Bringing children on a nature walk: Educational and healthy

With most schools around the country preparing to close for summer vacation, fathers may want to start planning trips and outings for their children to keep them busy.

Though one option may be to bring children to the movie theater or a nearby amusement park, such excursions can get expensive, especially in an economy where most people are looking for ways to save money.

An alternative for budget-watching fathers is to take a nature walk with their children. This activity can introduce them to a healthy hobby as well as to a part of their community they may not have seen otherwise.

Fathers should use their outdoor parenting skills when deciding on where to take the walk or strenuous hike (though this should be reserved for older children as a backpack of supplies may be needed).

This is also a good opportunity for environmentally aware dads to teach their kids about cleaning up after themselves and keeping their community free from rubbish. To do this, bring a plastic bag for any trash found along the way.