April 2020 l Going the Social Distance
Being outdoors is fun and important for our body and souls. Being in the sun can boost our energy, it is a cheap and easy way to exercise, can help boost our immune system and can help enhance creativity. Everyone is at that point where we are wanting to get outside and to get moving. But during this time of social distancing how do we have fun outside with the family while being safe?
There are many activities that allows the family to enjoy the great outdoors at your local South Dakota state park or even in your own backyard while maintaining social distancing.
Take a Walk with Outdoor Bingo
Everyone loves a good bingo game. My youngest daughter, who is four, enjoys playing bingo when we go for our walks. Bingo is an easy game that she can understand, and it allows her to explore the world around her. Sometimes she even helps create the bingo sheets so she feels like a bigger part of the game. We keep a small basket of treats at home for the winner of our bingo games.
This game is very simple and fun to play. The Massachusetts’ Audubon has taken the hardest part of the game by already creating some great bingo cards that are easy to print off with multiple of themes. They have themes such as bird, bugs, nature, tree, pollinator and seasonal bingo cards. Otherwise, there are many different sites online that will allow you to create your own bingo cards that can be printed off. An easy way to reuse the bingo sheets is to laminate the sheets and use a washable marker.
Geocaching With Kids
One of my kids’ favorite activities when we go anywhere is geocaching. The girls had never gone geocaching until they came to live with my husband and I. When the girls get restless at the house, we usually pack up the Jeep and head out for a fun day of geocaching. Whenever we go visit a town or a new place we always must look to see if there are any caches around the area. We have gone to some very unique places that we normally would have never visited or known about because of geocaching.
Geocaching (pronounced GEE-o-cash-ing) offers a fun way for the whole family to spend time outdoors. It is an easy treasure hunt that can help engage the kids to their surroundings. Geocaching uses a smartphone to find hidden “caches” near you. Caches can be containers of all sizes, from small bison tubes to an ammo box. Each cache will normally contain a logbook and the larger ones may contain various trinkets for trade.
One of the easiest ways to get started is to go to geochaching.com to learn the basics and to sign up for a free account to start looking for caches in your area. Each cache will tell you difficulty of terrain, size of the cache container, hints, and how long the hike is. Some caches are easy to find while others may be better for older children. If you are just starting out, a star rating of “1” for difficulty and terrain is the best for young children.
To make geocaching fun for children, make it like a hike. Each of my children have a backpack that they carry with them for geocaching. Each backpack contains a light jacket, small first aid kit, water, snacks, assortment of trinkets to trade, pens and a small notebook to log “letter” caches.
For a fun backyard alternative, hide caches around your yard and direct kids to them by telling them they're "getting warmer" or "colder" as they look.
Go on a Nature "Hunt"
Every kid loves to shoot a camera and takes pictures. I know that my camera alone has over thousands of photos from my girls’ “hunting trips.” My oldest girl loves going on nature “hunts” because it allows her to use her artistic side while being outside. This is something we created when the girls started getting cooped up in the house and I knew they needed to get outside to enjoy some of the fresh air that we have.
Before leaving the house, create a list that each kid can “hunt” for while on the walk. Once they find their target, they shoot the target with the camera. A lot of residents are participating in “Bear Hunts” by placing stuffed animals in their windows, and so are a few state parks.
Roy Lake State Park and Fort Sisseton Historic State Park have a Bunny Hunt going on right now. There are ten bunnies that were placed throughout the park. As you walk around, take a picture of the bunnies with your camera. When you find all ten, turn in your photos to be entered the drawing for prizes. For hints on locations, go to their Facebook pages (linked above). Check out your local park’s Facebook page to see what activities are going on there!
The Perfect Outdoor Snacks for Kids
My girls love going on hikes, geocaching or just walking at home because they know that we will be packing away snacks in our backpacks! The girls help make their snacks and here are two of their favorites:
Monster Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Prep Time: 5 mins
Yields: 14 balls
Your trip outside won’t be the same with these easy, kid-friendly energy balls.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry oats
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup mini M&M’s
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- Dash of salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla, optional
Make it!
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 14 balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Happy Munchkins Trail Mix
Every lil’ munchkin loves this snack especially after a hard day of geocaching or going “hunting.”
Prep Time: 5 mins
Yields: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Life Cereal or Chex Mix Cereal
- 1 cup mini pretzels (rods or twists)
- 2 cup Cap’n Crunch cereal (no berries)
- 2 cup Cherrios
- 1 cup M&Ms
- 16 oz mini white chocolate chips
Make it!
- Add all ingredients in a bowl. Toss till evenly distributed
- Place in a Ziploc bag and store in a dry place
Five Reasons to Enjoy a Family Picnic
On a sunny afternoon, a picnic is a perfect escape from your daily routine. While being outside is good for your soul, a picnic with your family has its own benefits too.
- Family Bonding Time: Going on a picnic allows you to focus your attention on your family and away from the distractions and things going on. It is also a fun time to have small, friendly competitions such as throwing contests, tag, races and more.
- Improved Mental Health: The fresh air does wonders for everyone’s mental health. Spending time outside reduces level of anxiety and lowers levels of activity in the parts of the brain that is related to mental illness. Time in the sun is also related to improved mood and reduced stress for the whole family.
- Physical Health Pluses: Breathing in fresh air is beneficial for children with respiratory problems like asthma. On a sunny day it also aids in vitamin D and calcium absorption. Just don’t forget sunblock!
- Better Behavior: Children who eat family meals – picnics included – are less likely to partake in risky behaviors and tend to have higher grades.
- Self-reflection Time: Picnics usually takes place in relatively peaceful environments which allows for self-reflection and encourage children to think.
Picnics are fun, but they are also great for the family during this stressful time. So, head out to your local South Dakota State Park – or even your own backyard – and soak up all the benefits that picnics have to offer!
Creating Your Own First Aid Kit With the Family
If you’re headed out into the outdoors, one of the best things a kid can carry in their outdoor backpack is a first aid kit. I have always preached to my girls is safety first, especially when we are going outdoors. So, we created a small essential item first aid kit for each one of them as a family and they were all taught how to use it in case an emergency.
A first aid kit may not be something you think about for a day trip, but it will be handy if something does happen. You can make this into a family event by creating a unique kit for each of your kids to carry in their outdoor backpack or you can buy a prepackage first aid kit instead. I will say that allowing each kid to decorate the outside of the bag to their own personality is a lot of fun.
Remember to add extra items that are needed for your specific outdoor trip or if a child has a special medical condition requiring something like an Epi-Pen.
Recommended Essential Items:
- Antiseptic wipes
- Antibacterial ointment
- Assorted bandages
- Gauze pads in various sizes
- Medical tape
- Antihistamine for allergic reactions
- Non-stick pads
- Butterfly bandages
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- Rolled gauze
- Hand sanitizer
- Gloves
- Waterproof container to put the items in
Visiting the Parks
The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is working with the Department of Health and evaluating circumstances every day in this fluid, changing situation. As the Governor said, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we need to make timely decisions based on facts, figures and what makes sense for South Dakota.
At this time, the local South Dakota State Parks remain open, but some facilities and services aren’t available. Park offices and comfort stations are currently closed, with limited staff available through May 1. There are still a lot of activities you can do outside at your local park while following the social distancing and other guidelines provided by Governor Noem and the CDC. Choose activities such as walking, biking, birdwatching and fishing that avoid shared spaces and maintain social distancing guidelines.
Everyone must make mindful decisions as we care for ourselves and our families, and staying home is an option available to you.
Guidelines for visiting your local park:
- Refrain from using the parks if you are exhibiting symptoms of illness.
- Follow the CDC’s guidance on personal hygiene prior to and during use of parks.
- Be self-sufficient. Prepare for limited or no access to public restrooms, showers and water fountains.
- Be self-contained. Leave these public spaces as clean as you found them.
- Avoid contact with frequently-touched spaces and surfaces, like door handles or playground equipment. Use hand sanitizer if you do touch them.
- While on trails, warn other users of your presence as you near, and step aside to let others pass.
- Follow CDC guidance on the recommended size of social gatherings. Maintain proper physical distance at all times.
- Observe CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of 6 feet from other individuals at all times. If this is not possible, find an alternate location or depart that space.
- Governor Noem has waived park entrance fees through May 1.
- Find each South Dakota State Park on Facebook. Many have put up activity ideas and videos so you can keep learning about the outdoors.
- Consult gfp.sd.gov for up-to-date guidelines on park use.
- Visit covid.sd.gov for current information from the Department of Health.
This month's activities brought to you by
Ali Jo Tonsfeldt, Park Manager at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park
Ali Jo Tonsfeldt is the park manager of Fort Sisseton Historic State Park. She is a graduate of Wayne State College and earned her master’s at John Hopkins University in Maryland. Ali and her husband are the proud foster parents to three amazing daughters. Ali likes to spend her time Dutch oven cooking, hiking, fishing, hunting and doing historical reenacting. Ali invites you to check out the Fort Sisseton Facebook Page for some of the fun upcoming events that were specially created to help people keep safe during this time and to assist with social distancing.