Family Things to do Outdoors on Christmas Day

Christmas Day is usually full of food and gifts, but tensions can rise when everyone is stuck indoors all day with the family. Even if you are on your own, going outdoors for a spot of active fun can help you to lift your spirits, as well as the alcoholic spirits.
If you are wondering how to inspire your family to get their backsides up off the sofa, or to encourage the kids to get out from under your feet, here are a few ideas to get you outdoors on Christmas Day.

Bikes, Cycling and Pedal Power

Bikes are one of the most popular gifts for Christmas. Whether you have got a new bike for Christmas, know someone who has, or fancy some fresh air, cycling is a great way to spend time together.
If you get a new bike, make sure you set it up correctly before stomring downhill somewhere. I bought a bargain mountain bike for my daughter from eBay which was for sale because the owner had tried riding it a couple of times and didn’t get on with it. I wasn’t surprised when I saw the immaculate bike that was still setup straight from the box. The brakes squealed because they were set up wrong. The gear change was very stiff and only went into 2 of the 18 gers because the gear stop screws hadn’t been set. After a couple of minutes tweaking, the bike worked perfectly. I did have to buy a new saddle though as the factory one on the bike wasn’t comfortable enough. Good job you can buy gel saddles.
For beginners, flat ground is great; especially for parents who have to keep up whilst holding their child upright. For kiddies bikes, try tying a broom handle to the seatpost tube so that you don’t have to bend over to hold the bike upright. Saves back ache I can tell you.
For teens, you may have to seek out a BMX park or some mountain bike trails.

Drones and Flying Things

The one thing I love about drones is that they fly. I used to watch people in the past flying their brand new remote control aeroplanes in the park on Christmas Day. Well, by flying I mean they launch it, it flies for a few seconds before crashing into the ground and breaking into lots of pieces. Same thing goes for helicopters. The small indoor ones usually last a few minutes before damaging some piece of the house, Grandad, or the toy itself.
With drones, most of them these days have some form of autopilot feture that means that when you let go of th econtrols, they hover in one place. Unless it is windy. Then you have a few issues. Oh, and watch out for trees, and people, and pets, and buildings, and overhead cables, and the law. To ensure that your drone survives Christmas Day, you will definitely want to know about the 9 things they don’t tell you before you fly your own drone.

Snowsports

If you are on a family ski trip at Christmas, I’m jealous. Christmas and snow seems to make things feel quite magical, so long as you aren’t trying to get anywhere and that you have heating.
If you have snow where you are this Christmas, here are lots of ideas for fun in the snow.

Running, Jogging and Orienteering

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Get on your new runing gear and get some fresh air. Don’t over do it though, because you are most likely full of food and alcohol. If you dont like tarmac, try trail running.

Geocaching

Wherever you are in the world, someone will have hidden a box and marked its location on a geocaching website. You can have the fun of the high tech treasure hunt by trying to find said box using the coordinates. use either a GPS or your mobile phone and an app. Brilliant for keeping the kids entertained (as long as you find it).