By Diane Runge

As we prepare for yet another massive Nor’easter blizzard with both cabin and spring fever symptoms overlapping, we’ve got the trifecta to send us over the edge…of something.

As with everything, we can let the situation send us into depression, delirium or rage or we can approach the confinement with some semblance of positivity.

Since you’re cooped up with a rammy desire to get out, use the urge for brainstorming a few family adventures.

Besides keeping everyone in the house from going bonkers, there are a number of implications that the brainstorming, planning and actually participating in an adventure can have on your children.

The goal of the activity is to come up with as many activities, outings, adventures in as wide a range as possible. No judgments, limits, or exclusions should be placed on anyone’s ideas. Surf the internet for events or locations both nearby and in places of interest.

Parents and older siblings can talk with preschool kids to get their ideas, offer suggestions and write the ideas that would be appropriate for their age.

Here’s how to pull together the family family adventures brainstorming session:

1. Get a set of small brightly colored post-its so that each person has an individual color.
2. Assign the refrigerator as the posting area.
3. Set a time limit for everyone to post as many ideas as they can to the refrigerator door.
4. During dinner, or a time when all are available, talk about the ideas and let everyone explain what’s appealing about their ideas.
5. Talk about how the ideas could be organized and sorted. Let kids do most of the thinking and talking. Parents should ask questions that encourage more thinking and discussion. Try to lead them to sorting in such a way that reveals the ideas charged with the strongest interest and those that, while might be a challenge, are worth figuring out how to make a reality.
6. Put as many on the calendar as possible!

Be a tour guide for your children. Passions can be discovered, inner excellence, team dynamics and mental toughness can all developed by going on family adventures; all essential to visioneering your child’s future success.

Discovering their interests and planning helps them build their internal compass so they learn to trust their instincts, and actually going on the adventures they choose builds their sense of importance in the family, sense of me versus we, as well as gaining courage in trying something new.

Best of all, it’s fun, encourages conversation and builds family relationships.

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Diane Runge writes about helping children find their physical, mental, spiritual and emotional balance. The mother of three gifted athletes; a son who played baseball for Bucknell University, a daughter who swims for the University of California – Berkeley swim team while she trains for the Summer Olympics in 2016, and a daughter training for the United States Swimming Jr. National Championship this Spring, Diane Runge believes every child has potential that ought to be maximized.  A 1979 graduate of Coatesville High School, Diane went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education from Elizabethtown University in Lancaster County.  Her Sportsmomia blog is read by parents around the world. Runge and her husband Scott reside in West Fallowfield.