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Children naturally tend to be outgoing and interested in the world around them. Left to their own devices, they will often bombard the nearest adults with a slew of questions about why the sky is blue, or where elephants come from, or why things fall to the ground.
Today, more than in any other time, however, the natural outgoing tendency of children — their desire to explore and understand the world around them — is being limited by the sheer array of digital stimuli they encounter.
It can be hard to motivate even the most naturally inquisitive child to go out for a day trip when they can get lost in a virtual adventure playground all day, or watch cartoons on never-ending demand thanks to YouTube.
Luckily, there are a few ways that you can transfer your child’s love of adventure to the physical world, and remind them to get excited about the kind of adventures there are to be had outside of the living room.
Here are some exciting games you can play with your kids on a day out.
Escape rooms
An escape room is, essentially, a setup designed to simulate being trapped somewhere and needing to get out, or needing to get in, by means of solving a series of mysteries, working out where the clues are pointing you, and letting your own ingenuity and creativity be your guide.
Various templates exist for escape rooms. Some will put you in the position of a bank robber who has triggered the security system and needs to get out before the guards arrive. Some will have you as a detective who has been locked in an apartment while investigating a suspicious individual, and so on.
The common theme is that escape rooms make it easy to experience all the wonder and excitement of being in a thriller novel or James Bond film, in real life. This experience is by no means limited to children — although children are often able to attend when accompanied and supervised by their parents. Instead, the experience is so riveting that many, if not most, of the attendees, are thrill-seeking adults.
Taking your child to visit an escape room can make them feel like something closet to a hero for an afternoon, while also training their skills of observation and deduction.
Laser tag
Laser tag is an eternal classic of the adventure-play world of children and, especially, of action-prone little boys who really enjoy their cartoons about virtuous warriors saving the world from the forces of evil, and the like.
Playing laser tag with your kids can allow them to get their adrenaline flowing, while also engaging in healthy and safe competition. What’s more, it can help them to burn off some energy and get some exercise, as they’ll invariably be running, hiding, ducking a-plenty.
Climbing walls
Indoor climbing walls are a thrill for most adults who try them, are all the more likely to leave a serious and lasting impression on any especially daring and bold child who has a go.
With the right setup and safety equipment, the experience of using an indoor climbing wall can be completely safe for a child, or as nearly as possible. At the same time, the obstacle will help them to overcome their own inhibitions, get some exercise, and learn a sporty skill that they may wish to pursue further at a later stage in their live.
