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Ah yes…it’s that time of year again. The time when we all decide to quit our bad habits and get the beach body we’ve always wanted. Quitting smoking in 2015 is great. Going to the gym more often would be great, too. But we’d like to propose a different kind of resolution: new experiences.
Videos by Outdoors with Bear Grylls
We view 2015 as an amazing opportunity to try new things and experience new places. There’s a side benefit to doing new things that you might not be aware of: it makes your weekend longer. It’s true. You actually perceive the weekend as longer when you’re doing things you’ve never done before. The reason is that when your brain receives new information, it takes longer to process that information. The longer the processing takes, the longer that period of time feels. It’s like you’re cheating the clock!
So we’ve compiled a 2015 Outdoor Bucket List to help you get adventuring. We put some active excursions in here, as well as some that just make you slow down. They’re both important. We want you to print this list out and stick it on your fridge as a reminder to try new things all year long. We also want to hear about your adventures! Send us pictures and tell us how it went. Better yet, send us new activities so we can keep growing the list. The best ones are both unique and specific. That way it’s easier to plan adventures. Cheers to a fun filled 2015 campers!
• Pick a bird you see often and learn everything you can about it.
• Play touch football in the snow
• Make pine needle tea
• Go on a walk and see how many birds nests you can count
February
• Take a ski lesson at a local ski area
• Find an ice sculpture area and observe with friends/family
• Find a simple hiking path and try snowshoeing for the first time
• Make a snow scene (snowmen, snow fort, etc)
March
• Explore your city in a new way. Find a Segway tour of your city and book it!
• Research a few edible plants and find a few on your next hike or walk
• Learn how to start a fire without a match, lighter or flint
• Get a new plant, learn about it and plant it in your house or outside
April
• Clean up trash at a park
• Go to a ballgame and learn how to keep a scorecard
• Go zip lining
• Get involved with local efforts to save the environment
• Challenge a friend: First to 100 hits at a batting cage
May
• Spend an entire day barefoot
• Get a sketchbook and draw an outdoor scene (it doesn’t have to be good, just do it)
• Identify as many animals in the clouds as you can in 10 minutes
• Find edible flowers in your area and make a salad
June
2015 Outdoor Bucket List
• make a bird feeder and identify the birds in your backyard
• cliff jump in your area (make sure it’s into the water)
• hold a backyard barbecue for friends and neighbors
• Plant a garden starting with two of your favorite vegetables
July
• Rent or take a canoe/kayak to a body of water you’ve never been on – explore multiple areas
• Set up an outdoor movie in your backyard for friends and family
• Use an easy recipe to make homemade ice cream for the family
• Find a hiking trail or wilderness area with a cave and explore it
• When is the last time you watched the sunrise? Do it. It’s good for you (and you’ll kill it on Instagram).
• Stay up late and call in a Barred Owl. With a little practice and patience you’ll succeed!
• That lunch you were going to throw together? Grab a blanket and go eat it in the woods somewhere.
• Find out where your house’s water comes from. Where does the town water come from? What’s the outlook for the supply?
October
• Using a leaf peeping app, identify two types of leaves in your backyard
• Take a walk throughout a trail to see the changing of colors
• Collect leaves of different shapes, sizes, and colors and make collage art
• Rake leaves into a pile and jump into them with your kids
November
• Get a stargazing app and spend an hour outside learning about 2 new constellations
• Make an entire meal over a fire
• Find a place that allows the cutting of Christmas trees and cut down your own
• Spend 30 minutes outside just taking in your surroundings – no distractions
• Use the LeafSnap app and identify and read about 3 new leaves
December
2015 Outdoor Bucket List
• Tour all the Christmas lights in your neighborhood by foot.
• Try rock-climbing indoors
• Start a pick up pond hockey game
• Go on a winter scavenger hunt
