There may be a National Get Outdoors Day, but when you live in rural Northern Minnesota where the winters are long, it really should just be called every day in the summer.

We try to get outside as much as we can during our short summer. It’s a way for us to soak up some Vitamin D, get some physical activity, and connect with our natural world.

One of the things I like most about spending time outdoors is that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You don’t need to buy tickets or invest in a ton of equipment. You don’t need to drive a great distance or buy junk food to enjoy it. You just need to step outside

There are plenty of frugal ways to enjoy the outdoors. Here’s a sampling of what you can do outside:

• Take a walk.
• Ride a bike.
• Play catch.
• Swim.
• Go fishing.
• Do yoga or meditate.
• Go on a nature scavenger hunt.
• Play in sand on a beach or in a sandbox.
• Read a book.
• Take photos.
• Build a campfire and make some delicious s’mores.
• Grill your dinner.
• Plant a garden and take care of it.
• Visit a park.
• Go geocaching or letterboxing.
• Make a nature craft like pressed flowers or leaf rubbings.
• Blow bubbles.
• Pick berries (either wild, or at a U-Pick farm).
• Look at the stars on a clear, dark night.

Check out our our other ideas for getting outside. And if you still need some help, you can download free guides to introduce kids to the great outdoors.

The average person spends 6 hours a day in front of a screen.  It’s time to log off,  get outside, and breathe some fresh air.  Get outdoors and experience all the beauty the world has to offer.  You’ll find the experience will leave you more active, less stressed, and with more money in your wallet.