TIP #2: Go exploring outside - Beginner Guide to Charlotte Mason

One of Charlotte Mason's most famous quotes is "Never be within doors when you can rightly be out." No matter whether your child is attending school or being educated at home, there are many ways in which you can increase the amount of outdoor time your child has.

Why more outdoor time? When children are outside, they feel free. It encourages them to explore and make their own adventures. It also gets them moving, exercising their muscles and keeping their bodies and minds healthy. They get to see the world and experience all the beautiful things found in nature firsthand.

Below are some tips on how you can incorporate more outdoor time during lesson time:

• Take your reading books outside. Lie down in the shade under a tree as you read.
• Do math using natural objects as manipulatives. Count and do sums with stones, leaves, trees and so on. Draw numbers in the sand.
• For science and nature study, collect real plants, insects, shells and other natural objects that can be closely examined. 
• Instead of an indoor lunch or snack, have a picnic outside. 
• Setup a table outside to do art or nature notebooking.
• Unless the weather is really bad, try to keep all physical education or 'drill' lessons outdoors.

After a morning of lessons, in the afternoons, it's also important that your child gets plenty of free time outdoors. Here are some ideas:

• Go for regular neighbourhood walks. Go at different times of day and in different seasons so that you can really get to know your neighbourhood.
• Go walking, hiking and exploring in parks, nature reserves, forests, rivers, lakes and on the beach as much as possible.
• Encourage bicycle, scooter and skateboard riding.
• If you have a garden, make sure it's safe for your child to play freely in on their own. Leave them to use their imaginations and make up games, using objects they can find, rather than store-bought toys.
• The weather doesn't always have to be perfect. As long as your child has umbrellas, warm or waterproof clothing, boots and so on, encourage splashing in the rain or playing in the snow. 

Enjoy making memories with your children in the great outdoors!