This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links—at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear we genuinely use and love as an outdoor family. Thank you for supporting Hearth & Wander and helping me continue creating resources for wonder-filled childhood adventures.

The weeks after the holidays are always a little bit of a letdown.

The buildup is over. The season of good cheer has ended. The decorations come down. Routines return. And kids - especially young ones - often carry the aftermath in their little bodies: overstimulation, schedules out of whack, and big emotions that seem to appear out of nowhere.

A reset doesn’t require a new system or strict schedule. More often, kids need consistent, grounding experiences that help their nervous systems settle and their sense of rhythm return...and so do we.

Outdoor habits do this naturally.

They rely on movement, repetition, and sensory input to bring kids back into balance - without lectures or pushback. Rooting your days with one (or a few) of these outdoor habits after the holidays can help your whole family reset, restore rhythm, and get outside more - especially if your intentions for the new year include more daily fresh air.

5 Outdoor Habits to Help Your Family Reset After the Holidays

1. The Daily Gratitude Walk (Even When It’s Short)

Purpose: Regulation through rhythm and movement

A simple daily walk (like the Family Gratitude Walk) - at the same time each day (roughly) - gives kids a predictable anchor when everything else feels unsettled.

It doesn’t need a destination. It doesn’t need to be long. Consistency matters more than distance. Winter walks don’t need to be a battle; they work best when expectations are low and the goal is simply to get outside together.

As you walk, gently guide attention toward gratitude: share something you’re thankful for, notice something beautiful, or pause for a short prayer of thanks.

Why it works:

• Repetitive movement calms the nervous system and burns excess energy

• Predictable timing rebuilds rhythm and brings back scheduling

• Fresh air supports focus, emotional regulation, and good sleep

• Grateful attitudes return focus to blessings rather than materialism

This is often the fastest way to reset mood, behavior, and perspective after the holidays - or any season that throws your family out of whack.

2. One Outdoor Job Per Day

Purpose: Restoring responsibility and competence

After weeks of being entertained and gifted, kids benefit from meaningful contribution. Sorry babe, life is not all parties and presents (I'm talking to myself here).

Choose one small outdoor job that's doable for your children's ages, even if they just carry something while an older sibling or parent leads the project:

• Carrying and stacking firewood

• Filling bird feeders

• Caring for outdoor animals like chickens

• Taking the dog for a walk

• Watering the garden

• Shoveling a path or patio

• Gathering kindling

• Raking leaves or fallen sticks

• Collecting the mail

Why it works:

• Builds confidence

• Redirects energy toward productivity and helpfulness

• Takes the focus off of self

• Reinforces contribution over consumption

Kids don’t need more activities - they need to feel structure and usefulness again. Although we're accustomed to doing things for them, kids thrive on a sense of being helpful...and they're usually more capable than we give them credit for. (If you haven't, you should read "Hunt, Gather, Parent" by Michaeleen Doucleff that talks all about this.)

3. The “One Small Adventure” Rule

Purpose: Reframing expectations after holiday excess

Instead of big outings, choose one small, repeatable adventure each week:

• A new trail

• A different park

• A sunset lookout

• A constellation to look for

Why it works:

• Shifts kids away from constant novelty

• Teaches joy in simplicity

• Builds contentment

  
  

Kids learn that adventure doesn’t always mean more. And more isn't always better. There is still so much wonder, beauty, and joy in the simple things. After a season that frequently invites in attitudes of excess, returning to life's small and simple pleasures reminds families that presence is the greatest gift of all.

4. Nature-Based Goal Setting (Not Resolutions)

Purpose: Replacing pressure with intention

Set at least one outdoor oriented intention as a family for the upcoming season or year:

• "We'll start a kitchen garden and manage it together"

• “We’ll spend time outside every day, even if only for 10 minutes” (Check out my Wander Every Project if that appeals to you!)

• “We’ll eat no less than one meal outside each week"

• “We’ll explore 5 new places close to home this summer"

  
  

Why it works:

• Measurable, low-pressure, and achievable

• Builds intrinsic motivation

• Encourages consistency over perfection

  
  

This helps kids transition from holiday hype back into steady, sustainable rhythm.

5. quiet WALKS & "Sit Spots"

Purpose: Nervous system regulation through stillness, sensory input, and presence

Just as important as motion is pause. After the holidays, kids are often carrying sensory overload - too much noise, too many directions, too many decisions. While movement helps burn off excess energy, stillness is what helps their bodies fully recover and adjust.

Take a quiet stroll - slower, softer, and more intentional - to a beautiful and tranquil place or choose somewhere close to home. Pause at a simple sit spot: a rock, a log, a step, a favorite bench, a patch of ground you return to again and again. Sit for a minute. Or thirty seconds. Or however long feels natural for your child and the moment. No rushing. No agenda.

Invite your kids to tune into their senses:

• What can you hear when everything else is still?

• What does the cold air feel like on your face?

• What do you smell? Pine? Wet earth? Snow?

• What textures do your boots meet underfoot?

  
  

Why it works:

• Stillness helps regulate overstimulated nervous systems

• Sensory awareness has a calming effect

• Repetition creates a sense of predictability

• Observation builds patience, attention, and calm

  
  

After weeks of holiday noise and constant stimulation, this habit reminds kids - and parents - how peaceful the natural world can feel when we slow down enough to experience it.

Quiet outdoor moments like this are about rest, regulation, and recalibration -and that’s often exactly what helps kids return to balance.

Why Outdoor Habits Matter After the Holidays

The holiday season is full - of noise, excitement, sugar, screens, and schedule disruptions. It’s fun and meaningful, but eventually, January arrives and with it, a return to "real life."

Kids don’t need a strict reset. They need rooted repetition, movement, and meaningful time outdoors. Outdoor habits offer all three and having a specific and measurable goal (a daily walk, a consistent chore, a weekly hike) helps keep the entire family motivated to stick with the rhythm. These outdoor habits help kids regulate, reconnect, and re-enter everyday life with steadiness - not force.

Choose one. Start small. Repeat often.

That’s where the reset happens.