Caterpillar Hitches A Ride

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Shawna

On our bike ride the other day we came across 3 Woolly Bear Caterpillars!

They were each making their way slowly across the asphalt road. We stopped to play with them for a while and Scout decided she’d help them cross the road on her bike.

When we got home we got on the computer and looked up “woolly bear caterpillar” at eNature.com.

This is what we found out…

We weren’t woolly bear magnets like we thought. They are often found crossing roads and paths on warm days in late fall.
According to superstition, the amount of black in the caterpillar’s bristle coating forecasts the severity of the coming winter.
Actually, the coloration indicates how near the caterpillar is to full growth before autumn weather stimulates it to seek a winter shelter.
For being such a fun and beautiful caterpillar it doesn’t turn into anything too extraordinary. (Tiger Moth)

It was 2 hours well spent on a beautiful Fall day!

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Dog vs. Praying Mantis

Wolf Spider

nature for kids, nature, bike, bike ride, caterpillar, woolly bear caterpillar, fuzzy caterpillar, Fall

Sanity Restored After A Bike Ride

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Shawna

I’m going to admit it, there are some days I want to run screaming from our house. When our four kids are full of energy and inside the house with nothing to do they start torturing each other. Eventually there are cries of, “Mom she won’t stop copying me!” or “ Mom he won’t get out of my face!” and then there’s someone tapping my shoulder nonstop saying, “um Mom um Mom um Mom”. That’s when I SNAP!

“TIME TO GO OUTSIDE!”

After a morning like this we decided to take the kids on a bike ride around Mantua Reservoir. We took the GPS along so we could catch some geocaches along the way.

video

How’d you like Hiccup’s knock knock joke? Ya we try to teach our kids the basics first.

This was a perfect trail for small kids, pretty flat the entire way. And it was wide enough for bike trailers or strollers. We came across people fishing, running, biking and hiking. Pets are welcome on a leash.

when we got home they were little angels and kissed us goodnight with sleepy little eyes and smiles on their faces. The End (ahhh)

Don’t forget to subscribe to our youtube channel and you can also follow us on facebook or twitter! We’ve been posting more pictures and daily events there. Have a great weekend everyone!

nature for kids, bicycle, bike, geocaching, kids, outdoors, bike ride, bike riding, mountain bike, mountain biking, biking, exercise, geocache, outside, trail,knock knock joke

Save Some Gas And Pedal

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Shawna

Oh goodness. Once again the news was overwhelmingly negative today especially about the outlook on gas prices. Our family vehicle gets a whopping 14 mpg, yippee! I was so frustrated I originally titled this post “Trade In Your SUV For A Bike”, but then I realized that was a little extreme. So I thought I’d share with you a little more mild approach to saving gas and connecting kids with nature at the same time.

I’ve had my eye on these Xtracycle bikes for some time now. They claim to be the do everything family cargo bike.

Doesn’t it look like fun! I’d add a bell and a basket to mine of course.

The back wheel is set back further than normal bikes and it has a long board on the back that can have a number of different attachments for carrying kids, groceries, your family pet, surf board, guitar, Christmas tree and on and on.

So I’m not listing our family wagon in the classifieds just yet, but I am going to let it spend a little more time in the driveway.

My goals are to:

Be conscious of the bike friendly days and take advantage of them.
Shop local keeping in mind whatever I buy I have to haul back home in the bike trailer. (maybe I’ll spend less $)
Plan Ahead (load up what items we’ll need and leave early so we have plenty of time to get to our destination)
Be Prepared by Having tube repair equipment ready

Now for those of you that really are thinking about ”Trading In Your SUV For A Bike” take a look at this inspiring family. They are car free and have four children…yes FOUR! They live in the bike friendly city of Eugene, Oregon. bike-family

source

Here is my favorite quote from the article,

Some days, when it’s raining or cold, getting on a bike doesn’t sound like fun, but Monica insists that once they’re riding, her attitude changes. “It feels good on my face and on my hair. My kids are giggling and talking and closer to reality. And we’re getting exercise. Everything about it feels really good.”

Let’s end on that shall we.

Strider Running Bike on SALE! $99 plus free shipping. Just in time for summer – Wheeeee!!

Playoutdoors has the newest looks for kids on bikes

nature for kids, bike, xtracycle, gas prices, gas, bicycle

Bike Ride With Scout

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Shawna

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I woke up to the sound of birds chirping, people talking and dogs barking. Our neighborhood was ALIVE! Which was odd because since winter began it’s been awful quiet outside. It was so refreshing to have the sun come out. It even warmed up enough to melt the snow off the sidewalks, hence all the activity outside. So we decided to dust off Scout’s bike and let her go for a spin.

I love her little wooden run bike. It was her older brothers first, and now it’s hers…here’s hoping it hangs in there for Hiccup to use when he gets a bit bigger. Well you guys have a great weekend! We’re off to the Outdoor Retail Show this weekend in Salt Lake City. We’ll be back with a wealth of information on new gear and also some more reviews and giveaways!
nature for kids, outdoors, outdoor gear, snow,bike, run bike, balance bike, kids, Outdoor Retail Show

Take It Outside In 2009

Posted on December 31, 2008 by Shawna

Nature For Kids would like to share our outdoor adventures of 2008 with you. Take a look at the video we created below…

As you prepare for the New Year, we here at Nature For Kids hope you have a new found desire to take it outside in 2009. Resolve to take a family outing each week. As always, Nature For Kids will be here throughout 2009 to give you encouragement and ideas for wholesome outdoor recreation with your family! Enjoy!
nature for kids, family outing, outside, 2009, outdoor recreation, kids, family, new year, outdoor adventure

Nature For Kids

Encouragement and ideas concerning wholesome outdoor recreation

Category Archives: Biking