mother’s Day ever” and I melted right then and there. I couldn’t have agreed more. . With age and time I’ve realized that when you release the need to control things and surrender to what is, you find true peace. And with peace seems to come all your wildest dreams. All the time these days I’m blown away with what these kids are capable of, the things they want and *choose* to do, and how these things are exactly what I dreamed of in the early stages of motherhood many moons ago. . In a nutshell, despite all the hardships everywhere, life is good!! 🙏
A post shared by Shannon Robertson (@rambleonwild) on May 14, 2020 at 6:05pm PDT
Try something new, like rock climbing
Rock climbing, whether in a local gym or outdoors, seems to come more naturally to children than it does to adults who are just learning. More often than not, they love it and it is great for their confidence, strength building and burning energy. There are great courses everywhere. Check online in your area.
The most important thing is to just get outside with the kids. The more time you spend outside, the easier it gets. Keep it simple and keep it fun!
