Looking for the ultimate camp hack? Need a new camping packing list? Or maybe you're looking to start a new outdoor-themed family tradition. Car camping can be the perfect place to begin and we're going to give you a jump start with camping bin organization, a complete camping packing list, and family camping tips. With a vehicle, parents and kids can be cheerfully deposited in … [Read more...]
Backyard Explorers
Editor note: Welcome to a new column by mother and writer Kristin Wognild. Kristin lives, works, and plays in the forests of Central Oregon and is an advocate of place-based learning. Thus, this new regular column's title "Nature's Place" should appeal to those families who desire to have a deeper connection to how, when, and where their kids learn. We hope you enjoy it. ~Erin … [Read more...]
Tweens and Teens and Fearless Behavior
By Bridgett Ross, PsyD With a wild glint in his eyes, your 11-year-old son jumps into the water. You nervously watch, hoping he doesn’t get hurt. You’ve taught him how to be safe, right? When you check your teenager’s climbing harness, she rolls her eyes with an unconvincing “I know what I’m doing.” You want to trust that she does, but you leave the conversation feeling … [Read more...]
Traveling the Park to Park Highway
by Susan Strayer To celebrate this year's centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, my family wanted to do something really special, an epic, once-in-a-lifetime trip. So we packed up our truck and hit the National Park to Park Highway trail for a 7,000-mile road trip. It may sound crazy to voluntarily trap oneself in a car with three young kids for six weeks … [Read more...]
Two Moms, Four Boys, and an RV
by Rina Nehdar What could possibly go wrong? Four boys jostling in a small space, no husbands upon which to pawn them of for a few seconds of peace? Much did. Over and over again. But that's not the whole story. The idea was born after my husband told me he was going away on a surf trip with our oldest son, Kyle. He chose to go the one week of summer when there would be … [Read more...]
The Healing Power of Nature
by Erin Kirkland Greek healer and writer Hippocrates, considered by most to be the father of Western medicine, often relied upon the outdoors as a salve for what might ail his fellow man. “Nature cures,” he wrote in one of his many volumes of instruction. “Not the physician.” Hippocrates practiced then-unconventional methods of observation and diagnosis during his life and … [Read more...]
Biking The Hiawatha Trail With Kids
by Kristin Wognild - My headlamp shone like a beacon on the five children who pedaled bicycles furiously through the 1.6-mile Taft Tunnel buried deep beneath the Bitterroot Mountains of Lolo Pass, the designation point of the Idaho-Montana state line. The Hiawatha Trail air was cool and the sound of water dripping from stalactites was magnified by our limited … [Read more...]
Hike It Baby: How to get involved & get outside more
by Erin Kirkland - Shanti Hodges has no qualms about admitting she has a problem "overextending myself." Fact is, though, if she hadn't, hiking with newborns might not be a thing. Enter Hike it Baby. Hodges, of Portland, Oregon, is the owner of Hike it Baby, an organization she gestated and birthed in the cool forests of the Pacific Northwest but now nurtures through 290 … [Read more...]
Mountain Biking With Kids, the 101 Version
by Kristen Bonkoski - Mountain biking with kids is a fantastic way for families to get exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and spend quality time together. Youngsters in particular take to the sport easily, because who doesn't love the outdoors, dirt, and wheels? Despite the family-friendly nature of mountain biking, many parents find the sport intimidating or overwhelming to get … [Read more...]
Great Gear: Epic Wipes keep this mom’s crew clean
by Erica Lindberry If your family is anything like mine, then you have probably wished for stock in baby wipes once your children were born. Although I haven't taken the time to count, I?d say we go through approximately 167 wipes during a typical weekend adventure. Climbing, camping, or somehow even just sitting in the backyard, my kids sure do have a knack for bringing in … [Read more...]
Five Places to Burley the Bay Area
Images courtesy Melissa AveryBy Melissa Avery Ride the wiggles out of kids and burn some calories at these great Bay Area parks with the help of Burley bike trailers. My kids love water, so all of these parks have a water feature where they can take breaks from riding to throw rocks in the water or enjoy watching the many species of birds in the area. These rides are … [Read more...]
“In His Element:” Traveling and autism
by Jean Grant Oh yes, Ewan loves volcanoes, I say with embarrassed pride at a parent preschool conference, while my son scribbles May 18, 1980 and a drawing of a volcano on a white board with a dry-erase marker. Certainly all children have their obsessions. For Ewan, they are volcanoes, weather and drawing complete U.S. maps, but starting in kindergarten? I chalked it up to … [Read more...]
Family Road Trip 101: Unplug to Connect With Your Kids
by Gina Vercesi - Listen. Do you hear that? No? What you're not hearing are your kids. They're in the backseat, quietly plugged into their electronics. Maybe the silence is welcome, they're not arguing, poking each other, or asking "When are we gonna be there?" on repeat. Nor are they talking about the funky, retro billboard they just saw, or searching for the letters of the … [Read more...]
Troll Forest – Expert Advice For Hiking Norway’s Most Whimsical Trail
by Ania Krasniewska Before children, an ideal holiday for me consisted of visiting cities without doing much of anything, lying on great beaches with a stack of books to lose myself. As any parent who's tried to read more than two consecutive sentences in the presence of small tots knows, that vacation style changes when you have children. Our style changed even more when … [Read more...]
Prompting Without Pushing: Guiding children through fear
By Bridgett Ross "Use the brakes! Use the brakes!" I shouted, watching my son soar downhill on his bike and into a parked car. Per my hopes, he took a chance, tried something new, and risked falling. I ran to my crumpled, crying boy. Thankfully, he was not hurt, but the fall shook him. In rock climbing, overcoming fear has always been my biggest challenge. I have some pretty … [Read more...]
Kayaking Georgia’s Tybee Island Region
by Lauren Gay It's hard to believe that only 4 years ago I had never been in a kayak of any kind, but now kayaking has become a favorite activity for my son and me to do together. Living in Tampa, Florida, the Southeast region affords us good fortune of paddling year-round, since even with cold temperatures the waterways don't freeze. On a trip to explore the Savannah/Tybee … [Read more...]
My Outdoor Family: Meet a caterpillar named “Fuzzy”
by Eliana Osborn My son's rain jacket is laid across the back of the sofa. In the split second before calling, Come hang this up, I notice something yellow on the sleeve. Closer up, something fuzzy, perhaps a flower bud knocked off while running by. I lift the yellow cylinder with a piece of paper from the computer. A caterpillar, braving a stormy wet Fairbanks, Alaska … [Read more...]
