Fall is a great time to get the kids outside enjoying the wonders of Arkansas.  Living in NWA we are just a stone's throw from tons of cool outdoor places.  Of course, kids are content to watch their shows, play on their iPads, play more Minecraft, watch more youtube videos (about Minecraft), or kill some more zombies, but that is not what mother nature intended. Our bodies and minds are made to be outside.  We need to walk, to climb, to search, hike, paddle, and gallop.  A night or two of camping can bring family bonds back together like no other activity. There's inevitably something we forgot to bring, a run in with an insect or two, and strange sounds at night. Improvisation and spontaneous reaction to unexpected events is bound to occur.  Getting kids out of their routine is great practice for real life.  It triggers creativity that makes us more well-rounded in our abilities and skills.  Outdoor activities build confidence that kids can tackle unexpected problems.  The unknowable becomes not so scary.  Take a family bike ride, rent kayaks at a local state park, get a couple of fishing poles, pack a hammock, do a trail ride, zipline, read a guidebook with the kids and see what they'd like to do.  These links are some of my recent favorites and places I've been:

arkansasstateparks.com
Buffaloriver.com
www.ziplineeurekasprings.com
http://bearmountainstables.com
http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Arkansas/
http://www.getoutozarks.com/news/2012/apr/11/get-way-back-kayak/
http://www.recreation.gov/camping/lake-wedington/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=75480
http://www.razorbackgreenway.com
http://www.timernst.com/guidebooks.html