It’s springtime here in the States, and that means it’s perfect walking weather. My son is also getting to the age where he’s starting to get confident about his skills as a pedestrian.

What a coincidence! Good weather + walking toddler = lots of walks.

There are a lot of benefits to walking, for both you and your baby. Namely, the exercise. Exercise doesn’t have to be a half hour of intense weight lifting. Ten minutes on a walk is better than ten minutes on the couch.

You can just go outside, enjoy the weather and each other’s company. You can also use it as a learning experience too. Show your toddler all the new and exciting things in the world that they missed while you were inside sipping hot cocoa during the winter.

Here are some things you can do on walks right outside your front door

• Discover the park down the street all over again
• Try to find as many animals and plants as you can
• Go to a restaurant you’ve never tried before and get take out
• Walk to the convenience store and look at all the colors
• Head to the library or a bookstore and read a book
• Play with your dog
• Go on a scavenger hunt for things like a red car or a man wearing a pair of sunglasses. Don’t go home until you’ve found everything
• Play catch

No matter how fussy my son is inside, once he gets out of doors he’s happy as a clam because there’s so many new, fun things for him to discover.