Spending quality time with your family is a great way to bond and create lasting memories, and it’s even better when it's outside. Exposing children to the great outdoors is an excellent way to build respect for nature and the world around them. When you go on these outings, it’s a good idea to have a family safety plan and Scent Kits prepared in case someone gets lost. This will give you peace of mind during every adventure. Here's a closer look at the importance of outdoor family time and how to keep everyone accounted for.

How Does Nature Benefit Families?

When you spend all your time inside, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the world, even with the increased presence of social media. As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, remaining indoors for long periods can lead to irritability, sleeping problems, and even depression. 

Even if your family is continuing to social distance, that doesn’t mean you need to avoid leaving the house. Enjoying nature is a perfectly safe way to take a breath of fresh air, stimulate your senses, and get some exercise. It also keeps your brain and body active. 

Additionally, encouraging children to go out lets them release the pent-up energy they may accumulate from staying cooped up all day. Whether you take a trip to the beach or go hiking, getting immersed in nature is good for your family’s mental, emotional, and physical health.

How Can You Keep Your Family Safe?

Whether it’s because something in the distance caught their eye, they want to see something specific, or they’re bored, curious toddlers and even older kids have the tendency to wander. Unfortunately, this can cause you to lose sight of them. It's healthy for young children to explore their surroundings and discover new things, but you want them to be safe, so it can be a challenge to find a good balance.

Before you go on a family outing, prepare a family safety plan and make sure everyone is familiar with it. Have your child memorize your first and last names, address, and phone number in case they get lost. Purchasing a scent preservation kit will also make it easier for K9 search and rescue teams to quickly locate missing loved ones. This device will keep a person's unique scent preserved for many years in an airtight container, making it a far superior choice over articles of clothing that may be contaminated with the scent of others who have touched them. Having a Scent Kit prepared is also an essential location tool that doesn't require power or electronic connectivity like a GPS tracker. This is especially important in nature where phone signals can be scarce. 

When on a nature trek, instruct your child to always stay within your line of sight. This rule may take some repeating before it sticks. Encourage them to stay put as soon as they notice they can’t see you, so it will be easier for you to find them. When you’re out in the open, such as a field or clearing in the forest, indulge their sense of adventure and curiosity and let them walk ahead where you can see them.
 

Maintain peace of mind and strengthen your family safety plan with scent preservation kits from Scent Evidence K9. Based in Tallahassee, FL, and serving families across the nation, this company utilizes innovative scent collection technology to assist law enforcement in locating missing persons. Their scent kits store an individual’s pre-collected and uncontaminated unique scent for up to 10 years, which will help bring your family member home quickly and safely. To purchase or learn more about scent kits, visit their website or call (850) 272-6950.