How to get your preteens away from their screens and loving the outdoors

I was gifted some items from adidas for the purposes of this post. All words and opinions are my own.

I started this blog before having children, so it has covered the baby and toddler years, as well as the highs and lows of our family adventures with young children over the last ten years. 

We first took Finn camping when he was 5 months old and, when we were in the trenches of sleep deprivation and toddler tantrums, I looked forward to him getting older and life being less challenging. Little did I know that a whole new set of obstacles would appear as he got older. 

He’s now ten, with the attitude of a teenager and sass for days. He is growing in independence and parenting preteens today brings a whole new set of challenges compared to when we were growing up. Finn now has his own phone, and while that brings advantages, it also opens up the possibility of having to navigate the online world and the dangers that can bring.

Back in the day, he loved going out and would get cabin fever if we stayed in the house. Our boys are still pretty outdoorsy but they often just want to stay in and game with friends or watch YouTube and it takes negotiations worthy of the UN to persuade them that it will be fun to go and do something outdoors.

Now, I’m not a parenting expert and I appreciate that every child is very different, however these are things that have helped us to have (mostly) harmonious family outdoor adventures recently.

Compromise

Everyone is different and everyone has a different idea of fun. The boys’ favourite thing is to sit around gaming in their pjs, while Luke and I love getting out on a hike. So we try to keep everyone happy, and ensure everyone gets time to do what they want to. Often at the weekend we’ll have one chilled day at home and one day doing something outdoors. 

Outdoor adventures give the boys a massive sense of achievement and help to build their confidence and resilience

Also, despite my title, I let Finn take his phone if we go for a hike. Afterall, I always have my phone with me so I can hardly ban all screens when we’re outdoors. He can take photos if he wants or use navigation apps for example, as long as he is engaged in the activity we’re doing, I’m happy.

Control

It’s not much fun being dictated to all the time, so I try to involve the boys in the planning stage and let them have some input. That way they are more invested in what we’re doing and are not just being dragged along against their will.

Often it’s just a case of asking their opinion, or asking them to vote on a couple of options, it all helps to get them on board.

Adventure

We were worried that the boys would struggle with some of the more challenging terrain that we’ve covered recently, but actually they love it when it’s a bit tough. They love nothing better than a quick scramble or navigating the steeper sections. Obviously, you need to work up to this, but I now don’t underestimate their abilities, although the risks have to be weighed up.

A little scramble on the way up Loughrigg Fell

In addition to this, I try to plan routes that have something interesting to look at or explore, for example, when we’ve been further afield we’ve all enjoyed hikes that take in waterfalls and caves. Even when we’re doing more local adventures, I look for quirky buildings or features, or places with a backstory. It means that I’ve actually learnt a lot about our local area as well!

Kit

If you want your children to enjoy their time outdoors (and have less to moan about) it’s important that they are comfortable and kitted out adequately. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but decent layers, good thick socks and waterproofs are essential. 

I could write a whole post on footwear, but essentially you need proper walking boots or shoes. The boys usually live in their trainers, or Ollie in his kids football boots, but they just don’t have the necessary grip or waterproof qualities for this. The correct footwear is also so much more supportive. I found this out the hard way after injuring my ankle in the summer when I went hiking in trainers!

Snacks,

Finally, and I cannot stress this enough, whatever you do, DO NOT RUN OUT OF SNACKS. In fact, on our hikes the snacks often become the focal point. I try to take things that we wouldn’t normally have at home, so there’s something that’s a bit of a treat (also useful for bribing/negotiating purposes).

I cannot stress the importance of keeping everyone well fed. You do not want a hangry preteen

If we’re out for a while, we will also have a picnic stop. Again, I try to make this a bit of a highlight with some treat foods, so everyone has something to eat they will enjoy. 

If you’ve got more tips I’d love to hear them! This parenting lark is not easy and we need all the help we can get.