No Weekend Posts
If I’ve accomplished what I set out to do here at Nature For Kids, you probably won’t be disappointed that I’m not posting on the weekend. You won’t be disappointed because you won’t be indoors near your computer, you’ll be out camping, hiking, fishing or whatever it is your family likes to do. Have a great weekend everyone! Maybe we’ll bump into each other on the trail!
EcoMom
I live in a rural area in which living “green” means you’ve stepped in a pile of manure out in the pasture. Recycling bins for specific items like glass, plastic, newspaper and cans are not a common site around here.
The wide-open space around us and the recycling centers so far away from us contribute to the fact that recycling isn’t a popular option. Just driving the recyclable items to the centers would burn enough fuel to counteract my good intentions - at least this is what I’ve been told by county officials.
But I’ve learned I can still do my part to preserve Nature For Kids in little ways! Here’s a couple I’ve learned from the “EcoMom Alliance”:
- Change normal light bulbs to energy efficient CFL’s (compact fluorescents)
- Car pool, ride bikes (I’m sure your kids wouldn’t mind this one)
- Shop locally
- Reduce consumption
- Reuse items (trash to treasure) it’s amazing what kids can make out of toilet paper rolls, cans and egg cartons!
- Have a compost pile (great for a garden)
- Turn off and unplug unused items (like the TV! on second thought just cut the dang cord!)
- Line dry clothes and wait until you have a large load before you wash
- Plant a tree (keep an eye out for a post on this at the end of May)
- Recycle plastic grocery bags (Wal-Mart has a bin at the front of their store) or buy the reusable bags made out of recycled materials for $1 a piece.
Take a look at the EcoMom Challenge for more in-depth info …you too EcoDads 
Are there any other suggestions for living “green” that you might have? Enlighten us!
Zip-Line
A zip-line can add a fun element to a campsite. During a family campfire dinner party in the woods we set up a makeshift zip-line for the kids. It was fun for all the adults to watch and for the kids to try out.
There are two main types of ropes used in rock-climbing and rappelling, static and dynamic. Dynamic ropes are designed to stretch. These are mostly used for climbing, so if you take a fall it will absorb a lot of the force. A static rope has minimal stretch and is used mostly for rappelling. For the zip line here we had a dynamic rope. It was difficult to get the rope taut enough to allow a smooth ride. I would recommend using a static rope. But all in all it was a fun activity, especially for the kids.
For more in-depth information on static and dynamic ropes and their purposes I’ll point you to this link.
What type of activities do you do around the campsite to keep things interesting? Let Nature For Kids know by leaving a comment!
Filed under camping, education, rock climbing | Comment (0)Spring Sundburn
Spring sunburns are like driving your car in the first snowstorm of the winter. You’re a little rusty and forget what it’s all about. Stop, Stop, STOP! Why am I not STOPPING?! Owe, Owe, OWE! Why are my arms BURNING?!
I took our youngest out for a hike this afternoon and came home with lobster arms. Luckily she was mostly protected by the shade hood of her Kelty Kids Explorer backpack. But her arms still got a little pink. Next time we go outside for some fun I’m going to make a more conscious effort to put myself in her shoes. How is she feeling? Is she thirsty, hot, or sore?
Everyone out there in Mother Nature land, learn from my mistakes. I’m applying the SPF 45 on me and the kids next time and you should too. For my kids’ faces I like to use the sunscreen that looks like a glue stick. It’s super easy to apply and it doesn’t get in their eyes.
Well, I’m getting the summer itch now. I’m seriously going to go down into our basement to dig through the kids’ summer gear; wide brimmed hats, shorts, flip-flops and swimsuits. Hooray…it’s almost here!
Quick Nature For Kids Fact : childhood sunburns can increase your child’s risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Check out this link for more information on sun damage and prevention.
Filed under education, hiking | Comment (0)
Finding Your Spot
My husband Damon has willingly accepted my request for him to be a contributor at Nature For Kids. I think he has a lot to offer families and children when it comes to learning, especially in nature. Check out his Bio. With that said, here’s Damon’s first post…
One of the activities I use in my outdoor therapy groups is the “Finding Your Spot” activity. The kids are assigned the task of finding a 1ft. X 1ft. spot of ground. Then they are to discover everything there is in that one spot. All the sounds, sights, smells, bugs, rocks etc. (inevitably one kid will taste something too)
I then call the kids back and have a discussion about their spots. We talk about (or process) what if someone came and destroyed their spot by putting garbage on it or tearing it up. It’s amazing the response I get from them. More often than not, they become defensive and truly take ownership of their spot.
I like doing this activity where there’s also a great view of a big canyon or from a tall peak where they can see forever. I transition the discussion into how they would feel if someone destroyed their environment on a larger scale. I can take the discussion even deeper by pointing out that people might try to pollute their bodies with drugs or alcohol.
This activity can easily be adapted to any group or family size and to any age level. Try it out and give me some feedback on other great processing ideas with this activity. Be creative, you’re the best teacher for your kids!
It’s a great experience for kids to take ownership and responsibility for their environment and their bodies even if it starts out at 1 ft X 1 ft.
Filed under education | Comment (1)Recreation Close To Home
Today’s challenge from Nature For Kids: Find recreation close to your home; someplace you can go that’s conveniently close and that has endless exploring opportunities, a park, a trail or even just a remote wooded area. Call it your swift sanctuary or rapid retreat. Whatever you call it, use it often.
We have four paralleling lines where I live; the train tracks, Main Street, the river and the freeway. Although Main Street’s old architecture, bakery, art gallery, library and fire station are fun to visit, my favorite line to explore with the kids is the river. When we moved to this small town I was surprised to find such an extensive greenway system in place, which follows the river through town and beyond the outskirts. On those days when we’re not feeling up for a big adventure that requires getting in the car, we head to the river. It’s just a jaunt from our front door. And you know what Bilbo Baggins says, “It’s a dangerous business…going out of your door. If you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
Leave a comment - Tell me and others what your favorite swift sanctuary is and why!
Our apartment complex backs up to a city refuge “Mt Seqoyah” and there is an extensive trail system up the “mountain.” Our boys love to have their own maps of the trails and we have tried to hike on all of them–we’re still finding new paths, though!
Maps And Books
Yesterday on Nature For Kids we took a look at outdoor bedrooms for kids. A reader’s comments reminded me of one other thing, Maps! Here’s the comment contributed by Kris…”I’ve been working on wallpapering a small wall in my home office with USGS 7.5-minute topographic maps. I’m buying most of the Wasatch Range, and cutting off the borders around the map, so I’ll end up with a giant map of the mountains just outside my door.” I think this is a great idea.
We have a few maps in our kids room as well. Whenever they have questions about where we went over the weekend or where our distant family lives we can point it out. When they realize it takes us six hours to drive three inches on the map, it puts things into perspective for them. It also helps them realize how much of the world they have yet to explore.
Another idea for wall hangings are illustrations from your favorite books. As I’ve mentioned before, the kids love “Where The Wild Things Are“. Another favorite of ours is “The Little Prince“. It helps remind us to look at things differently and not get caught up in “matters of consequence”. We also love illustrations by Eric Carle, one of our son’s favorite authors, and have them hanging throughout our home.
Outdoor Bedrooms for Kids
Turning your childs room into an artificial outdoor space makes for a unique decorating idea! Plus, surrounding them with reminders of the outdoors and items to climb, hang, swing or slide on make for tons of fun.
Here is a video of our youngest taking advantage of the furniture in her brothers’ room. The climbing wall was easy to build. I went to the lumber yard and got a board cut to size and then painted it and mounted some climbing holds with bolts. I drilled some holes on the sides and zip-tied it to the ladder on the bunkbed. There is a slide on the other end, making for a circle of fun.
Another fun idea is an indoor swing…if there’s room that is. I’ve seen some fun one’s like this at IKEA
Expandable tunnels are such a blast too! Plus, they’re an easy clean-up item and can fit in tiny spaces. Warning: This item looks so fun parents will be tempted to play inside and possibly get stuck! No, I’m not talking from experience… 
Anyone have any other decorating ideas to post on Nature For Kids?
Filed under equipment, rock climbing | Comment (1)Camping Simplified - Continued
Yesterday in my post, Camping Simplified, I gave a couple ideas on how to take the ‘difficult’ out of camping with your kids. Here are a couple more to rummage around in.
* When you do your regular grocery shopping pick up the things you’ll need for the camping trip and set them aside when you get home. I’m still working on this one. We usually find ourselves hitting the store on the way out of town. It’s frustrating for the kids because they just want to go Go GO!
*Look for something that will store food in an easy organized way. Fussing with dinner when everything is scattered around camp takes away from the whole experience. Here’s an example of smart storage…The Duo Bin by Kelty. It holds dry food on one side and cold food on the other. When you take the two apart there is a nice workspace in the middle. I haven’t personally used this. If you have let me know. I’d like it to be our next gear purchase. The Binto Bar by Kelty is also a good option for keeping all things ‘kitchen’ in order.
*Don’t overload on the clothes and shoes when packing. Kids and their clothes will get dirty…it’s okay. If you pack light you wash light when you get home.
*It’s okay to forget something. Sometimes it makes for a more memorable trip. Just don’t forget diapers and wipes!!!
If you have other ideas this is the place to share it. Leave a comment!
Filed under camping, education, equipment | Comment (0)Camping Simplified
Today I had a friend post this comment on my personal blog… “you guys look like you are always having so much fun. we really need to get out and camp more but it takes sooo much work to plan and get ready.”
Well, I have a sign hanging in my house that says, “Live Simply”. It’s constantly reminding me to do just that in all aspects of my life, including camping with my kids. Here’s how we minimize the work involved with preparing a family camping trip.
- Have one or two large totes dedicated to your camping equipment. Simply pull them out and load them into your vehicle when it’s time to go. When you get home put them back on the shelf.
Tote #1 holds - sleeping bags, sleeping pads Tote #2 holds - tent, cook stove, pots, utensils and odds and ends. Buy totes that close tightly and don’t try to overload them. The lid is imperitive in keeping any additional dirt out.
Here’s a picture of our equipment shelf. I won’t show you the rest of our garage. YIKES!
- Put your camping trip date on your calendar and tell your kids about it. Giving yourself a visual notice of when it’s going to happen usually helps in gradually becoming prepared. Plus, if you tell your kids, they won’t let you back out of it!
Check in tomorrow for more ways to ‘Camp Simply’. Or if you already have some ideas to share, leave a comment.
*These ideas are for car camping. Backpacking is a whole different story. But rest assured there will be future backpacking posts on Nature For Kids!
Filed under camping, education | Comment (0)