Spring Rain, Backyard Chickens And A Weekend Giveaway

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Shawna

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Congratulations Kath on winning the Teflon umbrella! Here’s what she said her most memorable rainy day moment was in the outdoors…”I still remember being 2 or 3 and my grandpa came to visit. I was so determined to play in the sandbox I went out with an umbrella and then he came out and held it for me so I could play.”

This post is sponsored by Teflon

It rained all night last night and has been sprinkling on and off throughout the morning…

Once the sun came out for good we decided to have a picnic…

And since the ground was nice and wet the critters seemed to be out in abundance. The hunt began for slugs…aka chicken food!

These are the newest addition to the Nature For Kids entertainment…an Americana and a Silver Laced Wyandotte, our backyard chickens, who you’ll get to know better in the future.

The kids love to find worms and all kinds of goodies and lay them out on leaves for the chickens to eat up. They line the food up like an all you can eat buffet!

I LOVE days like this…when I can breathe deep and almost drink the rain-fresh air. Everything looks clean and rejuvenated. Our strawberries and cherry tree have been drinking up the rain and sunshine. The new fruit is coming along nicely…

We were sent the ShedRain Windpro umbrella to test out and share with you guys here. It’s treated with Teflon fabric protector to keep water, dirt and everything else out.

We’ve used it for soccer games and other rainy/sunny outings and it’s proven to be really durable and fast drying. And lucky for you WE’RE GIVING ONE AWAY!

To Enter:

1. leave a comment here telling us your most memorable rainy day activity.

2. earn an extra chance at winning by sharing this giveaway on facebook and leave a second comment here telling us you did.

This giveaway ends Sunday May 19th. For US residents only.

That’s it! Enjoy the lovely spring rain everyone!

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Hiking Gives Kids Perspective And Confidence

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Shawna

Once again recreating outside has taught us a couple of life lessons. This time it was while hiking to a local landmark in our town…a huge “B” painted on the mountainside.

The elevation gain on this hike was intense, few switch backs, poorly marked trails and lots of loose dirt and rocks made it slow going.

With that came some grunts and a few grumbles but it made reaching our destination that much sweeter. They were all smiles sitting atop those painted white rocks. And I heard a lot of positive and exciting chatter. I could see and hear that their confidence had grown.

hiking for kids 3

Since this experience my kids have pointed out the “B” several times to me and said with spunk and heart, “Mom there’s the B! I hiked that all by myself.” It’s become like a trophy on a shelf for them. A constant reminder that they can do hard things.

Our second lesson learned on this hike was that of perspective. As we sat there looking over the city my oldest son pointed out the rooftop of a huge building that he said he had never noticed before. And the bird refuge we’d visited several times took on a new form from our high vantage point.

hiking for kids perspective

“The city looks so different from up here,” he said. We talked a little about how everyone has their own perspective in life and that we should at times try to see things from their point of view. In the future I’m sure we’ll reflect on this experience with more depth.

As a mother these are the moments I am grateful for.

hike, nature for kids, life lessons, perspective, confidence, hiking, Expeditionary Learning, experiential learning

The Recreation Project – Therapeutic Recreation At It’s Finest

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Shawna

Therapeutic Recreation…to someone outside of the recreation field it sounds synonymous with the word vacation. But it’s proven to be so much more than just a get-away from everyday life.

Therapeutic recreation provides alternatives to a therapist office or medication. It uses tools such as rock climbing, zip-lines, ropes courses, sports, back-country wilderness excursions and nature itself to help troubled teens, war veterans and many others.

The Recreation Project, a Colorado non-profit, is an incredibly unique organization that provides therapeutic recreation for kids affected by war in northern Uganda. They help these kids face their fears, overcome past trauma, gain leadership skills and learn to trust their peers. Watch this inspiring video to see the project in action…

video

Yeah, I’m smiling too. Isn’t it such an inspiring project! Ben Porter, psychotherapist and founder of The Recreation Project, blogs about all of their experiences and breakthroughs there in Uganda. I’d encourage you to take some time to read through their logs.

Oh and here’s a HEADS UP …TRP is currently having an Adventure Photo Challenge on Facebook. Submit your most adventurous photo by May 10th and tell them why you love outdoor adventure. They’ll be choosing a favorite photo each week. Winners will receive a $25 gift card to REI!

Here’s hoping you get some recreation therapy of your own in today,

recreation therapy, therapeutic recreation, Colorado, outdoor recreation, outdoor therapy, Uganda, photo contest, The Recreation Project

A New Team Member At Nature For Kids

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Amanda Steele

Today I get the awesome opportunity to introduce you all to a new member of the Nature For Kids team! Meet Amanda Steele!

Amanda will be a contributing writer here at NFK. And I have no doubt that she has plenty of valuable info and experiences to share with you all. Plus I love hanging with this gal and know her lifestyle is one that you’d all love to have rub off on you.

But enough of my blabbing I’ll let her take it from here…

I have two rambunctious boys (ages 3 and 1), a loyal dog, and a loving husband who enjoy playing outside in the dirt even more than I do. Growing up in a small town in Northern Utah, my fondest childhood memories include showing horses in 4-H, downhill skiing at a local resort, rollerblading in the streets, and exploring the mountains just outside my back door.

Taking our children camping and hiking is better than Christmas morning for both my husband and I. Some of our favorite adventures have been weekend camping trips in the mountains near our home. It makes me giddy when my 3 year old begs to go camping in the middle of winter.

I enjoy trying new things and have quite an extensive bucket-list. I am a wannabe runner and have recently adopted the lifestyle of “clean eating” (although ice-cream is like kryptonite… (I just can’t resist).

I graduated college in Physical Education and have taught PE and health at a local charter school for the past 5 years. I am fortunate to work for a school that incorporates outdoor recreational activities such as cross country skiing, rock climbing, and kayaking as a part of the curriculum.

I strongly believe that children learn best through hands-on exploration and discovery learning, especially in reference to nature. Although I do enjoy teaching, I cherish the opportunity that I have to be a mother most.

I hope to inspire my children to develop a love for nature through hands on exploration of their surroundings and by providing them opportunities to get outside and be creative. I look forward to sharing our family’s adventures with you and am excited to contribute insights to raising an outdoor-enthusiastic family! -Amanda

So.excited. So so stinkin’ excited to have this girl as part of the Nature For Kids team! If you have any questions for Amanda you can email her at … amanda@natureforkids(dot)net Great things are coming your way folks!

nature for kids, Utah, contributor, contributing writer, Amanda Steele, nature, family, camping, hiking

Early Childhood Activities For A Greener Earth Book + GIVEAWAY

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Shawna

This giveaway is closed. CONGRATULATIONS GERRY! You’re the winner!!

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I just added another book to my shelf that is full of dog ears…it’s called “Early Childhood Activities for a Greener Earth”.

With summer vacation coming up I’m thinking this book is going to get a lot of use.The book is broken up into 8 sections that combined provide more than 100 activities to help children (ages 3-8) learn about and care for the Earth. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that each activity has an age recommendation on the corner of the page. It’s a quick way for me to find an age appropriate activity for my kids.

We’ve already made a compass. The activity involved us measuring a shadow and watching how it changed throughout the course of a day. It also involved figuring out where North was.

The other activities that I’m really eager to try with my kiddos are

Rain Gauges – To create measuring devices and to explore the concept of water measurement.
Wee Watershed – To see how water moves to the lowest point in a landscape and how waters movement can be influenced.
Colorful Puddles – To experience how darker colors respond to heat.

Each activity has goals listed along with a materials and supplies list , procedures, tips and extra connection ideas. Here’s one of the activities from the book to give you an idea of how it’s set up…Recycle Monster Activity.

There’s also a bonus in the back of the book that gives recipes for good compost and nontoxic cleaning solutions for your house!

Patty Born Selly is the author of the book and she also has a wonderful blog called Small Wonders. Here’s a couple posts she’s written…

I’m thinking this book will be an awesome gift for my daughters kindergarten teacher at the Expeditionary Learning school she goes to. It’s a wonderful resource and thanks to Redleaf Press we get to give one away today! They’re also giving everyone 30% off until June 30th, 2013. Just follow this link and use coupon code GREENEARTH.

Giveaway

1. Simply leave a comment on this blog post telling us who the book will be for… you, a teacher or another caregiver in your life.

2. For an extra chance at winning share this post on your facebook or twitter accounts. Leave a second comment on this post telling us you did.

This giveaway ends April 26th. The winner will be chosen using randomizer.org. For US residents only please.

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