The Magic Hour

A few months back, I attended a homeschool convention in Cincinnati. It was my third time attending, and just like the times before, I came away rejuvenated, refreshed, relaxed, and re-inspired. However, unlike the times before, I chose my workshops more carefully than I had in the past.

One of the workshops I chose to go to, and quite frankly one of the reasons I wanted to go to the convention to start with, was held by Ginny Yurich. Ginny is the founder of 1000 Hours Outside, a movement that is catching fire not just within homeschool communities, but also among families that wish to spend less time behind a screen and more time out in nature.

Ginny Yurich is hilarious. She’s fun and fast and wildly entertaining. Her workshop was amazing! We all loved it. More importantly though, she and her family are proof that time outdoors is the most beneficial curriculum you can utilize- no matter how you choose to educate your children.

Ginny told the story of how 1000 Hours Outside was born. She said she had this ‘crazy’ idea that she should meet with a friend and just let the toddlers play. Outside, in the sunlight, in the fresh air. And they had fun. Life became easier, better, not so stressful. She had heard that children spend an average mere minutes outside each day, and a whopping 1200 hours average behind a screen each year. She continued on this journey, trying to get at least 1000 hours outside that year, and then just kept going, year after year. Her story has inspired a whole movement, as so many families have now joined her to embrace this lifestyle of less screens, more sun.

Ginny’s story of how 1000 Hours Outside originated tells of her aha! moment and how she knew she was onto something, and what a powerful decision it was to make outdoor time a main priority.

I had loosely followed the 1000 Hours Outside movement for a little while, as I had a few social media acquaintances that participated in ‘counting their hours’. I enjoyed following the movement on Instagram and became more and more intrigued, so I was pretty excited to be able to attend Ginny Yurich’s workshops at the convention. And I’m soooo glad I did.

Fast forward to today, January 18th. We’ve been tracking our hours outdoors since the year began. We’ve ‘only’ got 5 hours total, though I need to remind myself to nix the ‘only’ because any hour is better than no hour, right?

I decided that there were no excuses today- we had to get outside. The forecast called for clear skies and 41 degrees, so we bundled up, stopped for hot chocolate, and walked through our local library’s outdoor StoryWalk. The picture book featured, The Mitten by Jan Brett, just happened to also be on the January book list from Ginny’s New Year prompts download. It was a win-win!

However, my 6 year old son just wasn’t having it. He wanted to go on a hike, not a walk. “Where is the forest? There’s no water! There’s no sticks or rocks!” he complained. So, we had to fix this!

I promised him we’d find a trail with all of those things, and we did. We weren’t all completely prepared for the weather, so as we began our walk, we discussed how to fix this for so we’re ready next time (leave winter hats and gloves in a special tote in the car!)

We walked, And then we ran (well, some of us!). Next thing I knew, my girls were kicking around a small log like a soccer ball. Then, my boys found sticks and pretended they were canes, swords, weapons, and finally they began to see images in the bark and how the stick was formed (“It looks like a wolf on this part, and a spear on this part!”).

They were playing, and using their imagination. They were moving their bodies and opening up senses most people don’t realize we have. They were breathing in fresh air, soaking up the sun, and allowing the sounds of nature ring through their little ears. (Amazingly enough, they really can hear, even when they don’t listen. 🤪)

Things got a lot more fun when we found the frozen creek just waiting to be explored! My kids had a blast walking on the ice, breaking it up with their boots and sticks, falling and getting up again. Watching them laugh and play, in the middle of a cold January day, brought so much joy to this tired mama’s heart.

And then, my big aha! moment hit me when my 3 year old son said…

“This is MAGIC.”

This is magic. This. Is. MAGIC. He was referring to the frozen ice, but his words were so fitting. Everyone was happy and joyful and nothing else mattered for that brief moment in time.

And because of that, I knew.

I knew that this journey to not only spend 1000 hours outside but to prioritize it is not only going to change my mothering and my children, but our whole lives in general.

And I’m totally here for it. 🙂