This year, make it a priority to get outdoors with your child. Spending time outdoors fosters a type of fulfillment and joy that cannot be experienced through many of today’s overstimulating pastimes for children. Being in nature creates a love and appreciation for the natural world, building meaning and connection to the earth. Here, we’ve shared 12 easy ways (which you can try monthly, or whenever its convenient) to foster outdoor immersion for the modern, busy family.

1. Find a Quiet space and spend time Listening. You may choose to perch atop a hill or visit a quiet mountain setting, or you may prefer a remote beach, path or field. What do you hear together in the quiet? Listen to the birds, the wind, the waves. What do the sounds teach you? What do you love about them?

2. Go on a Hike or nature Walk. Bring a basket or sack and allow your child to collect and natural materials that interest him along the way. Foster your child’s sense of awe for nature’s offerings. Help him to discover the names, textures, and scents of the favorite things he finds, and offer a special place at home he may store, display, or cherish his treasures.

3. As spring approaches, Garden with your little one. The act of caring for the earth, tilling the soil, planting seeds, and pulling weeds, resembles our everyday growth so much. Show your child how to patiently nurture, overcome obstacles, and enjoy the fruit of his labor. Encourage him to dig in the earth and sift through the soil with his hands. He will come to know and love the intricacies of mother nature.

4. Find Water! Whether you choose to visit a nearby pond or creek, or decide to travel to a larger body of water, Take time to stand in awe of water with your child. Water is life. It offers hydration, cool relief, comforting warmth, cleansing refreshment, recreation and rejuvenation. Without water, no person or thing would survive. Talk to your child about the value of water on our planet, and listen to him as he describes what water means to him. What does it taste like? What does it feel like? What does it sound like? How do you use water everyday?

5. Choose a nice day to Picnic with your child. Provide stimulation of all of the senses as you walk barefoot, feel the breeze on your face, and spend time in a relaxed state. Explore the tastes and smells of healthy foods outdoors, and allow these to cultivate special memories that will last with your children, that they may revisit again and again.

6. Bask in Sunshine! Sunlight exposure releases serotonin in the body, which contribute to increased happiness and elevated mood. Plus, the vitamin D found in sunlight is critical for a number of healthy body functions, including building bone strength and healthy immune responses. Nurture your child’s desire to fuel his body and soul through embracing the light! Remember to always utilize sun protection while outdoors.

7. Create Traditions and Rituals Outdoors. Engaging in repeated and meaningful activities in nature builds deep love and connection to nature through active engagement. When emotions such as joy, empathy, excitement, and love are experienced during special pastimes, memories can be cultivated that will forever connect feeling to environment. Beach days, camping trips, messy outdoor play, fishing, smelling flowers, and climbing trees, are great starting points for creating lasting rituals for your family to enjoy together.

8. Observe Fire. From ashes comes rebirth. It is important for children to make the connection between death and new life, and the cycle of the planet they share. Visit an area where there has been a recent fire and behold the beauty you will find there. Have a bonfire with your family and friends and allow the children to sing songs, and rhyme in rhythm together. Celebrate the cycles of the earth in unity, and appreciate the comfort and warm that fire offers us during all seasons under the sun.

9. Create Art Outdoors. Set up a painting or drawing station. Provide an area to build a castle, rock formation, or sculpture. Weave ribbons or arrange flowers. Allow time and exposure to materials that will give your child the opportunity to express himself through natural and creative materials. Provide opportunities to instill creativity through connection to the earth and all of its wonders.

10. Observe the Animals– Find a local trail, farm, ranch, or wildlife habitat where your child may observe wild or domestic animals. Patiently share with your child the proper names of the species he observes, and let him develop his interest and appreciation for the creatures of the earth. He may gain knowledge of different climates and terrain, or become passionate about bugs, wild cats, or zoology. In today’s fast paced, technological world, it is less common for children to take part in real life experiences like these, which are so much more meaningful than images, facts, and figures on a screen.

11. Harvest together– Fall is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the earth’s bounty with your family. Go apple picking, harvest your own pumpkin, or volunteer at a local farm. Let your child get his hands dirty and see where his food comes from. He will be interested and amazed by the rich offerings the earth has for him. Take time together to explore your senses whilst gathering your edible treasures. Absorb and embrace all that is going on around you and appreciate the richness of nature.

12. Explore Cold . Depending on where you live, find a special place to observe the changing of the seasons. When winter arrives, there is a crisp and invigorating element to the land, sky, and sea. Experience it! Jump in rain puddles, catch a snowflake on the tongue, and watch your breath become visible in the air. Notice also nature’s invitation for living things to find shelter, warmth, and togetherness during this time. Reflect on the love you have for one another and for family, and appreciate your gathering times to celebrate the seasons and each other.