It’s September. The leaves are turning golden. The days are getting shorter. The kids are back to school. The end of the summer often marks the beginning of the SAD  – seasonal affective disorder – period that only ends with the return of spring. As the natural daylight reduces, more and more families struggle with stress, mood drops and overall lack of motivation. But don’t blame it all on the back to school and work phenomenon. Indeed, there is an automatic switch that happens in your mind after the summer break; you get ready for the cold season. As a result, you spend a lot less time outside, and ultimately reduce your access to the most important source of vitamin D – aka, the sun. Indeed, you need to keep enjoying outdoor activities for as long as possible to help your mood. Going outside is what keeps you happy and positive, especially now that you have to spend most days at a desk – in a classroom for kids or in an office.
A quick weekend getaway?
The next opportunity to go on holiday is far away. But who needs to book a vacation when you can transform your weekend into an outdoor adventure? Most campsites continue to enjoy warm weather – and you’ll enjoy discounted prices in most locations after the summer peak. You can plan a quick getaway with the kids and spend the last warm nights of the season in a cosy SnuggleSac under a tent. A last tip to make the most of the weekend: watch the stars appear in the sky together, holding hot cups of tea or coca in between your hands before you retreat to your tents for a good night sleep. There’s nothing more peaceful that observing nature slowly change all around you as the season progresses.
Going to the park for the day
If you’re not too keen on spending the weekend away, you can still make the most of the day on Saturday and Sunday outside. With warm temperatures and plenty of sun all over the country, there’s no excuse not to take the kids for a picnic in the park. Forget about the strawberries and the melons – while these are summer’s favourites, it’s time to move to an equally delicious autumnal menu. Apples, warm soups — pre-cooked and packed in a thermos –, cheese and nutty flavours are strong this season, and they should be part of every picnic basket.
You can also bring a few outdoor games with you, from the traditional frisbee to a remote-controlled drone. Be prepared for the attention and the question of kids and bystanders – how do drones work is the usual question; bonus point for a correct answer. If you have a pet, a picnic in the park is the perfect day out for the whole family.
Test your wits on the go
Escape room shave been multiplying over the country in the past few years so that it’s fair to say that if you live in town, you probably have passed one on your way to work or to school. The reason why escape games are so popular is that they can get the whole family engaged in solving a mystery. Admittedly, if you’ve heard of or been to an escape room before, you know that the principle is to be locked inside a room. It’s not exactly an outdoor game. Except that it can be! Indeed, you can find outdoor escape room adventure – Onigo is a brilliant one in London – that takes you through your local park. Launch in January of this year, Onigo started in Hyde Park and Battersea Park, but it’s worth checking with your town council if there are plans of bringing it to your city.
Make someone’s day while you have fun
What if you combined your well being and doing good? If you want to keep motivated to go outside, you can get in touch with your local shelter. Most centres welcome volunteers. You can offer to take the dogs for a walk, for instance. You can be sure that dogs will be grateful for the attention, and it’s also a fantastic way to make sure that they keep interacting with people. From the perspective of the shelter, walking the dogs keep them sociable, which can encourage their adoption. From your perspective, you can have plenty of fun with happy and friendly dogs. What’s not to like?
Build a wildlife shelter
Last, but not least, you can get the whole family involved to build a wildlife shelter in your garden. Check the video for tips.
Don’t assume that the end of the summer is synonymous with dull indoor life. On the contrary, there is still plenty of fun to have outside!
