Black Friday Fun (and sale)!

Major holidays can be tough on little ones. Schedules get disrupted traveling or attending family parties. Kids take in more stimulation compared to their regular routine. Not a great recipe for family harmony to say the least.

One great cure for holiday stress is to #OptOutside. The socially conscious retailer REI was the first to coin this phrase in 2015, closing its stores on Black Friday and encouraging families to spend the day in nature. As a parent educator, I love this concept! Whether you have infants or teens, you can find something refreshing to do outdoors. Research shows ….

• Throw the football around with your teen.

• Bundle up the baby and take a stroll with a pumpkin latte.

• Preschoolers will love going on a turkey hunt to find the lucky one that got away. If you don’t have turkeys where you live, you can also hide colored paper feathers around the yard/neighborhood and see how many they can find.

• Visit a national or state park. Bonus, if you live in MN, entrance to state parks is FREE on November 29!

If you need more outside inspiration, check out our Gift of Green Time series. In the spirit of Black Friday, Gift of Green Time® books and our Stork School course are 40% off (ends Dec 2). https://www.bevgillen.com/store