Up and At 'Em - UrbanMoms

Join UrbanMoms as we discuss being active and making healthy choices in the “life is good” blog series sponsored by Nesquik. At a time when most Canadian children may not be getting the calcium and other essential nutrients they need, delicious milk – like chocolate milk made with Nesquik – is just a good idea.

Growing up our family spent a lot of weekends doing outdoor activities. Hikes in the woods, cross country skiing, and more hikes in the woods. I don’t think I ever went on any of those outdoor adventures or treks willingly. The appeal of the television, or the Nintendo 64 was always more enticing than anything nature had to offer. Of course, once I was out there, I always had such a great time with my sisters or friends, and ironically, some of my favourite memories from my childhood are of the various treks through the Niagara escarpment in the fall, or the snowy woods of Wasaga in the winter.

As a parent, I’m now learning to appreciate those outdoor moments with my kids. There is nothing like seeing them use their imagination and creativity to create their own fun in an outdoor setting. Our Canadian climate offers such great variable options for enjoying the outdoors. Hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing, skating, biking, snowmobiling, swimming, boating – the list goes on and on… Being outdoors, surrounded by trees and nothing else but the fresh air, the rustle of leaves, and the occasional scurry of chipmunk feet, is the ultimate recipe for an incredible day.

I delight watching my kids run up and down hills, climb over and under logs, squelch around and through mud puddles, and chasing anything that had a bushy tail. What a wonderful feeling – being outdoors, surrounded by nature, and the sound of laughter. Pure, un-canned laughter.

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