Mom’s Bookshelf: 15 Minutes Outside

In the past few months I’ve read several books that I would love to recommend to you. Some are kids activities books, some are parenting books, and other are great books about simplifying your life. I truly do love all of these books and can’t wait to share them all with you.

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I first purchased Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids by Rebecca P. Cohenfor two reasons.

First, I believe outdoor play is very important for my girls, but sometimes I need a little extra push.

Second, I can never resist a book of lists! This book did not disappoint at all.

Cohen begins the book by talking about the importance of outdoor play, then she continues on to show you just how easy it is to get outside and have fun.

She gives you 365 ideas, one for every day of the year. Her ideas are not at all complicated. They’re easy to plan, cost little to no money, and many can be done spur of the moment.

Some of the ideas you may do all of the time; others may be something you’ve never thought of before.

But, I guarantee you’ll find some ideas that will make you want to put the book down and rush outside with your kids.

The book is divided by month to help you find ideas appropriate to your current season.

She has active play, relaxation ideas, learning ideas, nature play, and more.

For example, in January she suggests visiting a playground after a snowfall. In April, she suggests looking for tadpoles. An in September, she suggests taking your homework outside.

We don’t do the activities in order in this book, nor have we even gotten close to doing them all.

But, it’s always on the bookshelf. I’ll pull it down; flip through it; and am guaranteed to find something fun to do.

Today might be a great day to make our own ring toss game and take it outside to play. Maybe we’ll roll down a hill or play “kick the can” (Cohen tells you how to play it, if you don’t already know).

If you’re looking for a treasure of outdoor play ideas, pick up a copy of Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids. You won’t be disappointed.