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...]
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...]
Troll Forest – Expert Advice For Hiking Norway’s Most Whimsical Trail
Images courtesy Ania Krasniewska. 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 … [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...]
The Case for Napping Outdoors
Image courtesy Getty Images/dm909 by Linda McGurk - Winter. The season to enjoy snow sports, drink hot chocolate, light candles, and let your baby nap in a stroller on the back porch. Wait, what? If the idea of letting your baby or toddler sleep outdoors in freezing temperatures seems counterintuitive, irresponsible, or downright dangerous, consider that parents in the … [Read more...]
My Outdoor Family: Meet Lauren Gay
by Lauren Gay The great outdoors has been the gift that keeps on giving to my unique family of two. I am mom to a 15-year-old son. Exposing my son to outdoor activities at an early age has not only enriched him, it has also led to a very special bond. Unlike many who love outdoor activities, I grew up very much a city girl, with no exposure to outdoor activities as a child. … [Read more...]
Sharing Memories as Gifts: Treasures to Last a Lifetime
by Suzanne Solsona Without thinking too much about it: What is your most vivid, cherished memory of childhood? Your teenage years? As an adult? I would wager a significant sum of money that your favourite memories centre around something you did, rather than something you had. Or, if it does involve a thing, memories about what you did with that thing and who you were … [Read more...]
My Outdoor Family: Beauty and Tragedy
by Andrea Friederici Ross I believe in wonder. Daily life is filled with the mundane: laundry, oil changes, dentist appointments, filtering spam. Routine. Over time, it erodes my spirit, eating away at the core of well-being. So whenever I have an opportunity, I grasp at the concept of wonder. It can be a mother bird feeding her young, beak-to-beak; a particularly … [Read more...]
Before and After: Hiking with Kids in 7,982 Simple Steps
by Elizabeth Small I was the sort of not-uncommon-but-woefully-ignorant pregnant lady who believed I could somehow do this parenting thing differently. Yes, I was familiar with the entirety of human history and the overwhelming evidence that "different" was impossible. But I thought, "Hey, I'll just do this my way." It's not exactly that I thought other people were doing … [Read more...]
My Outdoor Family: The Bonds
Get to know October's "Outdoor Family" by Nicolette Bond Children don't necessarily see nature as something separate from them. I was lucky enough to grow up with parents who encouraged me to run barefoot in the rain, howl at the moon, and play in the mud. My husband and I hope to preserve that connection for our two-year-old daughter Cora and "re-wild" our own … [Read more...]
Managing an Outdoor Meltdown
by Bridgett Ross "Take a deep breath in, and exhale slowly." I have witnessed these words ease overwhelming emotions countless times. I even use them on myself. When speaking these words to my 3-year-old son, however, he responds, "I DON'T WANT TO BREATHE!" Okay. I guess I have to get creative. "WOW!" I announce. "This leaf! Watch how it flies!" I place a dry leaf in the … [Read more...]
Forest Schools: Education in the great outdoors
Images courtesy Sabrina Norrie by Sabrina Norrie - Eliza Minnucci came onto my radar last spring. This public school teacher in Vermont did something somewhat revolutionary. Inspired by a forest school in Switzerland, but understanding the realities of traditional schooling models in the United States, she approached her principal about bringing students outdoors for a … [Read more...]
The Rubber Handcuffs: Your Fitness Tracker is Not Making You Crazy, You?re Nuts Already and The Tracker is Simply Confronting You About it
by Elizabeth Small In order to understand the competitive nature of my family, you need to know one thing: As a kid, the popular game ?Pictionary? had to be unceremoniously removed from our family home because it ended one too many times with tears, accusations of shortcomings in moral character, and veiled threats of retribution. There are families that play games together, … [Read more...]
How To Connect With Nature By Disconnecting in the Great Outdoors
by Bailey Gaddis - Collectively, much of humanity has developed a habit of dissolving into the vortex of technology; we log in to invisible connections and tune out physical surroundings. While technological capacities at our disposal can be fabulous when harmonized with the act of turning it all off to connect with nature and joy in time spent with family that … [Read more...]
“Earthcaching” Indiana’s Hemlock Cliffs
by Duane Bolin - If someone were to ask, where is the perfect playground for a family who loves the outdoors? I'm guessing Hemlock Cliffs Indiana might not be your first answer. The Colorado mountains, perhaps. Or maybe the California coast. But, the rolling hills of Southern Indiana? Not so much. While images of the Rocky Mountains and Yosemite National Park routinely find … [Read more...]
Adventure Film Producer Bryan Smith: “Dad-to-be, me”
by Erin Kirkland Award-winning adventure film producer Bryan Smith has probably logged more travel hours than most - exploring on, over, under, and within the planet Earth. He?s hung suspended above sheer rock cliffs, crawled across slippery logs, and faced wild weather situations. It wasn?t until his wife was expecting their first child, however, that Smith came … [Read more...]
