Snowshoeing in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park by Erin Kirkland - Perhaps no other agency moniker is as familiar as that of national parks. Providing access, protection, and valuable historical information, national parks are considered sacred ground by many as hallmarks of family vacation destinations. Sharing of a legacy, if you will. In the United States and … [Read more...]
Colorado’s Snow Mountain Ranch a Sleigh-Full of Outdoor Family Fun
Guests ride the runners of Snow Mountain Ranch dogsled teams. Image courtesy Jessica Averett. by Jessica Averett - Families who enjoy winter vacation adventures are all too familiar with the price tag that often accompanies them. Between warm clothing, expensive gear, and resort prices, planning a winter vacation may tempt parents to quickly clean out little Johnny's college … [Read more...]
How To Snowshoe With Kids
Many local parks welcome young snowshoeing families to explore and experiment with shorter, more-manageable adventures. Image courtesy Tanya Koob by Tanya Koob - People tell me snowshoeing is boring. It's not as fun as skiing, they say, or Why walk both up and down a hill To those individuals, let's rethink the process. I say, once you learn how to snowshoe with kids, … [Read more...]
Where To See The Wild Horses of Salt River, Arizona
[Photo courtesy Diann Bayes] by Brian Curtice - I can still recall the first time I saw the bright yellow Salt River Canyon 'Watch for Horses' sign. It stood in stark contrast to a landscape muted in greens and browns, immediately catching the entire family's attention. Watch for horses, in the middle of the desert? All eyes were on equine lookout as I slowly drove on … [Read more...]
Camping Packing List PLUS Expert Camping Storage Ideas – Printable!
[Photo courtesy Kerem Hanci Photography] Looking for the best camper organization and camping storage ideas? Need a new camping packing list? Family car camping can be the perfect place to begin adventuring outdoors with little ones, and we're going to give you a jump start with our favorite camping bin organization ideas, a complete family camping packing list, and family … [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
[Image by Kristin Wognild] 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 … [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
All images by Kristen Bonkoski. 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 … [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...]
