Book Review: 15 Minutes Outside by Rebecca P. Cohen

15 Minutes Outside: 365 ways to get out of the house and connect with your kids by Rebecca P. Cohen

There is probably a guide for just about everything with 365 ideas. Usually they don't interest me very much.

This title caught my eye, though, because who doesn't want to spend more time with their kids outside?

Unlike most 365 idea guides I've seen, I pretty much read this one straight through. It is packed with motivation for getting the family out into the sunshine (or rain or snow).

Rebecca Cohen decided to take her children outdoors every day for a year. The results were better than she expected. They created hundreds of positive family memories and the kids learned to get along better.

Her ideas are simple and easy and done with things most people have around the house. They are organized by month and day. The book is geared toward parents with young children.

A few of the ideas that stood out include...

January 21st: "Stage a Flashlight Drama Outside. If you have flashlights and glow sticks at home, your kids can stage a fantastic outdoor display after the sun goes down."

September 18th: "Make Time for Reflection. On occasion, I will suddenly notice a beautiful reflection of puffy clouds in a window I pass by on the street, or my kids will notice their reflection in my sunglasses. Raindrops, puddles, or a nearby pond or a creek offer beautiful reflections too. Play a game where you count how many reflections you can see...The kids can draw pictures of their favorite reflections."

October 7th: "Create then Hide Pumpkin Faces...Each child pains a face on her pumpkin. Then, take and print photos of each face or draw quick renditions on paper. While the kids are busy with snacks, hide the pumpkins. Give each child the picture of their pumpkin that they need to find."