My kids love playing outside. For us the issue has never been prying devices out of their hands and forcing them outdoors. The thing for me is, my kids like me to play outside with them. And I don’t always want to.

For one, when my kids are playing together it’s a break for me. I can try to get things done, read a book or just relax. But when we’re all outside together, they could really be out there all day.

I thought about ways to make being outside more fun for me. For one, I like taking pictures of them playing together. They love it because they’re all “hey mom, watch this!” and I can take a photo. But I wanted to get in on more of the fun too.

I thought about it, and told my husband I really really wanted a bike for Mother’s Day.

“Are you actually going to ride it?” He asked. I’m not sure he was convinced.

It took me awhile to talk myself into finally getting one too. I was concerned about it taking up space in our garage, if the kids and I could keep the same pace, and of course if we’d actually use it. But let me tell you, if you’re looking for a fun way to get outside more with your kids, definitely consider getting a bike.

I looked at several bikes online and in the store. A mint green multi-speed cruiser-looking one jumped out at me. My daughter gave her stamp of approval before I rolled it to the register. On our way we picked out a couple new helmets for them as well.

We reached our first major speed bump when we got to my car and I realized it wouldn’t fit along with my kids and their carseats. So my mom had to come and drive the kids home. Needless to say, I see a new bike rack in my future. But as soon as we got home and took the bike out of my car, my kids were ready to take our bikes for a spin.

And we’ve hardly stopped since.

We ride to our neighborhood nature trail, the playground and the pool. My daughter recently learned to ride on two wheels and my son manages to keep up with us on his balance bike.

Sometimes we make a whole afternoon of it. I’ll load up my basket and backpack with a blanket, water and a few snacks, my kids love the gluten-free CLIF Kid ZBar Protein bars (ok, I do too). We’ll ride half a mile, play for an hour or two, then ride back.

This summer I suspect there will be a lot of riding to and from the pool, and hopefully in the fall some more riding in different parks around town, once I get that bike rack.

My kids love being outdoors, they love it even more when I’m with them, and I’m kinda digging it a lot more now too.

I’m passionate about getting my children outdoors to play, explore and stay active. That’s why I’ve partnered with CLIF Kid for 2017, to share our adventures together as a family. CLIF Kid ZBar Protein bars have 5 grams of protein and are now gluten free! You can learn more about this product here. 

Tags: clif kid, exercise, fitness