Month: January 2021

GARDENING, NATURE SCHOOL, WINTER
Winter Garden Planning with Kids
- January 28, 2021
A great garden starts in the winter! Now is the time to get out those seed catalogs and figure out what you’re going to plant this year and where. Planning out your garden is such a fun activity to do in the winter. It reminds us that warmth and sunshine will be returning soon. Garden planning can also be a great activity for the kids that will teach them valuable skills while they’re having fun. Today, Creative Team member and Arkansas mom of two, Nichole Holze shares how she and her kids plan their garden every year and plot it out. She’s also got great tips for anyone looking to plant a garden this year and lots of ways to get the kids involved.

This post contains affiliate links.

Gardening as a family

Gardening is one of our family’s favorite outdoor hobbies. I didn’t grow up gardening, though. In fact, I had to learn how to garden (TWICE) as an adult. Once in zone 5 and again when we moved to zone 8. Gardening is a hobby that continually teaches us to pay attention to the small things, but also brings us such joy throughout the year. While most of the actual gardening happens in spring and summer, winter is when a great garden begins! And here is how I bring my children into the garden planning process!

How to get started gardening in your zone

The question I get asked most often is: “Where do I start?” My answer is always the same…before you buy seeds or shop your local garden center, you need to learn what “zone” you’re in. Your garden zone determines what you plant and when. It’s a critical piece of information to begin your planning process.

One of the best resources for this is your local master gardeners* chapter. I’ve always found that the master gardeners are so helpful and eager to share their knowledge with new gardeners. You can find your local chapter by an internet search or by contacting your county’s agriculture extension office. Prior to the pandemic, I used to attend a monthly talk given by my local master gardeners. Those talks have now moved online and many of them are free to attend via Zoom! I filled an entire notebook with notes I took at those meetings.

* “Master gardeners” are people who have received extensive training in gardening in their area (usually through a university program) and then provide information to the public via phone or email helplines, speaking at public events, writing articles for publications and the internet, and partnering with other community programs, gardens, and educational facilities.

Laying out the plans

The next step in planning your garden is to layout your plan and figure out what you want to plant and where. This process changes every year (sometimes multiples times in a year). Here’s how our garden layout planning has gone: We made garden plans. And we changed them. Then we put in raised beds. And we changed the plans again. Then we added a keyhole garden. And changed plans yet again. This last year we added an arch tunnel and two more raised bed gardens. We changed our plans again.

The good news is that you can make plans and add to them as often or as little as you want. One really beautiful thing about gardening is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. There are ways that work better/best, but sometimes those take trial and error to figure out. Yes, you can dive deep into getting soil mixtures right and testing to be sure they’re the right balance and pH. Or, you can just learn along the way, celebrating the wins and learning from your losses.

The garden planning process

We take the learn as we go route. My first step in the garden planning process is to draw out the layout of my garden. I make a smaller copy for myself and a larger version for my children. For older children, you could use grid paper and have them make the aerial view to scale. With younger children, draw in the shapes of your garden. Or just give them a big piece of cardboard left over from the holidays and let them have at it.

It’s also fun to let them imagine what their own garden plot would look like, whether it’s an actual garden space or just a pot of their very own. We get out our art supplies and draw what our garden space looks like from above. There are no rules for this, it’s meant to be fun. So set aside lessons and expectations, and have some fun.

Put your pens and markers to paper

After you have the outline of your garden space complete, it’s time to start filling it in. Older children can label and work on spatial awareness as they designate a place for each plant. It’s also a great way to work on handwriting. Younger children can color or draw what they want in their garden space. I like to go back to the garden map I made the previous year, to see what I had growing where, what was a perennial or annual, and what I want to change.

As you learn to garden, one thing I highly recommend is to be a casual journaler. I’m not talking about obsessive growing notes, but if that’s you, go for it. More like just making notes throughout your year about what is growing well, what isn’t, what pests you’re dealing with, and things you’d like to change. Then you can refer to those notes as you plan for the next year. Mental notes are great (if you can remember them), but I prefer paper. A simple journal works great, but you can also find all kinds of garden journals or diaries for more detailed notetaking.

Making garden planning fun for kids

One of the best ways to make the garden planning fun and visual for children is to let them cut up pictures to paste onto the map you made. Remember middle school (ish?) when we cut up photos from magazines and newspapers? Then we glued them onto our trapper keepers to make them super cool? Yeah, we’re doing that again! But this time it’s with seed catalogs.

WITH WHAT?! Yes, with seed catalogs. By the time I’m ready to plan with my kids, I’ve already poured over the countless number of seed catalogs I received (several times). I order all of my seeds online so I don’t need the magazines anymore, but they are so pretty and filled with vivid photos of plants. It’s so fun to make the garden plans highly visual with the pretty pictures.

I give my kids the seed catalogs, scissors, and glue and let them have at it. Fix yourself a coffee or tea, turn on some classical music, and browse your own garden journal. You can even organize your seeds while they have fun. It’s a great way to visually see your garden, all the colors and shapes, the various plants, flowers and vegetables. Plus, it gets the kids excited about the process and they become knowledgeable about the plants in your garden.

To really make garden planning special for kids, designate a garden space just for your children. Make a little garden sign for their space, let them choose a seed packet, and let them be in charge from start to finish.

This case is for organizing photos but it works GREAT for seeds. Find it HERE.

When and where do you order seeds?

Yesterday. No really, order them right now. ASAP. Due to current world circumstances, seed shops and garden centers are seeing unprecedented amounts of orders. Baker Creek seeds has shut its website down several times to get caught up on orders. Seed Savers has a disclaimer up about the delayed shipping times. Seed companies all over are struggling to keep up with the demand. However, you can get seeds locally at big box garden centers and local garden centers.

If you’re hoping to save your seeds, I would recommend buying non-GMO, organic, or heirloom seeds to begin, to be sure of saving high-quality plants. Another great way to gather seeds is to participate in a seed swap with gardening friends. A page that I adore, Jill Ragan of Whispering Willow Farm does a huge seed swap every year and it’s really neat. Also, a huge shout out to Jill for her genius seed organizing idea. She’s an inspiring gardener and I highly recommend following her.

What you’ll need for garden planning with kids

To make the garden planning FUN for you and your children, here is what I recommend:
- Markers, crayons, pencils, paint, any and all art supplies
- Scissors and glue (glue sticks work best)
- Gardening magazines and seed catalogs
- A large piece of paper, or piece of a cardboard
- Graph paper for older children
- Finger paints and finger paint paper for younger children
- A large workspace – clear the kitchen table or do it on a hard surface floor
- A no-rules attitude, let the creativity flow (that includes you too)
- Some background jams (I prefer classical music)
- Snacks
- Coffee or tea for mental stimulation, plus it just tastes good
Remember, this is meant to be a fun activity to involve your children in the planning process, so let it be fun! If they mess up and put sunflowers in the middle of the tomatoes, it doesn’t matter. It’s an opportunity to learn, for everyone.

What about older children?

Garden planning is a great opportunity for older children to do some critical thinking. Here are some ways to involve older children that will help them with some STEM skills and concepts:
- Have them generate a graph to show seed starting dates and when to plant in the ground
- Research companion planting
- Create a planting schedule
- Make a budget for seed spending
- Practice taking soil pH samples
- Create wet mount slides to look at the soil under a microscope (Nematodes, yay!)
- Make a business plan for selling transplants (small plants grown from seed)
There are so many ways to make this project fun for the whole family. I highly suggest getting everyone involved. The world has felt so heavy in the last year and having a family hobby that gets everyone involved, excited, and eventually outside is a very, very good thing.

A few favorite gardening resources

I’m an entirely self-taught gardener. Everything I know came from reading, listening to talks and speeches, obsessive internet searching, trial and error, and asking lots of questions. I encourage you to find books, magazines, podcasts, people, mentors, and even gardening accounts on social media. These resources are so important and helpful as you learn what works for you and your family.

Here are a few of my favorite gardening books:
- Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy – Her original book is nearly impossible to find now, however she has many other books available on Amazon.
- The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Edward C. Smith
- Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie
- Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
- Junior Master Gardeners Handbook
- Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
- Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Wallace
- We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines
Spiders make a regular appearance in our garden.

Want even more gardening goodness?

If you’d like to hear more about our gardening shenanigans and follow along on our growing journey, you’re in luck! You can read about the luffa vines that took over our garden and how my kids made a little business out of it HERE. Do you love sunflowers? Me too! You can read about our end of the season sunflower dissection HERE. I also made garden Reels videos my “thing” last summer on Instagram. Here’s a fun one, and another fun one. Follow along as our garden grows on #coleyraegardens. I’m here to help answer any questions I can or point you in the right direction. And please tag me (@coleyraeh) on social media if you make garden plans. I’d love to see them!

Are you excited about planning your garden this year?
Will you make some plans ahead of time or make it up as you go?

About the author

Nichole is mama to two incredible adventurers, an older boy and a younger girl. They are in their seventh year of homeschooling. She’s married to her best friend and they share a mutual love for the outdoors. An Iowan native now living in the south, she is happy to claim Arkansas as home. She is a wanderlust (and coffee) fueled, fearless, road tripper who has been known to take off for epic adventures at a moment’s notice. Hiking and camping (of the backpacking variety) and crystal digging are a few of their favorite family activities. You can find her in the woods somewhere, probably up a creek, and jumping off waterfalls.

You can find more from Nichole online in the following locations:
Website: http://www.luckeywanderers.com
Instagram: @coleyraeh
RWMC posts: Nichole
CAMP, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, WINTER
Winter Car Camping With Kids
- January 26, 2021
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you catch yourself wishing the winter months away in anticipation of all the fun outdoor activities you can do in spring and summer. Camping is among our family’s favorite things to do during the warmer months and we miss it during the winter. But, do we have to? Who says that camping is only for summer? Today, Oklahoma dad of two and outdoor enthusiast Jared Ryan shares his tips for winter car camping with kids. He’s got all you need to know to get started car camping with your family during the colder months. This post is packed with all his favorite winter camping gear, advice for what to pack, how to make sleeping comfortable for everyone, and more!

The need for winter adventures

For a lot of us, winters can feel long and somewhat unadventurous. Sure, we have the buildup of excitement for our holiday season; but, inevitably there comes a familiar lull in the long wait for spring. For my kids, cabin fever sets in by the middle of December. They need out of the house now.

So, forget about waiting until spring to get outside. That’s too long to wait and such a waste of a beautiful season. This is why we decided to start car camping in the winter… Yep, winter. Their need to get outside (thankfully) drove us to become cozier with the idea of sleeping under the winter-night stars.

We introduced our kids to ‘cold weather’ car camping early on. The first time we took them out in the winter they were two and three years old, so they’re used to it and don’t think we’re super crazy. I remember that trip more vividly than most, mainly because I was somewhat surprised and impressed at how well they handled the cool temps.

It was a late winter weekend, with fairly mild temperatures. The low that evening was around 42 degrees Fahrenheit. We were camped out in a small four-person tent with my and my wife’s sleeping bags zipped together around all four of us. I remember being so worried that the kids would get too cold and we’d be packing up and heading home by 1 am. Much to my surprise and delight, the kids never made a peep! We fell asleep to coyotes howling within (what felt like) 200m from our camp and woke up to turkeys gobbling and strutting through our campsite.

I remember my son dancing on the picnic table that morning while I heated up milk for their hot chocolate. While my wife and I sipped our morning coffee and snuggled up next to the campfire, the kids were running around in the trees next to our camp. That’s when I withdrew any reservations about taking out littles out during the winter months. The cold never bothered them anyway.

What is car camping?

Basically, car camping is camping with your vehicle. You can “car camp” anywhere that you can drive up to in your car, truck, or van. While car camping can also mean literally sleeping in your car, that’s not a requirement. You can also sleep in a tent, hammock or wherever floats your boat. The key is that you arrive to your campsite in your vehicle and keep your vehicle onsite, which allows you to carry more essentials than a backpacking trip or somewhere you don’t have access to your car.

We’ve been car camping for years. And while we are still not experts, we have fun learning more with every trip. Over time, we’ve acquired a solid knowledge bank of what it takes to make winter car camping just as much fun (and often more fun) as those spring and summer trips. The bonus of winter car camping is that you can enjoy your favorite campgrounds all to yourself!

You set the tone for the experience

First and foremost, when you go car camping with kids, make sure you are the cheerleader for your kids. They need you to reassure them that the temperatures are not a big deal. Eventually, they will no longer worry about how cold it’s going to be at night after they have experienced a few of these trips. Your attitude and mindset in this experience will set the tone of the trip and they’ll be much more confident and content when they see you’re relaxed and having fun.

Winter car camping gear

Next, it’s all about the gear. I’ve heard several iterations of the Scandinavian saying and I believe it holds true; “There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.” That saying holds true in the winter more than any other time.

Yes, I know that camping gear can get really pricey when trying to buy for your whole family. That’s especially tricky to justify before knowing if they’ll even enjoy camping. However, there is no reason to not start out using what you already have. Remember, when car camping, you have the luxury of bringing EVERYTHING that you can possibly fit in your vehicle. You may greatly overpack those first few trips, but you’ll quickly figure out what you need (and what you don’t) and will adjust accordingly.

This can get cumbersome when loading up, so while packing EVERYTHING is possible, you won’t need it all. And you’ll quickly realize that while loading the car. I am confident to say that you will most certainly NEVER be as organized when packing out to head home. This is still a mystery to me, seriously, how does this always happen?

What to pack for winter car camping with kids

As your experience grows and you get a feel for camping, you’ll start to get familiar with the areas where you’d prefer to invest more money into more compact and purposeful gear. There are endless options for improvement and no shortage of cool camping gear out there. The options are endless, but you don’t need it all to get started.

What we’ve done over the year may also work for you. With each of our outings, we mark items off our list that we didn’t find a use for or need and recorded new processes that have worked well for us or noted items we wished we packed. For cold weather camping, most of the gear and processes revolve around the night. A cold, sleepless night can turn your kids into cold weather one-and-dones. Adding these few key routines and items to your current camping setup can definitely ease the worry about sleeping in the cold.

How to stay warm at night when winter car camping with kids

The best advice when winter car camping with kids is to make sure to get your kiddos warm BEFORE bed. We use a Mr. Heater Buddy heater to warm our hands and feet before getting ready for bed. This is a small propane heater that shuts off when tipped and has a carbon monoxide(CO) sensor in them. Although they are rated to be safe for sleeping, we do not sleep with this lit, nor do we use it in an enclosed space. If you do, I would suggest getting a CO detector to place close to your bed.

To stay warm through the night, pour hot water into a Nalgene bottle to hold between your legs or place it at the end of your sleeping bag. I haven’t tried this, but I have friends that love and swear by this tip.

Serve up dense foods for dinner that will keep your body burning calories well into the night. We try and stick to high protein dinners when camping. Try to limit water an hour before bed. For us, this includes limiting water for the dogs. It’s tough getting out of your warm bed in the middle of the night to take a kid (or dog) outside to go potty. It definitely happens, but if you can avoid it, you’ll stay warmer overnight.

Check the rating on your sleeping bag and the temperature list. That number assumes that you are wearing clothes while sleeping in it. Did you know that? When we camp in the winter, we sleep in our sleeping bags, under our comforter at night. We use zero degree sleeping bags along with a system of layering clothing that goes from the toes up in the following order: (1) tight Smartwool socks under thick, looser cotton socks (the looser sock helps provide a pocket of heat to circulate around the tight sock.), (2) thermal underwear or Smartwool base layer for the legs and torso, (3) a sweatshirt up top, and (4) beanies on our heads. We still stay away from hoodies on our kids when they are asleep.

Car camping with kids sleeping setup

Instead of a sleeping pad, we bring a futon mattress. Sounds weird, I know, but we started using this method just because we already had it available. Over the years, we’ve tried numerous sleeping pads and air mattresses. Although there are tons of insulated options out there, I have yet to find one that keeps us as warm as the futon mattress in subfreezing temperatures.

Next, we add flannel sheets, then our sub-zero sleeping bags, and top with our comforter! This is a game-changer. We’ve also used a power bank to run an electric blanket as another option. If you’ve got those things, use them!

Bring along your pillows from home. Camp pillows work fine, but when you can bring your regular pillows from home, why not? That’s one of the biggest perks of car camping! Bring what makes you comfy!

Pack clothes that are dedicated to sleeping and not used for anything else. You definitely want everyone to change into fresh clothes right before bed to make sure no one is sleeping in damp clothes from perspiration or playing in the water. My kids play hard all the way up until bed, so we wait until we’re ready to climb into the sheets before changing.

Don’t forget the indoor activities. When it’s cold, we tend to go to bed earlier. So we have enjoyed spending time reading books (currently the Hardy Boys) in the tent or playing card games. This is great family time that our kids seem to look forward to.

Pro tip: With all the extra blankets, pillows, and coats for warmth, it can get really cumbersome. We make ample use of vacuum storage bags. These are huge space savers. Just don’t forget that in order to vacuum them down from the campsite for the ride home, you’ll need to bring a portable vacuum or the pump from your air mattress and the appropriate fitting.

Winter wind and tent tips

The biggest difference when camping in the winter vs warmer months is the wind. The cold biting wind in the winter is a game-changer. Obviously, you can try to find campsites and locations that are away from water or close to trees to block some of the wind. However, sometimes we’ll sacrifice wind for a more picturesque location (photographer wife). If this is you as well, here are a few more things to note/remember:
- Bring tarps and paracord to build windbreaks. Specifically to protect your tent from heavy winds, but also your kitchen and even your sitting area. This can make a windy site MUCH more pleasant and relaxing.
- Use a heavy coat or blanket as a barrier between you and the side of the tent. This helps with insulation and to keep the warmth in.
- Bring along a mat/rug for the tent floor. We use a compact 4’x5′ outdoor mat that folds away easily. This creates a surprisingly warm and substantial barrier between your bed and the ground.
Creating winter camping memories

Camping outdoors with your family does not have to be a fair-weather activity. It’s something you can do year-round with the right gear and preparation. It’s given us countless hours of outdoor time in months where we need out of the house the most. Plus, having our favorite camping spots all to ourselves makes it worth the extra packing. Don’t be afraid to get out there and test these tips. I’m confident that you’ll have one of the best camping experiences yet. Along with an incredibly relaxing night’s sleep under the stars!

For a great general camping list, we use this list from REI. If I don’t use a list, odds are I’ll forget something.

About the author

Jared Ryan is a husband to a talented and beautiful wife, Kristen also a father of two fun-loving and adventurous kiddos. He enjoys leading family adventures to both near and far destinations. Whether it is hiking, camping, climbing, bike riding, or playing in the backyard, he loves it all. He instills in his family the importance of nature and all the benefits it can bring to one’s life. Jared is a GIS analyst by trade, so he is naturally drawn to creating maps and all things trail related, whether it is creating new trails, recording family hikes, or teaching his kids land navigation, he loves to tie in his own work with family adventures.

You can find Jared online in the following locations:
Instagram: @bikeshikesbiners
RWMC posts: Jared Ryan
ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, BOOKS, INFORMATION, NATIONAL PARKS, OUTDOORS INSIDE
Nature Books for Little Naturalists
- January 22, 2021
In a world where research for so many young people takes place on the internet, it’s so nice to find books that are both educational and beautiful! Today, Jemma, English teacher and mom of 4 is here sharing 9 awesome nature books from Quarto Publishers that will help inspire a love of nature in your children. These nature-focused books are perfect for homeschoolers or for any kids excited about learning about the world around them and how they can help save and protect it. These books cover a range of nature-related topics, from the environment to endangered animals, and celebrate the diversity of our beautiful world. Each of these books will encourage your child to appreciate nature, want to protect it, and inspire action.

{This post contains affiliate links}

Nature books for kids

We’re huge fans of nature books around our house. If we can’t get outside, I like giving my kids the next best thing…books about the outdoors! Many nature books are filled with facts, beautiful illustrations, and lots to learn. Kids love reading them over and over, learning something, or noticing something different every time. Today, I’m sharing nine beautiful children’s picture books about nature, all from Quarto Publishers. I hope these nature books will inspire, educate and help your children develop a deep sense of love for nature and the outdoors.

Here’s a quick list of the books I’m reviewing and a link to purchase from Amazon (affiliate link). Additional info and my review of each book are below. I hope you’ll find some new reads, add some of these beautiful books to your shelves at home, give as gifts to a nature-loving kid or add to your library wishlist.
The Lost Book of Adventure: from the notebooks of the Unknown

For the ultimate guide to outdoor adventuring, this book is the best and most beautiful guide to inspire kids to get outside that we’ve seen. It has lovely illustrations, this would make a great coffee table book to pore over and inspire kids to get out and explore. Adults, teenagers and young kids all enjoy this book on different levels. The illustrations are really beautiful and very detailed with plenty of scope for many, many discussions on various adventures and skills you need to survive them. We love this book it’s one we shall treasure, refer to and use for a very long time.

North Pole South Pole by Michael Bright

Beginning with the North Pole, this lovely children’s book introduces the geography and climate of the Arctic. This book is great for helping with homework. It’s also a great resource for kids to research how climate change is affecting the sea and why ice is so important to walruses and polar bears. The best thing about the book is that you flip it over and you arrive in the South Pole… The famous race to reach the Pole in 1911 is retold and readers will discover why the orca is the ultimate polar predator. The icebergs, sub-glacial lakes, and ice chimneys of the Antarctic are brought to life with beautiful illustrations which makes it a lovely read for kids of all ages.

50 Reasons To Love Endangered Animals

50 Reasons To Love Endangered Animals is such a great book for explaining why we need to love and care for endangered animals! The book explains show there are so many reasons to love animals: lions have magnificent shaggy manes, penguins go tobogganing on their tummies, bears wiggle and dance as they scratch, whales sing songs, and elephants can feel sadness. But the book explains that all the animals in this book especially need our love – now more than ever. It’s very accessible for young readers making complicated environmental topics easier to understand. It also gives children a variety of ways they can help protect endangered animals, which gives them a sense of empowerment. I believe this book would be a great classroom reader – it’s a vital resource for younger children, the illustrations are absolutely beautiful, some of the loveliest animal images I’ve come across in children’s literature which really does help to engage even younger children on environmental issues in the book.

National Parks of the USA: Activity Book

I don’t live in the US, but that certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy and appreciate this beautiful book. Many moons ago, I traveled to some of America’s most beautiful National Parks and would have loved this activity book. If you’re planning a road trip to any of the National Parks – this would be such a great keepsake. Take a tour of America’s great outdoors and discover the beauty and diversity of majestic national parks. The book is packed with maps and fascinating facts about the 21 different US National Parks. You can explore Florida’s Everglades, travel down the white water rapids of the Grand Canyon, trek across the deserts of Death Valley, and scale the soaring summits of the Rocky Mountains! This book brings you up close to nature’s greatest adventures.

The Secret Life of Trees

Did you know that trees can talk to each other? Or that the oldest living thing on the planet is a tree? Let the ancient and mysterious Oakheart, the oldest and wisest tree in the forest, lead you through this beautiful guide to trees. Oakheart knows all the trees’ secrets, and he’s going to share them with you! This collection of stories about trees will inspire you to look after the world around you. The stories in this book are so sweet and adorable. They each provide fun and engaging tree/forest facts that inspire curiosity and wonder in kids. They’ll impart a love of nature, and inspire you to look after the world around you. The illustrations are so magical and whimsical. This is a book that we’ll read over and over.

Experiment with Outdoor Science

Are you looking for ways to learn while also enjoying the great outdoors? Look no further! This book is great for the kid that loves science or is always asking “why?” The book is filled with hands-on outdoor science projects and activities for kids will help them explore and understand the world around them. The Experiment with Outdoor Science book shows that science isn’t limited to the classroom – it can be found out in the garden or in the kitchen step-by-step instructions with an emphasis on fun, achievable experiments to give kids hands-on experiences. The science behind each experiment is explained so that kids can understand how the science happens!

Glow in the Dark: Nature’s Light Spectacular

Nature’s Light Spectacular by Kay Flint (with colorful fun drawings by Cornelia Li) is a wonderful book that teaches children to appreciate the wonders of the world by examining one of the many phenomena of lights. This is such an interesting topic for a children’s book and really beautifully done. This book teaches kids (and adults) about lots of different light phenomena that I wasn’t even aware of! Examples include a firework of meteor showers, solar eclipses, double rainbows, super blood moon, and brocken spectre. Have you ever heard or seen any of those? It also discusses volcano lightning, polar lights, and glowworm caves! How amazing is that? It’s a real beauty of a book that you’ll learn a lot from.

Let’s Save Our Planet: Forests

There are lots of research books for kids about forests but this one is special. It is (most obviously) all about forests, the animals who live in forests, the environmental danger of deforestation and different ways in which we can tackle deforestation. It covers how scientists and conservationists are helping to protect forest creatures and tech inventions like robot tree-planters, which help kids become aware of the incredible solutions to deforestation that are being worked on around the world right now! But the best thing about it is how it has a clear list of facts that kids can learn or use for homework help or a project support a clear list of actions of how we can help save the forests. This book is great for the budding naturalist in your family and filled with actionable items that they can start making a difference right now!

Encyclopedia of Insects

If you have kids that love worms, bugs and creepy-crawlies like mine do, then this Encyclopedia of Insects is going to be a perfect read! This book is such a wonderful resource for kids wanting to look up and learn about bugs and insects. It’s packed with hundreds (300, actually) of bugs in fascinating detail written by a natural history expert. It covers the cutest and most beautiful bugs, to the deadliest and most disgusting ones! It’s got a little something for everyone. Plus, it does a really great job of showing how and why bugs and insects are important to the planet and what they do for us humans. It’s educational, informative, and fun!

Raising little naturalists through books

Kids learn to love what they experience, know and understand. Reading books about nature, our planet and the great outdoors is a wonderful way to spark their interest and curiosity about the world around them. Hopefully, that curiosity will lead to a love and appreciation of our planet, and the plants and animals that live on it. These books would be a perfect addition to your outdoor education and will help you raise a kid that loves and appreciates nature. I hope they help you and yours connect to our planet, nature, and the great outdoors this year!

Which book is your favorite?

About the author

Jemma lives in London, England with her husband and kids. Her all-time favorite thing to do is take photos and capture memories of her family. She’s on a mission to ensure parenthood doesn’t rush by so quickly by creating mini family outdoor adventures and hopefully some big adventures too, one day! She’s a mum to four and an English teacher to many. She loves sharing her passion for storytelling, adventures, and nature crafts on her blog and here.

Find more from Jemma in the following locations:
Instagram: @thimbleandtwig
Blog: http://www.thimbleandtwig.com
Facebook: @thimbleandtwig
Etsy shop: ThimbleandTwig
RWMC posts: Jemma
ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, BOOKS, NATURE SCHOOL
Squirrel Appreciation Day
- January 14, 2021
Did you know that January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day? While some may not always appreciate this nutty little rodent for stealing birdseed and their terrorizing antics, squirrels play an important ecological role. Plus, they are highly entertaining to watch, especially for children. In honor of these little nuts, we thought it’d be fun to share a few fun facts about squirrels, a couple of squirrel jokes, some favorite squirrel books for kids, and even a few squirrel-themed games, crafts and snacks you could enjoy with your kids. Every squirrel deserves its day, so let’s show our appreciation!

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National Squirrel Appreciation Day

National Squirrel Appreciation Day is a creation by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist from Ashville, North Carolina. National Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21 is a day to learn about and celebrate the world’s cutest rodents. The day is celebrated to encourage kind attitudes towards our bushy-tailed neighbors by setting out food and water for squirrels, and even allowing them to play with that bird-feeder you normally don’t want them touching. Squirrels may be seen as nuisances, but their existence is actually beneficial to the environment, and in urban areas, assists in park beautification.

15 fun facts about squirrels

There’s a surprising amount of information that I didn’t know about squirrels. Here are a few fun facts about squirrels that you can share with your children to get them interested in the animals and ready to celebrate their own squirrel day holiday.
1. There are about 200 species of squirrels in the world. There are about 10 tree species in North America. The lifespan of a squirrel is about nine years.
2. A squirrel has 2 to 4 babies at a time and can raise two litters of “kits” per year. Baby squirrels are born blind without fur. A baby squirrel is totally dependent on its mother until about three months old.
3. A squirrel’s four front teeth never stop growing. – This is a common characteristic of other rodents, as well. If their top and bottom teeth don’t line up correctly their ongoing growth can cause major health problems for a squirrel such that it may drool excessively or be incapable of closing its mouth, leading to difficulty eating and starvation.
4. Squirrels are hoarders and bury their nuts, one at a time, scattered around their territory. Squirrels have a difficult time keeping an eye on all their hidden food and may lose 25% of their food to thieves. In the winter they can smell their food buried under a foot of snow. To look for nuts they’ve buried in the past, squirrels use visual landmarks like particular trees, rocks and streams.
5. Squirrels have been observed engaging in “deceptive caching” and may pretend to bury a nut to throw off potential thieves. Sometimes squirrels dig a hole and vigorously cover it up again, but without depositing the nut to throw off potential food thieves.
6. Squirrels don’t always dig up all of their buried nuts, which results in trees! They have accidentally contributed countless trees to our nation’s parks and forests. If you ask us, that’s a pretty great reason alone to appreciate squirrels.
7. When squirrels feel threatened or want to escape predators, they run away in a zigzag pattern. This is an incredibly useful strategy to escape hawks and other predators. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work so well on cars. Consider slowing down and giving squirrels a break!
8. Squirrel paws are hand-like, with little primitive thumbs and strong claws for grasping at tree bark. These features, combined with a squirrel’s ability to rotate its hind feet 180 degrees, allow the animal to descend head-first from a tree.
9. Squirrels are acrobatic, intelligent, and adaptable. Their nimble hands make it easy for squirrels to steal from birdfeeders, particularly platforms or cage-like models. To prevent a squirrel from getting to a hanging bird feeder, make the cord slick by coating it with vegetable oil.
10. Quick and nimble as they are, squirrels regularly get stuck if they run into tight places too fast. To check out space constraints, even in the dark, squirrels use whiskers on their faces and their legs. These highly sensitive hairs allow the animal to feel how close the sides of a hidey-hole are and decide how close is too close.
11. A squirrel’s diet includes a lot of nuts, berries, stems, roots, and other plant matter. However, they will eat meat and other sources of protein when under stress or as the opportunity arises. This includes bird eggs, snakes, smaller rodents, and chickens, among other things.
12. Squirrels bulk-up to stay warm during the winter. Putting on some extra weight is one strategy squirrels use to stay warm during the cold winter months.
13. Contrary to some popular beliefs, squirrels aren’t quiet. Squirrels talk through whistling, chirping, and clicking. They warn other squirrels about dangers. They can produce a range of vocalizations including barks, grunts, squeaks, and their familiar chatter.
14. A squirrel’s nest is called a drey. It is about the size of a football and is built high in trees. It is made from sticks and inside has dry grass, moss, feathers, and shredded tree bark.
15. Humans introduced squirrels to most of our major US city parks in the 1850s and 1860s. Feeding squirrels was seen as a means to encourage kindness to all animals. People thought that by adding squirrels to our parks in cities, we could bring pleasure and entertainment to the people who couldn’t leave the city and enjoy nature.
Favorite squirrel jokes for kids

Q: Why can’t you be friends with a squirrel?
A: They drive everyone nuts.

Q: How can you catch a squirrel?
A: Climb a tree and pretend to be a nut.

Q: Why couldn’t the squirrel solve the mystery?
A: It was one tough nut to crack.

Q: Why was the squirrel late for work?
A: Traffic was NUTS.

Q: What do you get when you cross a detective and a squirrel?
A: A nut case.

Children’s books about squirrels

Whether it’s due to their adorable nature or their abundance in nearly every backyard in the country, squirrels make for some really wiley and hilarious storybook characters. In honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day, we’ve put together a list of sixteen books about squirrels and their adventures, antics, and appetites! These squirrel books are entertaining for kids of all ages, from preschool through school-aged kids, and will not only teach them about our furry friends but entertain them along the way.

The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri
Scaredy Squirrel Melanie Watt
Squirrel’s Acorn by Lizbeth Stone
Bird & Squirrel on the Run by James Burks
Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep by April Pulley Sayre
A Squirrel’s Story: A True Tale by Jana Bommersbach
Squirrels on Skis by J. Hamilton Ray
Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin
Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Aw, Nuts! by Rob McClurkan
The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose
One More Acorn by Don Freeman
In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes
Squirrels: The Animal Answer Guide by Richard W. Thorington Jr.
Earl the Squirrel by Don Freeman

A couple of squirrely crafts

If you’re looking for a fun activity to do with your kids in honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day, here are a couple of ideas that are sure to please:
- Happy Acorn Necklaces – How adorable are these painted happy-faced acorn necklaces? They’d also make adorable key chains or ornaments.
- Acorn Cap Squirrel – I love this project of creating a silhouette of a squirrel out of collected acorn caps. Not only does it build fine motor skills, but it gets kids outside to collect the materials.
- Paper Squirrels – These colorful paper squirrels stand up for an interactive displayable squirrel.
- Leafy Squirrel – Create your own unique squirrel and setting out of natural materials such as leaves. For extra credit, add some branches and acorns to your masterpiece.
- Pinecone Felt Squirrel – This step-by-step tutorial shows you exactly how to turn a pine cone into a cute little critter, with just some felt and a glue gun.
Squirrel games for kids

Is it possible to truly appreciate squirrels without playing at least one squirrel-themed game? Maybe it is, but we wanted to make sure you were properly prepared for any and all things squirrels. Obviously, that includes squirrel games too!

Sneaky Snacky Squirrel is a fun board game that is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. The game focuses on colors, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, taking turns, and social skills.

Squirrel Uprising: This pretend game from Sparkle Stories is best with groups of 3 or more and is sort of like Freeze Tag with a squirrel twist!

Acorn Hide and Seek: This game is a fun pretend game that is perfect for all ages. This game is from the book Play the Forst School Way by Peter Houghton and Jane Worroll. Here is how you play.
1. 1. You and your child pretend to be squirrels, so get into character.
  2. Collect acorns (any easy to find nature object will do)
  3. Each person finds a special place to hide their acorns. Make sure no one sees where they hide them. Squirrels are sneaky and want to keep their hiding places a secret.
  4. Don’t forget to remember details about your hiding place. Is it by a mossy tree? Is it near a creek? Are there rocks or pine needles all over the ground?
  5. Once the acorns are safely hidden, go for a walk, play on a playground, or enjoy a snack away and out of sight from the hiding places. The point is to distract your children for a bit, so they are not focused on where they hid their acorns. (For younger kids, make sure the distraction time is short.)
  6. Go back and see if you can find your acorn hiding spot!
  7. Optional end of game discussion: talk with your kids about how it felt to be a squirrel. Ask what skills they think squirrels need to survive. You can also talk about why they chose their hiding spot and if it was hard or easy to remember where they hid their acorns.
Additional game ideas: Instead of looking for your own acorn stash, switch it up and see if you can find each other’s hiding spots. If this is too hard, you have younger kids, or your kids get frustrated you can add in ‘hot and cold’ clues to help each other find your hiding spot.

Sneaky snacky squirrel

What would a squirrel celebration be without a few “nutty” snacks to go along with it. Here a few of our favorite treats for all your little squirrels.
- Sweet Acorns – For a sweet treat, dip the top portion of donut holes in Nutella and then coat with chocolate sprinkles. Pop half a pretzel stick in the top and viola — acorns!
- Nutty Squirrel Bars – If you want something a little nuttier, try these Nutty Squirrel Bars – a sweet and salty combination of roasted chewy caramel crunch.
- Chocolate & Peanut Butter Acorns – For a winning combination of chocolate and peanut butter, try these super easy to make acorns, made from a Hershey kiss topped with a bite-sized NutterButter cookie.
- Squirrel Cookies – For the cutest snack around, check out these adorable chubby-cheeked squirrel cookies, made with a salty/sweet combination of Ritz crackers and Nilla wafers.
Celebrate wisely

We’re lucky to have these clever, charismatic creatures living among us, but like most wild animals, the best way to appreciate squirrels is to watch them from a distance. Squirrels may look sweet and cuddly, but children (and adults) should not interact with them (they bite!). In addition, feeding wildlife is generally a bad idea, since it portrays people as a food source and could discourage natural foraging.

How do you plan on celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day?
FAMILY TRAVEL, HOLIDAYS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Our Favorite Adventures of 2020
- January 4, 2021
Happy 2021, friends! We are so excited to wish farewell to 2020 and to start a new year of adventures with you. No matter who you were or where you lived, 2020 was probably a tough year. And while it had its challenges for everyone, there were also a lot of amazing things that came out of those difficult times. We seemed to all feel a big shift towards what really matters, like family, nature, and self-care. The adventures we took in 2020 probably looked different than how we imagined them when planning. But, we still managed to make the most out of it and spend some time outside together. Today, a few members of our Creative Team are here sharing a little bit about their favorite adventures from 2020. Here are a few memories we’ll never forget.

Leslie – @c_l_allofus

Our family plan for 2020 was to spend the year clearing our newly acquired homestead land and beginning the process of building our house and barn. Even in our personal lives, not much else went we as expected in 2020, but that basic plan of spending the year working together outside never changed. It stretched and challenged us as we cut trees, burnt massive piles of branches, put in our driveway, and passed out endless snacks to our pint-sized helpers. Our kids learned to help with whatever jobs they could, to stay clear of moving equipment and falling trees, and to discover endless ways to create their own adventures on our homestead property. They found favorite climbing trees, built forts and hidden playhouses in the west thicket, and made playgrounds out of just-dropped trees. I love the above picture because it shows our whole family working and playing together–our three-year-old plopped down with her coloring book and crayons in the dirt driveway while the two older girls play in the dirt, our son and his dog dig up a groundhog hole, and my husband works with the mini excavator.

We’ve spent the year trying to balance work and fun, stopping to enjoy the little moments and accomplishments together. We camped out on our property, dreaming about the many nights there in our future. We’ve watched the sun set across the field and fog lift over our meadow. The autumn leaves have fallen and we’ve learned which trees have the most spectacular color. We’ve watched trees bud and left footprints in the snow. 2020 may not have held epic visits to exotic locations for us, but it’s been full of beautiful adventures right here on our own homestead.

Kristen & Jared – @kristcx & @bikeshikesbiners

Our favorite adventure this year was getting to take our kids on a road trip to visit a handful of National Parks. One of those parks was Arches National Park. My husband and I had visited this park on our honeymoon 12 years ago. So, getting to come back to explore it with our new little family was such a great experience. We made so many new memories together as a family. We loved getting to see our kids explore new terrains and experience a different region from our own, learning as they went and opening their minds to what else was out there. It really fanned the flame of our sense of adventure and we can’t wait to see where 2021 will take us!

Stacey – @familyroots.photo

2020 was a crazy year for everyone! It brought highs and lows to all of us. Our family is so grateful to have had some wonderful memories come from it. Here’s a photo of my kiddos and their cousins at the top of the deer loop trail. This trail is right down the street from our cabin in Vermont. It’s about a 3.5 mile loop and the kids absolutely love exploring this trail. We’ve gone multiple times this year, over various seasons – spring, summer, and fall. And it was right here at the top, with this beautiful view of Pico mountain, where they took their very first solo ski down the mountain. It was a memory I’ll never forget and one of our favorite adventures. I hope you and your families can dwell on all the good memories this year has brought you all and cheers to a happy + healthy new year!

Nichole – @coleyraeh

This year was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Unlike anything any of us have experienced. But for us, it was also a year of “level up” adventures. We weren’t able to travel quite as much but I decided to dig deep into shenanigans close to home. Lucky for us, Arkansas is full of adventure. My favorite adventure this past year was a canoe and camping trip, to a floating platform on a river in central Arkansas. Yes, my kids and I CAMPED on a platform, in a river, surrounded by massive cypress trees, blue herons, egrets, owls, and Pileated woodpeckers.

The experience stretched all of us – for me, loading and unloading the canoe from my car (by myself, thank you very much) and for my kids paddling in a river, and against a headwind on our return trip. We also learned the best way to pack the canoe to balance their weight with mine. My son slept in a hammock (with a bug net) and couldn’t stop talking about the stars. We also spotted a snake mid-meal, with the still croaking frog hanging out of its mouth. It was memorable. And yes, we even jumped on the Ocean Spray cranberry juice/Fleetwood Mac challenge, making our video while floating down the river. I’m so excited about where our canoe will take us in 2021!

If you’re interested in reading more about this trip, I wrote a post about it on my blog Luckey Wanderers.

Michelle – @wonderclubexplorers

I have to say, picking just one favorite outdoor adventure from this past year was tough! If nothing else, 2020 was a year that taught us to count our blessings and get creative, especially here in Southern California where safer-at-home orders kept us, well, home. Sort of. In search of new vistas and fresh scenery, we perfected the art of Sunday drives this year. Our destinations were always somewhere new and different filled with interesting roads and places to explore.

One of our family’s most favorite and memorable Sunday drives was to the Anza Borrego Desert in California. Here in the desert, we found more than 100 sun-bathed metal sculptures amidst the cactus plants, tumbleweeds, and sandy earth. As my son ran wild from sculpture to sculpture in the desert, he proclaimed that “This day was the most fun ever!” I have to agree, and as we waved goodbye to the dinosaurs, dragons, and wild horse sculptures on our drive home, I looked back and indulged in a cotton candy-colored sunset. How lucky are we to have this beautiful earth to explore?

Araceli – @roaminggonzalez

I read an article that described 2020 as the year that offered us a “reset”. That is the biggest lesson I am taking away from this year. Although it was difficult, lonely and some days were impossible, I am walking into 2021 with a grateful heart. We grew closer than ever as a family. I realized how over-scheduled life was for us. This year gave us an opportunity to slow down. Our days were filled with all the simple things that matter most and that is what I plan to take into the new year!

We are also unbelievably grateful that we were able to recreate responsibly throughout the year. Whether it was exploring where we live or camping along the coast we treasure what the great outdoors offered us this year more than ever. Sunshine, fresh air, and time together as a family. ADVENTURES are truly the best gifts. We remain hopeful for a better year.

SarahRuth – @kindle_togetherness

The devil came down to Georgia. Seriously, you’all. The devil came down here. This guy made 2020 his year. Maybe it wasn’t just Georgia, but can I tell you something? We had a hurricane. In the Appalachian Mountains. Pause there and let that settle for a minute. Five and a half hours from the nearest beach, our family lost power for four days. Our community had massive flooding, hurricane-force winds, and more. With three young kids and a camper hanging out in our driveway, we figured if the devil came here to Georgia, we would head to North Carolina! In a frenzy, we packed up enough clothing to get us through, tossed the bikes on the truck, and ran!

If 2020 was anything, it was unexpected. As we drove a couple of hours away, we laughed, we cried, and we counted our blessings. Not everyone could run away from 2020 for a few days and fish, ride bikes, count the stars. But, if they could, they should, right? So we did! And we had the time of our lives. If I learned anything this year, it’s that circumstances don’t determine outcomes. Often time, you can switch gears and change the atmosphere of a situation. It is hard to defy your feelings. Super challenging to go against the crashing waves of fear and anxiety….but when you do it, you don’t regret it. Instead, you walk away a victor. I’m all about bringing my kids along for that!

“Challenges are what make life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua Marine

Meghan – @meghangarriott

We had a lot of growth in 2020 at the Garriott home. Our boys grew and grew and so did our garden! The initial shutdowns across the US due to COVID 19 just happened to be the same time to start a lot of my seeds indoors. This year we grew Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeños from seed. With all our added time at home it worked out perfectly to be able to care for our little seeds and expand our garden. As the weather warmed we planted green beans, carrots, green onions, basil, mint, and cilantro.

Our extra time at home over the summer ended up making for a much larger and better cared for crop than in years past. We were able to freeze over 20 quarts of carrots, canned and froze 15quarts of tomatoes, and 20 quarts of green beans all while also eating fresh throughout the summer. Our time in the garden gave us some much needed physical and mental exercise. My boys loved helping me dig and water the garden, they were less thrilled with weeding but I took what I could get. I can’t wait to see what our garden brings in 2021 with all that we learned and expanded in 2020!

Ashley – @sage.and.summit

My favorite memories and outdoor adventures from this year would have to be hiking with my girls and incorporating trail cleanups on those hikes. It not only was a way to get us outside, strengthening our bodies and minds. It also made us feel good to leave the places better than we found them. The most challenging thing about 2020 was not being able to see our friends, however, it made us all more grateful for those friends that we will hopefully see in 2021.

Gaga – @groovybananaphotography

2020 has been a very weird year. We did quite a bit of international travel in the beginning of the year, then the borders to our island were closed because of COVID. As wedding, engagement and family photographers, we had much less work coming in, as people were not allowed to travel overseas for destination weddings. Incredibly, our island was very lucky to not get hit by COVID and we lived quite a bit of the year in a normal bubble where we could still hang out together. Having more time not working gave us more time to spend with friends, and above all, with our kids.

My favorite outdoor adventure of the year was probably our trips to Tanna, another island of Vanuatu. One time we went for a couple photoshoot on the top of a volcano and another time to cover a huge cultural event. In both cases, we went exploring the volcano ash plain which offers out of the world landscapes. It was the most amazing playground and a trip we’ll never forget.

Sara – @sara_mccarty

This may be a very unpopular opinion, but I did not think 2020 was the worst year ever. Yes, it was tough, challenging, infuriating, and heartbreaking. But, it was also beautiful, eye-opening, transformative, and resetting. When the world shut down, it forced us to reevaluate and reprioritize our actions. It was disappointing having to cancel adventures, trips, and extra-curricular activities, but it forced us to get creative and explore our local surroundings in a whole new way. We were scared and apprehensive, but spending time together as a family in nature seemed to make things feel more manageable.

In 2020, we did a lot of fishing, a family canoe trip, some camping, quite a few hikes, and more creek play than we knew what to do with. One of my favorite adventures from this past year was a 2-day getaway to a nearby lake, where my two big kids (6 and 8) and I rented a tiny cabin in the woods. We fished during the day, made a bonfire each evening, and spent our time enjoying the beautiful fall colors and nature around us. The weather was perfect and the kids got along the entire weekend (which is a miracle in and of itself after all the “togetherness” we’ve had). The kids also discovered a newfound love of kayaking and I could barely get them out of the water to eat or go home. It was amazing to see their confidence grow with each trip out and we can’t wait to do it again. It was a bit of a last-minute trip, less than an hour from our house, but it was just what we needed to re-energize and reconnect.

What were your favorite adventures from 2020?
We’d love to hear all about it!