Find A Trail - Share A Trail
If any of you are like me, when I find a place I like to explore I tend to go there over and over again. It’s fool proof. You know what to expect, what to bring and it rarely disappoints.
But every once in a while I get the itch to find a new place…that next perfect hike or camping spot that I’ll take my kids to over and over again, where their childhood memories will be made.
I recently joined the Sierra Club Trails website. It has helped me find several new great hikes I want to take my kids on. Hikes that are right in my area. It is rapidly turning into a killer comprehensive hiking and paddling trail database.
The part I like best about it is that all the trails are put on there by the readers. And you can add pictures and give updates to previously posted trails like…”this trail had recent fire damage” or “this trail has seen lots of bear activity lately”. That way you can be up to date on every hike.
You can also join groups that talk about anything from bird watching to hiking with kids (me gusta).
Anyway, I encourage you to check it out. Look for some hikes in your area. I have added some of my own already. *Landscape Arch in Arches National Park (That’s where these pictures I’ve posted were taken.) But don’t forget Nature For Kids has its own Forum as well, where we’d love to hear about your favorite spots and what you like to do there.
nature for kids, Sierra Club Trails, hike, hiking, Landscape Arch, Arches National Park,
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Filed under Hiking, Water | Comment (1)Take It Outside In 2009
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
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Filed under Biking, Camping, Hiking, Rock climbing, Snow, Water | Comments (4)Recharge Your Batteries
Does this sound familiar to any of you? …
“Turn that game off and go outside to play”
“Come inside I don’t want you playing in the front yard by yourself”
I think our youth of today are confused. “Out or in Mom?”
The dangers are on both sides of our front door these days. Violent crimes on our streets and on game consoles is just one example. We as parents have to go to greater lengths to provide safe well rounded recreation time for our kids. That means sometimes preparing an activity, accompanying them on the activity and doing the clean up afterwards. It takes a lot of effort.
The process can become a struggle at times. That’s why it’s important to remind yourselves as a parent why you do it. Why go to the effort of taking your young kids on outdoor trips?
To remind yourself I encourage you to go on an outdoor adventure without your kids. It’s sure to rekindle your love for exploration. Leaving behind the car seats, child carriers and fruit snacks for a short time will allow you to recharge your batteries and rededicate yourself to immersing your kids in the outdoors.
Nature for parents is just as important as Nature For Kids.
My husband and I recently took an outdoor trip, just the two of us. Thanks to loving and supportive family members we were able to leave our three kids in good hands. It was my goal to wander our beautiful state of Utah with every piece of recreation equipment we had. By the end of three days I felt full, content and was bubbling with excitement. Once again I was ready to expose my children to the things we saw and experienced outside.
We rode a single track in the rain, looked over a canyon from the top of a climb, camped near a bubbling brook, relaxed in a hot pot, and stood under a freezing waterfall. Every sense was stimulated and recharged. Who wouldn’t want their kids to experience this?
What have you done as a parent to recharge your batteries? Share your experience by leaving a comment here at Nature For Kids.
outdoor adventure, outside, play, recreation, activities for kids, outdoors
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Filed under Biking, Camping, Education, Rock climbing, Water | Comment (0)Kayaking With Kids
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During the summer months Yvonne and her daughter Sage are hard to find. More than likely they’re snaking their way through the Idaho landscape on a river. Yvonne found her passion for kayaking when she moved to Idaho and has since become the source for kayaking knowledge in her area. What’s even better is she’s sharing her love of kayaking with her young daughter. Yvonne decided to share her “Kayaking With Kids” secrets here at Nature For Kids. So if you see a white Subaru parked on the side of the river give a good honk and a wave to tell her thanks! *********** The main reason I take my daughter kayaking is because I hate finding a babysitter and it is an opportunity for me to do what I love while giving her my undivided attention on the water. We enjoy pointing out animals, rocks and sticks in the water and other items that pass by. I take her on floats that range from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours.
Make sure you are a competent paddler before you set off kayaking with kids. Try every run alone before taking a child with you. And do not take your child somewhere you have tipped out in the past on your own. It always takes a while to get a child use to a new activity. The more often you take them however, the easier it should become. Your child may not like waves at first. I suggest saying “Wee” to emphasize how much fun they are as you go through them. This will teach your child to enjoy them more. Try to avoid going around naptime unless your child can fall asleep on the kayak. My daughter just needs her blanket to fall asleep and she is fine.
It is mandatory to bring snacks, drinks and some kind of toy that they can play with in the water. If you don’t bring those things they will be whining and complaining in no time. The most common request of the child is to use YOUR paddle. If you can find something that works as a paddle for them you will solve half the battle. I use a plastic shovel, which works best as a kind of paddle. It floats if it is dropped so it can be easily retrieved. If your toy doesn’t float, you WILL lose it. Other items that have entertained include a doll, a measuring cup, giant spoon, and if you are in a crunch a long stick from the riverbank.
If you have a new baby under a year old, going in a tandem kayak with another adult is a great option. Going with another adult gives you someone else to paddle while you hold or feed the baby. You may be able to lay them in your lap at your feet, but I prefer a snuggli so they are attached to me. If you go after 2 PM make sure you have sunglasses for your child so they aren’t looking into the sunlight. And keeping a jacket on hand for the child incase a windstorm kicks up is a good idea too. Things To Always Keep In A Dry Bag:
Things To Grab When Running Out The Door:
Having a dry bag packed and ready makes for a fast getaway. Try to have most items tied down on your kayak when not in use, just in case an accidental spill does occur.
Now it’s your turn to get out there on the water and give kayaking a go with your little one. Send in some pictures of your kayaking with kids fun! |
kayak, kids, outdoor recreation, kayaking, water, paddler, paddle, tandem kayak, lifejacket
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Filed under Water | Comment (1)Getting City Kids Outside
CBS news put together a great segment on getting city kids outside. I tried to embed the video here but wasn’t able to, so here’s the link to the video. It’s only 2 minutes and it’s worth taking a look at.
We live in a small town surrounded by lots of nature and recreation possibilities. I can’t imagine the challenge that inner-city kids have in connecting with nature especially during this day and age.
In San Francisco there is an organization called R.O.C.K. (Real Options for City Kids). They take city kids on outdoor adventures. Most of the people that make the program successful are volunteers. I love the concept and hope many parents are taking advantage of this program or taking the time to take their kids out themselves.
Photos from SFGate.com
If you’re from an urban area leave a comment about getting city kids outside. We’d love to hear your ideas at Nature For Kids.
outdoors, adventure, kids, activities for kids, activities for children, outdoor recreation, city kids, outside, SanFrancisco
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Filed under Biking, Camping, Education, Hiking, Rock climbing, Snow, Uncategorized, Water | Comments (2)Castle Creations
Question: Hmmm…what do we do outside today?
Criteria: Easy Fun Cheap
Answer: Castle Creations!
- Go to the dollar store and buy a container of little men (cowboys, Indians, knights or soldiers)
- Grab a bucket and some spoons
- Find an area with lots of sand or dirt that has access to water
These kids created their castle creations in a sandbox with kiddy pools close by. By the time they were done the pool and the sandbox looked the same…muddy! 
If you look closely at this picture you can see that the evil warrior got catapulted into the side of the castle because he attempted to overthrow the King.
VICTORY! The good knights recovered their Queens castle! Shortly after the mud monsters demolished the entire kingdom… 
There are plenty of other fun things to do in the dirt. Check out these other correlating posts here at Nature For Kids…Dirt Boarding and Digging Station. Send pictures of your castle creations to shawna@natureforkids.net and we’ll post them here.
sandbox, outdoors, kids, summer fun, activities for kids, activities for children, dirt
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Filed under Crafts For Kids, Water | Comment (0)Adventure Time For Mom
Adventure time for who? Ohhh… MOM! Right!
As much as I love taking my kids outside and watching them experience the world around them, sometimes I feel the need for my own personal adventure experience that is tailored to my abilities, not my kids.
A couple friends and I got together for “Adventure Time For Mom” and decided to kayak down a fun section of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. We gratefully turned our kids over to grandmothers, babysitters and dads before we headed to the put-in area. It was strange being able to just jump in the truck without having to first pack diaper bags and buckle our kids in car seats. During the entire trip all I had to worry about was me. Weird!
We had enough boats for all of us thanks to kayak junkies Jinger and Yvonne. There were five of us, three of whom were pregnant (2, 5, and 7 months along). So here’s evidence that adventure doesn’t have to stop when you have kids, or even when you’re pregnant with them. Thanks for the motivation girls!
As we got the gear ready two guided fly-fishing boats launched off on their adventure. Once we got going we quickly passed them and didn’t see them again for the remainder of the two hours on the water…in which I soaked up just as much as the sun as much as I could. It felt sooooo good!
We went over some fun rapids, beached the boats for a quick swim to cool off and weaved in and out of islands with only a few tip overs. It was a much-needed rejuvenation. Whenever I allow “Adventure Time For Mom” I always come back a healthier, happier, energetic mama! So I encourage all moms, and dads for that matter, to take the time to go play without your kids on occasion.
I came across this women’s adventure based business while looking through my favorite catalog Athleta. The business is called Women’s Quest. They specialize in adventure retreats for women! I’m so going on one of these someday. They do bike tours in Italy, yoga and hiking retreats in Vermont, skiing and cooking classes in Colorado and a wide variety of other adventures.
Overall I think it’s important to take care of your kids by exposing them to adventure and nature but how can you take care of them if you don’t take care of yourself first? Have you allowed adventure time for mom lately? What do you do to rejuvenate yourself? Let Nature For Kids know by leaving a comment.
outdoors, adventure, mom, kayak, parenting
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Filed under Uncategorized, Water | Comments (7)Pop Bottle Terrarium
I did this activity a couple weeks ago with the scouts I work with in our area. It was so fun that when I got home my kids wanted to do it. I thought I’d share it here at Nature For Kids.
A pop bottle terrarium is like a small garden that you never have to water. The water cycles through the soil, plant and air. The plant soaks up the water where it is then released through its leaves. It then condenses, forming droplets on the pop bottle wall. Then it drips back down into the soil and is reused by the plant.
What a great opportunity to teach your kids about the water cycle!
Here is a short video I made with my kids to show you how to make your own pop bottle terrarium.
After making our pop bottle terrariums we took a two week trip to visit grandparents. The first thing my son did when we arrived home was check on the progress his plants had made inside the terrarium. He was so excited to see that several little stems with healthy leaves awaited him.
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Filed under Crafts For Kids, Education, Water | Comment (1)Fishing With Kids
I have to admit I’m a terrible fisherwoman. I made several brave attempts at flyfishing and even went to the extent of learning to tie my own flies but after multiple dissapointments and gear malfunctions I threw in the hat with only two brown trout and a mennow under my belt.
However, now that my children are getting old enough to give it a try I think I should get back into it, even if it’s using plain old worms and spinners.
Our kids got to go on a fun fishing trip with their grandpa and grandma on the Snake River in Grandpa’s river boat! What fun Nature For Kids can be! They had so much fun that they’ve convinced me to make more of an effort in this fishing business.
Since I’m not the one to be giving advice on fishing with kids I’m counting on some hefty help by way of comments from all of you out there. Here are a couple questions right off the top of my head.
What are some good fishing websites?
Where are some fool proof spots?
Are those little kid fishing poles worth it?
How do you find out what the fish are biting?
What’s your best spinner?
How much worm is too much worm?
Is that last one a valid question? Anyway, enlighten me. I need all the help I can get when it comes to fishing with kids!
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Filed under Water | Comments (3)Conserving, Protecting Water
To kids water is a sure thing. It will always be there when you’re thirsty and it’s always fun to play in. Unfortunately that’s not always the case. Overused and polluted waterways are as much of a problem as any other these days.
Today we plan on going fishing at our local Gigliotti Pond . I thought it might be a good opportunity to talk to my kids about conserving and protecting water.
I found this great two-page activity sheet to help kids realize the importance of conserving and protecting water. It was created by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
No matter what state you’re from, I encourage you to print it off and take some time today to go through it with your kids.
Here are some quick tips on how to protect and conserve water:
- Don’t liter (broken glass and plastic items are harmful to fish and unpleasant to see)
- Dispose of harmful chemicals the right way
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth
- Take short showers (baths use more water)
- Put drinking water in the fridge (waiting for it to get cold from the sink wastes water)
- Water your lawn during the cool part of the day (water will evaporate more during the hot part of the day)
- Repair leaky toilets and faucets
Do you have any other ideas on how to conserve or protect water?
Check out the EcoMom post on Nature For Kids for more information on how to have less of an impact on the Mother Nature!
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Filed under Education, Water | Comment (1)
