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One can realize the aspect of sustainability in connection with excursions in very different ways. One could understand it to only make an excursion in the immediate vicinity. But you could also understand it as taking part in a sustainable project or bringing sustainable topics closer to the child. Incidentally, the excursions should of course also be fun and enjoyable and really inspire or even carry the children away.
We have therefore put together 7 interesting, exciting, sustainable and inexpensive ideas for things to do in the region and hope that you will experience many small and large adventures.
1. Visit the educational forest trail on the outskirts
For children from the city, a hike through the forest can be something exciting. Everything is so different from the city - the smells, the sounds and the plants and animals. Of course, you don't necessarily have to walk a forest trail, but you can certainly bring the child closer to the forest in other ways.
But you will be surprised what you can learn as a parent on such a tour through an educational trail. Wouldn't it be nice to learn something new together with your child?
In order to get from the city to a suitable forest, you may have to drive a car. But maybe there is also the possibility to get there by tram or bus. Find out a little bit and there's nothing standing in the way of a day trip into nature.
2. Garbage collection campaign together with friends
An undertaking of a completely different nature is a garbage collection campaign in the city park. Such an action is most effective when many others participate. So the fun starts long before the actual trip, by making cards or posters at home that you can then use to invite friends, classmates or neighbors.
On the day of the action, you then gather at an agreed spot in the park - armed with large bags, baskets, bags and barbecue tongs (to pick up the rubbish). Now you comb through the meadows and bushes of the park together and pick up all the rubbish you come across. Maybe other people will spontaneously join and you will make new friends.
You can even make a little competition out of it. Whoever collects the most rubbish at the end of the day gets a small prize. As a surprise, you could also organize yourself in such a way that one parent "secretly" leaves in between and set up a small picnic with sandwiches and soda on the meadow for everyone.
3. Camping on the balcony (or in the garden)
Strictly speaking, camping on the balcony is not an excursion, of course, but with a little imagination it can become one - it is always exciting.
In any case, you and the child should pretend that it is a trip. Everything should be organized and cleared up in advance - just like driving into the countryside. There you can't just go into the kitchen and get something cold to drink from the fridge. So you are completely dependent on what you “bring with you”. The only exception is the toilet. Here you can also use the amenities of the home toilet and don't have to use the potty.
So you pack everything up and “hike” onto the balcony. The first thing you do here is set up the tent, inflate the air mattress and make yourself comfortable. Ideally, you have brought a few games, books or a musical instrument with you and enjoy the chirping of the birds and nature.
By the way: If you don't have a real tent, chairs, tables, cords, blankets and towels are of course also possible to build a small robber's camp.
4. Visit to a barefoot park
Of course, only if such a barefoot park is in your area is it suitable as a cheap and sustainable day trip. But there are now quite a number of these systems in Germany. Here, of course, the first thing you do is take off your shoes and then set out to explore the most diverse floor coverings, from pebbles, to water, and moist humus to acorns or even gravel.
Feel the different textures, hardness and shapes under the soles of your feet. Here and there you can also do small competitions or tests blindfolded. You then have to guess which floor covering it is. A great experience for young and old.
5. Organize a scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt is always a lot of fun and is also ideal as a small family outing. Basically you have two options - either you work out a route yourself or you join another scavenger hunt. In some cities, such events are offered quite regularly.
If you want to organize a scavenger hunt yourself, you need a lot of people to take part, because something like this is a lot of work and is simply more fun with many participants.
You can take something like this even further: you choose sustainable family accommodation within a radius of around 50 km from where you live, where you can accommodate several families. You travel there once before and work out an extensive scavenger hunt. If you are all there together, an exciting day is guaranteed.
6. The big crawl
If you consider that the biomass of insects (i.e. all cells of all insects together) has decreased by 75% worldwide in recent years, you get scared and anxious. It is all the more important to raise awareness and raise awareness of insects - including that of our children. So how about an insect day? The whole day could revolve around insects - from visiting an apiary, staying in a meadow and observing the hustle and bustle of the insects to a handicraft hour.
At the end of the day you could build an insect hotel, for example. There are countless ways and means to do this. Place the insect hotel on your balcony or simply on the window sill and make it a little more "cozy" for the insects.
We humans cannot exist without insects either, because the plants would no longer be pollinated and reproduce. In the long run we would have no more food and also no plants to produce oxygen.
7. Where your feet will take you
A true micro-adventure could be a completely unplanned mini-vacation - and here's how it works: Pack a few essentials for a day or two and just hike right from home. It doesn't matter whether you live in the city or in the country - go in a direction that you haven't yet known. Explore the region in a completely new way and experience many small adventures and constant challenges. Where will you land? Where to sleep? In which direction is it going?
Of course, common sense must not be neglected. If, for example, the evening is slowly falling, you should perhaps not necessarily move further into a forest, but rather look for possible accommodation with your mobile phone or a hiking map. This really is pure adventure.
We really hope that we have put together great tips and ideas for sustainable and inexpensive day trips and adventures for you. Of course we are always happy to receive your comments or even a photo of you - for example of your most beautiful insect hotel.
