I received free product and compensation from Claritin® to write this post. All opinions are my own.

Here in Chicago, we have some pretty crazy weather, from rain to snow to sunshine. As Midwesterners, we have learned to appreciate each day and take advantage of any nice weather we can get. There is no taking for granted a nice day as you never know what the next day will bring! When I was a kid, I remember going outside right after breakfast and not coming home until dark. My kids though are definitely spending less time outdoors and I have had to become creative to get my family outdoors again.

We are so done with snow…

Here are 5 ways I encourage my family to go outside:

1. While we love our local park, we like to explore other parks. It is amazing how many parks there are and how different they can be. My kids think it is an adventure exploring new parks and I get a change of scenery from our local park. Ask friends and neighbors where their favorite park is or you can check your town’s website for a list.

2. Rotate outside toys. We have ride-on toys, sports items, chalk and outside paint and so forth for outside play. When my kids are bored, I like to recommend an activity that they haven’t done in a while. I also pick up new outside items on sale and use for them for the kids’ birthdays so they have new toys and items to use.

3. Make a fort or other outside enclosure. Whether you hang a blanket over a tree branch, put up a tent or have your kids build their own fort out of materials- it is amazing how much fun they will have building it and then sitting inside it. We do this all the time and my kids think it’s the coolest thing to have their own personal space outside to play! Now that my kids are getting older they are creating a fort in a forest-area we have in the back of our house, it has literally created hours and hours of fun building it and it’s amazing to see their creativity and problem solving come to life.

4. Have a picnic. Eating outside instead of at the kitchen table is a huge treat for my kids, and I love that the mess is not in my house! It is fun just throwing a blanket outside and having an afternoon snack or sitting at our patio table and eating dinner.

5. Geocaching is one of the way we head out while still embracing the technology my family loves. Geocaching is when you search for a trinket that someone else left and you either leave something or sign your name that you found it. There are a bunch of free apps and websites that have locations to find geocaches ranging from easy to hard.

Here is an example of a geocache we found with trinkets in it:

Now being someone who suffers from seasonal outside allergies and having kids that do, I am so grateful for products like Claritin® that can keep us going outside. Claritin helps allergy sufferers like me and my kids get back to enjoying the simple joys of life that the outdoors bring.

To inspire families to get outside this spring, Claritin has launched the 20 Minutes of Spring Project to inspire everyone to get outside for at least 20 minutes a day. A survey commissioned by the makers of Claritin found that spending just 20 minutes outside in nature can help make you feel happy.

And spring is a time where everything is coming alive again after the cold winter and it’s the perfect time to experience the simple joys of outdoor activities.

The 20 Minutes of Spring Project is a part of year two of a three-year partnership between Claritin and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where Claritin has committed up to $500,000 to fund programming and create resources to help get kids outside.

The first year brought the Play Breaks Guide, which is an outdoor activity resource to help support staff at the 4,300 Clubs in getting their local youth outside and active. This year Claritin is providing an Imagination Playground to Boys & Girls Clubs of America at PS 125 in Harlem, NYC to enable kids to get outside and enjoy nature.

Claritin will donate for your Facebook and Instagram posts

Get involved and help the kids of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. It’s simple – post a picture of your favorite family-friendly outdoor spring activity on Facebook or Instagram with both #Claritin and #20MinutesofSpring by June 21, 2018. Every post triggers a $5 donation to Boys and Girls Clubs of America (up to $50,000).

What are your 20 Minutes of Spring activities?

You can learn more and get ideas at Claritin.com/20MinutesofSpring