What I Learned From Failing The 1000 Hours Outside Challenge
The 1000 Hours Outside Challenge is a fast growing community of individuals and families dedicated to reclaiming time in nature. This initiative was started to combat the amount of time children spend on screens and get them back outside where nature provides all the necessary components for development. It’s now a widely popular challenge complete with curriculum, books, a podcast, and so many other amazing resources to guide it's followers in whatever level they may choose to participate.
But, We Failed. And I’m Okay With That.
After hearing of this challenge and knowing how often we spend time outdoors, I knew it would be a breeze. I think I over-assumed, however, because we came up short. A little over 200 hours short to be more specific. But you know what? We made a lot of memories and we got outside more than we would have spent inside knowing that we were tracking the time. This was also our first year. Our first year in the new house, new climate, new community, and participating in the challenge. So we went from being in a warm city where we could be outside daily throughout the whole year to combating weather in the teens or less (often with a windchill making it feel like it was in the negatives) and 6+ feet of snow for 6 months of the year. The fact that we had snow from November through April made it HARD. I shouldn’t have expected us to ‘win’ year one either. Every new skill takes time to accomplish.
I only calculated hours that my daughter and I went out together. So there were a few trips this year where she visited my parents without us, and I wouldn’t count those hours. Our daughter has become too heavy to carry in her hiking pack, and I was pregnant, so we went on fewer backpacking trips. There were a lot of factors as to why we didn’t reach our goal. I could write a whole post on things that could hinder our 1000 hours, but that’s not what this article is about. Because even though we failed, I know we won.
Related: How to Handle Temper Tantrums & Discipline The Gentle Parent Way
““Even if you fail, you win.””
1000 Hours may seem unattainable due to your life circumstances, weather, schedules, etc, and maybe it is. But you know what, who cares? You will never know what you can accomplish and what memories you can create if you don’t get out there! We contributed to starting an entire kids nature group in our own area based on our dedication!
For us, it wasn’t about getting caught up in tallying the hours (although I am a competitive soul and it definitely started out that way). It’s not about the 1000 hours. It was all about making outdoor play and exploration a priority. In doing so, I made more time for myself too.
Throughout the process, I learned a lot! I learned how to keep myself busy while my daughter played. I learned the importance of unstructured play. I learned how to manage my time so that I was still able to get my own work done all while prioritizing family time. There are numerous benefits to just getting out, even if it’s in your own backyard.
Things I’ve learned:
The more time your child spends outdoors playing, the smarter they will be.
A child’s purpose is to be a child.
We are more creative, insightful, and generally sharper when we allow ourselves a significant amount of leisure time.
Children get all the stimulation they need from things they encounter in the everyday world.
Self-directed play fosters the skills to navigate uncertain futures.
Unstructured imaginative play increases brain integration, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Kids who spend more than two hours a day on screens are at risk for elevated signs of depression and suicidal thinking, sleep and vision issues.
Screens provide an over abundance of dopamine that just doesn’t compare to the real world.
Screens actually thin the brain’s cortex, which manages critical thinking and reasoning.
Related: How to Start Gentle Parenting Now
So even though we didn’t reach 1000 hours, we almost hit 800 and that’s pretty amazing! We learned how to entertain ourselves WITHOUT screens! That’s been a HUGE accomplishment for us and I’ve noticed such a difference in my daughter and myself. Without screens distracting us, I took up watercolor painting, spent more time sewing, and spent a lot of time foraging or gardening. My daughter thrived in the beauty of crafting, playing in the garden with me, and noticing the small things that we have stopped noticing over time. She learned how to play independently, she’s been more involved in family responsibilities, and she’s grown exponentially.
No, we didn’t make it to 1000 hours, but we didn’t lose either. We won in so many other ways.
Do you participate in the 1000 hours challenge? I would love to read some tips that help you get those hours in the comments below!