The new year means a fresh new start and is the perfect time to reconsider your priorities. We hope this year you’ll choose to be more intentional with how much time you spend outside with your kids. Kids today need outdoor time (away from screens) now more than ever. If you want a sure-fire way to raise happier, healthier kids, spending more time outside is your answer! Today, Las Vegas photographer and mom of four, Megan Havelaar is here with new year’s resolutions that will get you and your kids outdoors more and is sharing some tips for spending more time outside with your kids in the new year.
Welcome to a new year
You did it, parents! You made it through another year.
I’m sure we can all agree that 2021 proved to be another difficult one, but I’m here to applaud you and say, “great job!” There’s something so wonderful about starting a new year and the fresh start it brings. It gives us all an opportunity to look back on the past and take inventory of our lives. It also gives us a great excuse to make changes and set some goals and intentions that will better ourselves and our families.
Spend more time outside this year
Most parents usually set a goal to simply spend more time with their kids and family. If that’s the case, we implore you to take some of that time outside! I can speak on behalf of all of us here at RWMC and say that making it a priority to get outside with our loved ones has been a game-changer!
Spending time outside, engaged with each other, and off screens is a great way to better our emotional and physical selves. Getting outside makes you healthier and happier (and who doesn’t want that?). But we also know that getting outside with kids is easier said than done. So, I’m here to give you some tips on how to set some realistic and practical goals to start spending more time outside with your kids. Are you ready to get started?
Be intentional with your actions
When it comes down to it, the thing that is going to get you and your family outside and spending more time with each other is to be intentional. Intentionality is where it all starts, and it starts with us, the parents.
Being intentional about your choices of what you do is something that takes a lot of practice and willpower. This is definitely something I haven’t mastered and I think we will always have to work on it, but when we are intentional about certain things we can see the good that comes from it. If we want our children to learn to put their phones downs, turn their iPads off, shut down their laptops, then they need us to do it first. When we model balance to our kids they will see it and learn from our examples, maybe not right away, but they are watching and looking to us to teach them.
If we are intentional about getting off our screens, our kids will see that. If we are intentional about making getting outside a priority, our kids will see that. Spending time with our kids away from technology is a gift and a treasure. In a world where so much is competing with our time, it seems like now more than ever we need to show our children they matter to us more than our screens.
Children still need a childhood with dirt, mud, puddles, trees, sticks, and tadpoles.” – Brooke Hampton
Practical tips for spending more time outside with your kids
Now I want to share some practical tips that are easy to implement and have worked for my family and others I know. Taking little steps at a time, making small changes here and there really go a long way! Over time, each of these little things add up to big things and before you know it, you’ve become an outdoor family!
Set yourself up for success
I think one of the best things you can do when you start any new routine or make a lifestyle change is to start small. Big change doesn’t come right away and usually leads to overwhelm and giving up. If you start with small and make spending time outside attainable and achievable, you’ll set yourself up for success and grow to love that quick wins.
Instead of focusing on all the big things you’d like to do outside with your family (eventually), focus on what you CAN do easily and realistically right now. Start with one day (and not even the whole day). Set aside an afternoon once a week where you do something outside. Start small and local by heading someplace that’s easy to get to and doesn’t require a lot of planning or prep work. Local parks are great for these outings. Our family has a few favorite local parks that we have on rotation. I will usually let the kids decide which park we go to that day, and if there’s a stalemate then we try and come up with a solution to go to the other park next time.
Incorporate their interests into your outings
Another tip for spending more time outside with your kids is to make sure to incorporate the things that they like to do in your outings and adventures. Before heading out, think about what you and your kids enjoy doing when you’re outside? When my family and I head to a local park I let each of my kids bring something they want to do like a basketball or soccer ball. If your kids enjoy riding bikes or scooters, turn your outing into a weekly bike ride, instead, or pack up the bikes and head to the park.
I think it’s important to let kids have a choice in what they want to do. If you have a child that has a hard time getting off screens or off a video game letting them choose what you do outside is going to help motivate them! Also, be prepared to join them in whichever activity they plan on doing! One of the biggest draws for kids spending time outside is that their parents are there spending that time with them.
Don’t let the weather ruin your plans
Unless the weather in your area is really extreme (and dangerous), don’t let less-than-ideal weather keep you from getting outside and playing. There are amazing things that happen in all kinds of different weather. The great thing about playing outside during “bad weather” is that you’re teaching/showing your children that they don’t have to wait for a warm sunny day to get outside and play. You’re teaching them resilience and grit. You’re showing them that there’s beauty and joy in all seasons. These are lifelong lessons that will help them get outside year-round.
Since it’s January, if you need some ideas for fun things to do during the winter and fun winter activities, check out a few of the posts below for inspiration! Winter can be such a magical time of year where we can still enjoy making memories outside.
Every child needs nature. Not just the ones whose parents appreciate nature. Not only those of a certain economic class or culture or set of abilities. Every child.” -Richard Louv
Invite friends to join you
If your kids are anything like mine, then they are probably much more willing to go out and do something if they know their friends will be there! Another great tip for spending more time outside with your kids is to invite other kids (and families) to join you!
Maybe once a month you plan an outdoor play date with another family (or multiple families). Ask some of your mom friends and find out if they would be up for a group hike, a lake/beach day, or to go sledding. For the most part, you don’t even have to have an activity planned. When kids get together outside, they naturally find things to do and games to play. The creativity really starts to shine! Plus, this will give the parents a chance to catch up with friends while the kids play! (and we could all use some extra friend time right now)
How to find outdoorsy families in your area
If you don’t have a lot of mom-friends in your area or know of other families that would be interested, never fear! Local parenting groups on social media can be good places to start. Or, you could join a local Hike it Baby chapter and tag along on a group hike with other moms and kids. You can find other outdoorsy families by signing the kids up for a nature class at your local conservation area, botanical garden, or science center. Or look into Tinkergarten or a similar outdoor class for kids.
When I first moved to Las Vegas a new friend told me about a hiking homeschool Facebook group she was a part of and invited my family on one of their hikes. I have to say that was one of the best things I did during my first year in a new place. We got to know other local families, visit some amazing local spots, and find community in other like-minded people! Some of the places we visited ended up being family favorites that we still visit often!
Go somewhere new!
Sometimes we all need a break in our routine or a change of scenery. If your outdoor adventures feel stale or boring, it’s time to shake things up a bit. And maybe it’s time for a bigger adventure.
Is there a place you’ve been wanting to check out but just haven’t yet? Perhaps a hiking trail, a different beach, or a newly built park on the other side of town? Find a free weekday afternoon or weekend when nothing is going on and put it on your calendar! Schedule it. Commit to it in advance and make it happen!
If you’re stuck when it comes to finding new inspiration or places to explore, simply Googling “best hiking trail” in your area can often show you some trails you haven’t explored yet. Or open the AllTrails app and just pick one! Ask other moms what their favorite “off the beaten path” thing to do with their kids is. Start a list and add to it anytime you hear of a new place. Who knows, this new place could end up being a favorite place to adventure and make memories.
Your kids will remember the adventures you went on, not the stuff you bought them. Kids outgrow stuff they never outgrow adventures.” -Unknown
We’re here to help
I sincerely hope that these tips for spending more time outside with your kids help you and your family get closer to each other this year outside making magical memories. We here at RWMC truly believe that spending time outside with our families is life-giving! I want to encourage you to try and make it a priority as much as you are able and watch the good it will bring.
And if you ever need help with planning your outings, purchasing the right gear, motivating your kids, finding things to do, or remembering why outdoor time is so important, we’re here to help. Feel free to drop any questions or comments below or send us an email. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for daily tips and inspiration. Sign up for our newsletter to get outdoor activities sent to your inbox weekly! Check out the hundreds of amazing blog posts we have on our website. Join our Facebook community or sign up for one of our free challenges! We’re honored you’re here and we hope this community gives you all the love and support you need!
“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.”
-Thomas Berry
About the author
Megan is a wife and a homeschooling mom of four. She is originally from Colorado, but has spent much of her life overseas. First in Eastern Europe, specifically, Hungary, where her first two kids were born. Secondly, in Ethiopia, where she and her husband adopted their second two kids. She and her family are now stateside, currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. She loves traveling with her kids, either on planes, road trips, or just in their local area! Most of her family’s outdoor adventuring includes water of some kind like beaches, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, or pools. They especially love paddleboarding, hiking, rock climbing, camping, and even just going to the local park to play soccer or basketball. Megan also has a passion for photography and loves to bring along her camera to document all their adventures!
A new year is right around the corner and many parents make a resolution to spend more time outside with their kids. Spending time outside together can be fun, easy, and super beneficial for both the kids and the grown-ups! If getting outside more often with your kids is a goal for you this year, start the year off right and spend New Year’s Day outside! Today, Katie Fox, full-time RV-roadschooling mom of two, is here with all kinds of fun and easy outdoor New Year’s Day activities for kids and families. She’ll help you make outdoor time a priority for your family this year by setting your intention on the first day of the year!
New year, new start
With each new year that comes around, people plan to do things a little bit differently. You can call these changes for the year resolutions, intentions, goals, promises, or even simply plans. The point of them is to focus on something good, try something new, or do better than the year prior. We all want that. Especially, when it comes to raising our kids and doing what we feel is best for them.
Getting our children outside is one of those things that we all know is important. We know the benefits of spending time outside: in short, you get healthier, happier kids. Some families seem to always find the time to make outdoor time happen. But, most of us struggle to balance all the things we need to do each day, and getting our kids outdoors ends up falling to the wayside.
Don’t worry! If spending more time outside with your family is something you’d like to try doing in the new year, we’re here to help!
Commit to spending New Year’s Day outside with your kids
You can absolutely make it a goal (or whatever form of new years resolution you prefer) to spend more time outside with your kids. In fact, I encourage you to set an intention for the entire year with action – by beginning the new year outside with your kids. That’s right – let’s go outside this New Year’s Day!
We’d love it if you’d join us in starting the new year out with action that matches the goal you’d like to achieve. Spend new year’s day outside with your kids and start the year on the proverbial right foot. Not only will this reinforce your commitment to spending more time outside, but it’ll show your kids you mean it and give you a jump start on the new year in a fun and refreshing way!
Below, you will find a variety of ways to spend the first day of the year outside as a family. Not only are there many different outdoor New Year’s Day activities for kids, but I’ve also included a few outdoor and family-focused Run Wild My Child challenges you can sign-up for!
Let’s kick this year off right and enjoy the great outdoors with our families!
Outdoor New Year’s Day activities
New Year’s day is the perfect time to spend quality time together as a family, and there are so many ways to spend the day outside with your kids. Here are some simple and fun outdoor New Year’s Day activities for Kids. I’ve included lots of examples to help you find the perfect way to embrace your desire to be outdoors and spend more time together with your kids.
First-day hike
Have you heard of the concept of a first-day hike? This themed hike is exactly what it sounds like — a hike you do on the first day of the year! It is so easy to implement and completely customizable to fit your family’s needs. All you do is pick a trail (it can be new to you or a family favorite) and hike it together as a family. If you’re looking for a new hike, check out the All Trails app and pick one in your area.
Never been hiking and want to give it a try? The first day of the year is the perfect time to explore this activity as a family. Hiking is much easier to do than it might sound. You don’t need much to get started and you’ll get to spend some quality time outside with your little ones. Need some tips on hiking? Our website is full of hiking tips for families.
Play outside together
Outdoor New Year’s Day activities don’t have to be elaborate. Simple play is more beneficial for your kids than you can imagine. And when you play outside with your kids, you’re not only modeling, you’re making memories with them. There are so many fun ways to play and make that your outdoor New Year’s Day activity.
Whether you are wanting to spend more time together in the coming year or simply want to spend more time outside together, this list of 100+ Outdoor Winter Activities for Kids is sure to help you start the year on the right track. Pick any activity from the list (or let the kids pick one) and make it happen! There’s even a free printable checklist of all the activities you can print out, hang on the fridge and check off as you complete them!
Spending the first day of the year giving back to nature is the perfect way to begin the new year. Believe it or not, birds can struggle to find food in the winter months, so setting up bird feeders is a wonderful way to help them out. Not only that, but bird feeders also give you and your children the perfect opportunity to bird watch in your own yard. It’s a win, win!
Setting up a birdfeeder sounds simple (because it is), but it’s a great way to bring more nature to you! And maybe you didn’t know, but birds are fascinating to watch! Every day it’s like a mini soap opera at the feeders in the backyard. Here are some easy-to-make bird feeders you can try with your family.
Taking a walk together is a great outdoor New Year’s Day activity, and a wonderful way to set an outdoor intention for the year! It’s simple and it is such a great way to connect with your children. No planning, fancy gear, or expensive equipment needed!
Start a new tradition and make family walks through your neighborhood a daily or weekly occurrence in your family. Try going for a walk at the same time, like an evening walk after dinner. Not only will the schedule help to make it a habit, but it is also the perfect way to get out excess energy before bed. Plus, this time is a great way to let the daily frustrations go and spend quality time talking with your kids.
If you like the idea of jump-starting the new year by giving your heart and body a literal jumpstart, a polar bear plunge is perfect for you! The polar bear plunge gets its name from the fact that you jump into cold water, in the winter, and swim around – sort of like a polar bear. It’s a really exciting outdoor New Year’s Day activity to try with your kids!
There are official polar bear plunge events all over the world and participating in one of these is quite the experience. But, all you really need is some really cold water to jump or swim in. If you have an unheated pool, it will work perfectly. If you live near a lake or other natural body of water that is safe to swim in, jump on in and swim like a polar bear.
The best part? Kids are generally excited to participate and doing something once a year, even when it is super cold and sort of unpleasant, is a ton of fun. Just keep in mind even the best swimmers can struggle from the shock of the cold water, so plan ahead and make sure kids wear a flotation device. Also, make sure to have someone waiting with warm towels and piping hot cups of hot chocolate to warm you up after!
Partake in a fun run/walk
Fun runs are a great way to get outside and do something active on the first day of the year. Not only are most fun runs raising money for some organization, but you are also out and about with like-minded people. Fun runs are usually 5Ks (3.1 miles) and can be walked or run together as a family. Some places even offer 1 mile runs/races for kids. Check your local community for a new year’s themed fun run in your area.
If there are no organized runs near you, that’s ok! With so many things going virtual these last few years, fun runs have too! You can always opt to complete a virtual fun run and do it on your own time. There are a few options available for virtual fun runs/walks out there. Some of the proceeds from Medal Dash’s New Year’s virtual event go toward Make-A-Wish Foundation and Virtual Run offers a variety of themed run/walk options throughout the year, including a new year’s option.
Camping in the winter is totally a thing! If you already have camping gear and you want to do something different this year, consider ringing in the new year while camping! If sleeping in a tent in the cold is not something you are excited about, consider car camping with your kids. It’s exactly what it sounds like –camping in your car with as many pillows and blankets as you can bring! Want something a bit easier, how about glamping? Book a cabin in the woods or a yurt somewhere and wake up immersed in nature!
If you don’t know much about camping and want to give it a try for the new year, this ultimate guide to camping with kids is sure to be helpful.
Try something new
What better way to start the new year than to try something new outside!? It can be literally anything, so your options are endless! Think about it — what’s something that you’ve been wanting to try/do with the kids, but just haven’t (for whatever reason). Now is the perfect time!
Don’t have an idea of your own? We’re here to help. Take a look at the RWMC 100+ outdoor winter activities for kids and pick one your family has never done before and give it a go. What have you got to lose? (You might even love it and have fun!)
Your outdoor New Year’s Day activity could be charitable, beneficial, and educational. Giving back to your community and nature on the first day of the year is such a wonderful thing and can be done in a variety of ways. There may be some organized volunteer opportunities already planned for new year’s day that you can sign up to participate in. Check in with your local environmental group, community garden, school, conservation department, nature center, or other organizations you want to support in your area. If you don’t know where to start, this post about volunteering with kids may be useful.
Grab the bikes/scooters and helmets and enjoy time together on a leisurely ride through your neighborhood or along your favorite bike trail. Bike and scooter rides are two really fun and easy outdoor New Year’s Day activities for kids of all ages. If you (parent) don’t all have a set of wheels, no worries! Kids love to be chased by and race the grownups in their lives. The point is to all go out and enjoy the outdoors together on the first day of the year. Making a point to do something your kids enjoy, will help them want to repeat the activity with you in the future!
Another way to give back to nature is to spend some time on new years day picking up trash and cleaning up nature. You can simply do it while you walk through your neighborhood or along a hiking or biking trail.
If you want to spend more time giving back in the new year, consider trying to organize a small group of friends with kids and pick up trash at the local park. After your kid’s tire of picking up all the tiny micro-trash pieces they see (or is it just my kids that zero in on the tiny pieces?), set them loose on the playground. Not only are you spending time with friends and family on the first day of the year, but you are giving back in a great way too.
Go birding
Is nature something you want to spend more time exploring this year? Then give birding a try. Birding just means watching the birds out and about in nature. Again, there’s no special gear or equipment needed. You just need curiosity and a vivid imagination so you can make up fun stories about the birds!
Winter is a great time to sit and watch the birds because the trees are bare and the birds are easy to spot. Level up your nature exploring by bringing along a bird identification book or download a birding app and see if you and your kids can identify some of the birds you see. This helps build observation skills in your kids. They have to pay attention to the color, size, markings, chirps, and song of the bird to identify it.
Maybe it is raining or snowing on new year’s day and so getting outside together doesn’t seem like a feasible option. Guess what? It totally is! There is no such thing as bad weather, right?!
If it isn’t storming and it is safe to go outside, go! Be sure to bundle up, put on rain jackets, boots, mittens, or any other weather-appropriate clothing. Then, let your children explore this “less than pleasant” weather with you. Puddles are a blast on their own, but there is also something magical about running through puddles while it is raining. Same with the playing in the snow. There is just something about water (frozen or not) falling from the sky that makes winter outdoor activities more whimsical. You don’t have to stay outside for long, but if getting outside more in the new year is something you want to do, don’t let cold and wet weather slow you down!
The great thing about playing outside during weather like this is that you’re teaching/showing your children that they don’t have to wait for a warm sunny day to get outside and play. You’re teaching them resilience and grit. You’re showing them that there’s beauty and joy in all seasons. These are lifelong lessons that will help them get outside year-round.
Getting outside does not need to be a big event. Outdoor New Year’s Day activities can be as simple as going out in your backyard. If you want to spend more time together outside, it’s ok to start small. Play with chalk, blow bubbles, build a snowman or throw snowballs at each other, play tag or hide and seek, dance in the rain, or play together with your kid’s toys. It really is that easy.
Participate in a challenge
If you are looking for ways to hold yourself accountable in the new year, Run Wild My Child has created some easy and fun challenges to help you get outside and connect with your children. Not only are these challenges a great way to kick off the new year, but they will help inspire you all year long! These challenges can be done any time, with kids of any age, no matter where you live!
52 Outdoor Family Adventure Challenge
This is a simple freechallenge you get in one little printable PDF. The idea is to complete one single outdoor activity with your kids each week of the year. Do you think you can do it?
The PDF offers a seasonally appropriate outdoor activity option to complete each week of the year, but the list is just a guide. If the chosen activity doesn’t work for you, just pick another! The point is for you and your kids to get outside together once a week, everything else is just a bonus!
Now more than ever, kids need face-to-face uninterrupted time with their grownups. If finding time to spend with your kids is difficult or if you want to focus on connecting with your children on a deeper level, the free10-day Intentional 10 Challenge is for you!
Once you sign up, you will receive 10 daily emails with different ways to spend 10 meaningful minutes with your kids for 10 days. That’s it! Surely you can commit to 10 minutes a day? That’s all it takes to make a huge difference!
Our Wildhood Challenge is designed to “rewild” your child with simple outdoor activities built around a daily theme. This 7-day challenge comes in the form of an e-book and shares so many easy ways to explore nature and get outside with your kids. Tons of great outdoor activity ideas that can be done with kids of all ages. It is perfect for parents who want to rewild their child and just need a little help doing it.
Katie lives in a tiny home on wheels and travels full-time with her two mostly wild children, tech-minded partner, two well-traveled pups, and adopted pet snails. As they wander the North American continent, Katie explores as much as possible, with a particular fondness for the adventures her family enjoys in state and national parks. When not trekking through the outdoors, Katie enjoys baking, homeschooling, consuming mochas from local coffee shops across the continent, practicing her photography skills, and soaking up as much knowledge as she can.
As an advocate for families exploring the great outdoors, Katie co-founded a Hike it Baby branch in her hometown in Northern California and tries to encourage families to get outside whenever possible. Katie has a Master’s degree in human development from the University of Missouri, Columbia, but her passion is really history and humanities (which is coincidentally what her Bachelor’s degrees are in). She currently volunteers on the Hike it Baby National team as a contributing blogger.
You can find more from Katie online in the following locations:
Instagram: @familyinwanderland
RWMC posts: Katie Fox
As December peaks, we’re getting closer and closer to the holidays. If you’re looking for a fun, easy to make, nature-inspired gift idea, we have a great one! Today, Creative Team member Tine Voeten, Belgian mom of two, shares one of her family’s favorite holiday traditions – candle making! She’ll walk us through the process of how to make your own holiday candle with kids to light up your home or give out as gifts. Making your own candles is a great way to recycle old candle remains, add some life to old containers, and make your home feel cozy for the holidays. We hope this post inspires you to give candle making with kids a try!
Candle making with kids
The holidays with kids are pure magic! Being together, creating a cozy little place for our family, taking time off from work, and most of all, no stress! Ha! Not quite. When you realize you are late on buying Christmas gifts for your family, or forgot a few people on your list, there’s no need to worry. Today, I am going to show you the secret gift that will fit perfectly in the cozy ambiance of the holidays and makes everyone shine!
Candles made by the little hands of your children are the perfect gift for everyone on your list. No doubt that grandma and granddad or your kids’ godparents will be charmed by this thoughtful and original present. Plus, holiday candle-making with kids is the perfect activity to keep your little ones busy on a cold and wet winter day!
The magic of candles
The holidays without candles don’t really feel the same, don’t you think? The jumping flickering little yellow light brings joy and magic into your house. The moment I light candles around our home, my girls will be next to me asking to blow out the candles. Some invisible power just pulls them towards the light.
I have to admit, fire really scares me. Fire can be dangerous, so please approach this activity (and anything having to do with fire) with the utmost caution. Give your kids constant reminders of fire rules and safety. When our girls were tiny, I would be the first to tell the girls to be careful and stay away from the candles. Now that they are bigger and aware of the danger we’re able to enjoy the beauty together, with a bit less stress.
The history of candles and candle making
Candles have come a long way since their initial use. For more than 5,000 years candles were used as a source of light. Little is known about the origin, but Egyptians were already using candles in 3.000 B.C. Papyrus and beeswax were the base for these wicked candles. Worldwide different ways were found to mold candles. Ancient Chinese candles are said to be made of wax from insects combined with seeds, Japanese candles were made of wax extracted from tree nuts. In India, candle wax was made by boiling fruit of the cinnamon tree. We are very happy to see that this tradition has been kept, as cinnamon is our favorite candle scent!
Holiday candle making safety
Before you begin making your own candles with hot wax, we’ve got some safety groundrules to cover. Make sure you are able to make your candles in a safe location and with the proper equipment. When melting wax, I use a stable pot on our kitchen stove. Make sure you also warn your children about the heat and keep them at a distance. My girls can sit around our kitchen island nearby, so that they can see and follow the process from a safe distance. When pouring the wax, the girls kept a distance good distance to maintain safety. Take your time for this creative activity. It will take you a couple of hours for melting to decorating (and cleaning for the parents).
Take it outside
If you live some place where it’s warm outside (or want to try this activity in the warmer months), consider taking this project outside! You and melt your wax over a campfire or even on the grill. You can add all kinds of fun nature decoration that you find in your yard or local area. It’s a great outdoor family activity that your kids will love!
How to get started making candles with kids
Gather your materials
DIY candle making is not only a fun and easy activity for families, it’s very gentle for your budget. You can probably find all the basic items needed for this activity in your house. When you have creative kids like mine, you probably already have a box (or 10) of craft supplies and little odds and ends.
All about wicks
Some people prefer to buy wicks, but you don’t have to. We just used the cotton twine we had in the house, which worked perfectly. Purchased wicks come in different types and sizes. The types are flat braid, square braid, metal core, and paper core. The sizes are small, medium, and large diameter. The larger or longer-burning the candle, the larger diameter the wick.
Candle molds
There are a variety of cacle molds available for purchase, but you certainly don’t ned to buy anything for this project. You can make candle molds from things you find around your kitchen, such as wax-coated fruit juice cans, milk cartons, canning jars, paper cups, and various empty food containers. Even shells or empty fruit shells make great containers. This is a great way to give some of those soon to be discared/recycled items a bit more life! We just love recycling! Check out for more recycling ideas with kids.
Candle scents
There are a variety of additives to make stylish, trendy, deliciously scented candles. I am a major fan of natural ingredients like cinnamon and dried herbs, and fruits. You can use a few drops of your favorite essential oil or even purchase specific scented oils specially made for candles and other products (soap, shampoos, etc.).
Candle making supplies:
Leftovers of used candles or old candles
Glass jar (or other candle mold)
Toilet paper rolls/Pringles tubes/milk cartons/etc
A double boiler (you can create one using two pots of a different size)
Making candles in a glass jar
Fill the biggest pot of a double boiler with just enough water that the small pot doesn’t float around. Add water to the pot if it evaporates. Don’t let it boil down. Melt the wax in the top double boiler pot.
Decorate your jar from the inside before putting the wax in. My girls put glitter inside. We used a paper napkin with glitter glue to transfer it to the glass (a paintbrush would also work great). You could also decorate the inside with dried flowers or coffee beans or whatever you think is pretty. This is where your kids’ imagination gets to shine!
Cut a length of wick and dip it in the wax a few times to coat. Wrap the wick around the wooden stick or pencil and roll it until it’s the right length for the mold you choose.
When the wax is melted, use a potholder to pour it into the mould, holding it at an angle and pouring the wax down the side. Set aside some of the melted wax for later.
Put the wick in the exact middle of the mold. We used different colors, so the wick was already in there after the first layer.
Let it cool for about an hour. (If you’re impatient like us, you can put the jars outside to cool.)
Reheat the leftover wax. Fill in the holes in the candle around the wick wherever needed by pouring wax up to the original fill line. Repeat as necessary until filled.
We worked in layers to get a different effect. This means repeating the steps above several times. Each time we added a layer, we had to wait until the previous one is hard enough. It takes a little bit more patience, but the result is fantastic.
Making candles in a tube
The steps for making a candle in a tube (paper towel roll or toilet paper roll) or other removable mold are slightly different. Melt the wax as described above, but instead of decorating a glass jar, you’ll need to prep your tube.
Use a straight/flat surface (like the lid of a jar) and put the mould on top. We used an empty toilet paper roll and a pickle jar lid. Pour a bit of melted wax on the lid and inside the mould and let it cool so that it’s connected and won’t leak. Now, as you continue the candle making process (as described above), the wax will not leak out when you fill the mold. Once your candle is completely made to the fill line and hardened, you peel the paper tube off the wax to reveal your beautiful candle!
The fun thing about this kind of candle is that you can decorate the candle once the mold is removed. You can use special wax deco pens or just add fun decorations like sequins or stamps. Your children will love creating their own personal candle!
Keep the candle making going
There are so many different ways of making candles. So one piece of advice I can give you for the next couple of weeks: don’t throw away your candle leftovers! Ask your friends and family to keep their for you as well, so you can make your own candles from time to time. It’s a great way to connect with your children. That way, instead of buying new candles (and spending money), you can recycle your candle remains and make your house shine again!
Have you ever made your own candles?
About the author
Tine is a natural-born adventurer from Belgium. She met her husband, soulmate, and the father of her two girls while working and living in the Dominican Republic. Nine years ago they moved back to Europe and are still exploring European grounds. Her happy place is wherever her kids are, but she spices up life by discovering unknown places, planning new adventures, and going outdoors as much as possible. Having kids added a big value to her life, because seeing life through the eyes of her little ones lifted it to a completely different dimension. Their family goal is to travel the world, living a location-independent lifestyle. The family is now working on a couple of projects to make this dream happen! In the meantime, they keep on exploring and Tine keeps on writing and inspiring other families to explore just like them.
We love finding fun ways to incorporate nature into our home and decor. While it may be cold outside, now is a great time to get out into nature, collect some fun items, and get crafty! Today, Meghan Garriott, Illinois mom of three, is here with 20 nature-inspired holiday ornaments that you can make with your kids. These DIY ornaments are all made with items found in (and just outside) your home! Not only are they the perfect (non-breakable) addition to your tree, but they also make adorable gifts for friends, family, teachers, and neighbors.
Nature-inspired holiday ornaments
Decorating for the winter holidays can be a fun family experience. Each year we like to put on music, dance and decorate. Unfortunately, with 3 little kids, it’s hard to not have a ton of broken or damaged decor by the end of decorating, and definitely by the end of the season.
This year we are doing things a little differently. I’m pardoning all my glass bulbs and heirloom ornaments. They’re staying in their boxes, safe and sound this year. Instead, we are made all of our own nature ornaments.
Not only does that mean that we got to spend some time outside in the fresh air collecting items, but we got to spend time together making the ornaments and putting them up.
Plan your crafting day
Below, I’ve included ideas for making 20 different kinds of nature-inspired ornaments. Each ornament uses both natural materials and traditional craft supplies. Making the ornaments is super fun, but so is collecting all your nature items. Since you will be using a lot of the same materials over again, I recommend making a full day out of it and do both the collecting and ornament making in the same day. Spend the morning gathering all your materials and then go home and start making your ornaments. Your nature items will be fresher, there will be less whining about when you’ll make them, ess clean up and fewer sticky/painted fingers this way!
Gather your craft supplies
For our day of ornament making, we used only the craft supplies that we had at home. No additional trip to the store for supplies – we made do with all the scraps, ends, and bits we found in our craft closet and boxes. Every ornament we walk you through below is very easy to customize based on what you have at home and I’ll include fun variations for a lot of them.
Some additional fun things to consider using would be:
leftover ribbon
leftover wrapping paper
spare buttons
popsicles sticks
glitter
sequins
stickers
Collect your nature materials
The next thing to do is get outside and find natural materials. You likely won’t have to venture too far from home to collect most of your nature materials. In our own yard, we collected sticks and pine cones. We went to the park to collect some pieces of arborvitae/red cedar tree clippings and some pine clippings. We had some pressed flowers from over the summer that we used as well. Acorns were on our list of things to find but unfortunately, the squirrels beat us to most of them. I’ve included how we planned it used them.
My kids had a great time finding the perfect sticks and pine cones to use. To make the most of your hunting day check out this Fall Scavenger Hunt how-to.
20 DIY nature-inspired ornaments (and how to make them)
Ok, let’s get to the good part. Are you ready for 20 easy DIY tutorials on how to make the cutest nature-inspired holiday ornaments with your kids? Here we go!
Salt dough ornaments
There are so many different fun types of ornaments you can make with salt dough. Have you ever made salt dough? It’s super easy and guaranteed to be fun for the kids. I’ve included the recipe and instructions below, as well as three different types of nature-inspired ornaments you can make with salt dough.
Salt dough recipe
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of salt
1/2 cup of water (may add more as needed)
Knead the dough till smooth then use a rolling pin till thin. Use cookie cutters to cut desired shapes. Using a reusable metal straw poke holes for string to go through. Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 20min then flip over and cook for 10 more minutes.
1. Salt dough Christmas tree ornaments
Gather small Arborvitae/red cedar clippings. Choose the pieces that look the most like a Christmas tree. Cut them to fit your salt dough shape. Place clipping on salt dough and paint with thick layer of Mod Podge. It will likely take a few coats with about 20 min dry time between each coat.
Once the Arborvitae is securely on your dough you can paint ornaments or a star on your tree, or leave it as is. (As an added bonus, these clippings smell really lovely)
2. Salt dough pressed flower ornament
As above you organize then pressed flowers on your cut and baked dough. Carefully handle the pressed flowers. They may be delicate. Once arranged how you like paint with. Thick layer of Mod Podge. It will take a few coats.
If you don’t have any pressed flowers this year, keep this idea in mind come spring and summer! Collect them and press them in a book until you’re ready to use them next December. Add some ribbon or twine to hang and some accent beads if you have them.
3. Salt dough pine needle ornament
For this ornament you will coat the whole ornament with Mod Podge before placing the needles. While the Mod Podge is still wet use the pine needles to make designs on your ornament. Let dry then coat with one more layer of Mod Podge.
Acorn ornaments
4. Acorn silver bells ornament
Paint acorns in metallic silver. Add a black cross-hatch on the bottom of the acorn to look like the bottom of a bell. Tie a red ribbon or string around the acorn stem to hang
5. Acorn bulb lights
Paint the bottom part of multiple acorns in bright colors. Hang separately or along one long string like a strand of lights.
Ornaments made from sticks and twigs
6. Stick star ornaments
Use 5 fairly equal in length sticks. Fashion them in the shape of a star and glue edges together. Regular glue works ok, but has a longer dry time. Hot glue works best. Once dry wrap string, twine, or ribbon around the star. Wrap just the points of the star, wrap the individual twigs or wrap the whole thing like we did. There is no wrong way to decorate your star.
A fun variation would be to make tassels and attach them to the end of the points. If you don’t have string or ribbon just paint that star or cover it in glitter ( if you’re brave). You could also paint the sticks/twine or add sequins to make them more colorful.
7. Stick letter ornaments
Use sticks to make the first letter of all the names in your family. This was a good activity for my 3 year old who is learning how to spell his name. Wrap letters in ribbon, yarn or twine. Decorate with buttons, paint, or glitter.
8. Stick reindeer ornaments
Make a triangle with sticks with one point of the triangle pointing at you. This will be the reindeer’s nose. Bring the furthest side from towards you a few inches, the extra length on the sides will be the antlers. Use construction paper to make a red Rudolph nose and put some eyes on each side a few inches above the nose.
9. Stick snowflake ornaments
Using 6 sticks of equal length, glue them all together at one point to create a circle. At the end of each stick glue 2 small stick pieces to each side of each stick to form the full snowflake. Paint it white, cover it with glitter or just leave it as is.
Tree ornaments made of sticks
10. Stacked stick tree ornaments
Start with a stick about 6 inches long, place gradually shorter sticks above to form a Christmas tree. To keep the stack together you can glue to a. Popsicle stick base or tie them together with knots between each stick as seen below.
11. Wrapped twig tree ornament
For this tree we used a stick that naturally branched off into a V then glued another stick across the bottom to complete the triangle. We then use a small piece for the trunk of the tree. Wrap twine, yarn or string around the triangle to fill in the tree. Add a star at the top.
Pinecone ornaments
12. Pinecone Christmas tree ornament
Paint the scales if the pine cone green. Feeling artsy? Try using two or three different colors of green on the same cone. Add a star at the top and maybe some homemade ornaments to finish it off. You can use sequins or little pom-poms for the ornaments. Or even nature confetti (use a hole punch on some vibrant colored leaves).
13. Snow covered pinecone ornaments
Paint the edge of each scale white. For glistening snow add iridescent flake paint on top of the white or sprinkle with white, silver, or gold glitter.
14. Beaded pinecone ornaments
Use smaller pine cones for this one. Tie string to the top of the pine cone, add colored or plain wood beads to the string on top of the pine cone. If you have small beads, glue then to the pinecone scales like ornaments on a tree.
15. Disco ball pinecone
There are a few ways to completely glitter your pinecone in order to turn it into a sparkly disco ball. You can spray the whole pine cone with spray adhesive then put pinecone and glitter in ziplock bag and shake till completely covered. Another way to cover it in glitter is to paint each scale with glittered acrylic paint. Either way you do it these are a great addition to the holiday decor because they are so sparkly and reflect the lights beautifully.
Pro tip: When temperatures are low pinecones tend to close up. To open them back up just put them in the oven at 200 for about 15 minutes.
Globe ornaments
16. Filled globe nature ornaments
Start with some clear plastic globe ornaments (like these). Then, fill them up with your favorite nature finds. You can make beachy ornaments (filled with sand or shells from your favorite beach), pine forest ornaments (filled with pine needle clippings) or even wildflower ornaments (filled with dried flowers). The possibilities are endless!
Pro tip: This is also a great way to remember a particular trip or vacation. While you’re there (wherever you are), remember to collect a bunch of small items that can be placed in a globe ornament. When you get home, put all the things in the ornament and write the destination and date of the trip on the globe.
17. Pressed flower globe ornaments
Instead of putting dried flowers inside a clear ornament, you can decorate the outside of your ornament with them! Paint the entire outside of the globe ornament with Mod Podge. Gently spread pressed flowers onto wet Mod Podge and allow the first layer with the flowers to dry. Next, add a second layer on top of the flowers to seal. The Christmas tree lights shining through the flower petals is so pretty.
Dried fruit ornaments
Decorating with dried fruit is so simple and festive! To dry oranges or grapefruit, slice the fruit into thin even slices. We used a potato slicer/mandolin to make sure all slices were the same thickness. Place slices on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Before baking punch holes for hanging. We used a reusable metal straw to punch these holes. Bake for 2-3 hours or until dry.
18. Dried orange ornaments
While the dried oranges are beautiful hung just by themselves, we also made a few with pine clippings, cinnamon sticks and beads on the string above the orange. Another variation and to add some color, use grapefruit or blood oranges.
19. Dried fruit garland
Instead of one single ornament, string oranges or grapefruit slices together using twine or string. Add beads, cranberries, acorns or popcorn between each orange for fun variations.
Suncatcher nature ornament
20. Suncatcher nature ornament
Using clear contact paper, place colorful leaves, pressed flowers, ferns, nature confetti, or pine needles in a fun arrangement. Place another layer of contact paper over the top to seal in arrangement. Cut out into shapes and poke a hole in the top to hang on tree. Check out this fun flower suncatcher for more ideas.
Get creative with your nature ornaments
Nature-inspired ornaments are so much fun to make with your kids. The good news is that there is no wrong or right way to make any of these ornaments. You or you children will likely come up with many variations as you are working on them. The beauty of working with natural materials is the are already perfectly imperfect and leave a lot of room for creativity. Thankfully, if any of these get knocked off the tree by tiny excited gift retrievers, you don’t have to worry about glass or ruining an heirloom. You can go outside and gather your supplies to make another.
How will you be using nature ornaments to decorate for the holidays this year?
About the author
Meghan is a country living, mom of 2 boys in rural central Illinois (with a baby girl on the way). She is a Physical Therapist Assistant by trade but spends most of her time outside with her family. At home, she has large flower, herb, and vegetable gardens to tend to and 3 large dogs to play with. As a family, they enjoy hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and helping her in-laws show and raise livestock. Photography became a hobby while in isolation after her oldest son’s bone marrow transplant. It has since become a passion to capture her family’s daily life. Throughout her family’s journey with rare disease and transplant, the outdoors have been a safe space for the whole family to grow, learn, and thrive.
We’ve all probably heard people rave about how merino wool is the best base layer for kids when playing outside in cold weather. But why is that? What’s so great about merino wool and why is it so expensive? Is it really worth it? And if so, which brands are the best? Our Creative Team member Somer Pickel, Appalachian mom of a whirlwind toddler, had the chance to test out seven brands that all make wool base layers for kids. She’s sharing her findings on how they hold up to rough and tumble outdoor toddler play, along with her review on the quality, colors, pricing, thickness, durability, and sustainability of each brand.
**This post was sponsored by the following merino wool companies: Chasing Windmills, Iksplor, Nui Organics, TK Clothing, Simply Merino, Wee Woollies, and Woolino. Product was provided as compensation for review purposes. All opinions expressed and photos herein belong to the author.
Merino wool is nature’s wonder fabric. It keeps your kids warm in the cold and cool in the heat.
Layers for the win
Here at Run Wild, we strive to be your go-to resource for all things that help get kids outside. We’re real-life parents who are keenly aware of how difficult it can be to get kids out the door. Especially when the weather isn’t ideal. And once outside, you need to keep them out for longer than a few minutes. Because let’s be real, when the crew is finally outside, you’re only going to last as long as your most uncomfortable member. The only thing worse than being cold is your child being cold or even just worried they are.
With winter on the horizon, we are here to help you avoid unnecessary stress regarding dressing your kids in all their winter layers. Layers, layers, layers. I’m sure you’ve heard over and again how important it is to layer your child when out in winter weather.
Benefits of layering
Kids will stay warmer outside in cold weather if they wear layers. Layering helps trap and warm the air between the layers of clothes, which keeps kids insulated and warm. Layering also allows them to adjust their clothing depending on the weather, activity, or situation. They can take off a layer if they’re doing something active, or put on an additional layer if they’re cold.
Typically, kids need three layers for cold-weather outdoor play: 1) a base layer to wick away moisture; 2) a mid-layer to insulate and help retain heat and maintain body temperature; and 3) a shell or outer layer to protect from water, wind, rain, and snow. Base layers are usually long-underwear/thermal type clothing that fits close to a child’s skin. The middle layer is great for fleece or other sweatshirt-type material. And the outer layer is a warm waterproof coat or shell. You can always add additional layers or thicker layers if the temperature drops. Or shed layers when there’s warmer weather or your kids are active.
A base layer makes all the difference
A thermal base layer is the very bottom layer of clothing that kids wear. They’re also called thermals or long underwear. You may have even had some as a kid – they were usually made of a waffle-weave cotton material. Cotton is a poor insulator of body heat and performs horribly if it gets wet (from snow or sweat), so it likely didn’t keep you all that warm for long. Luckily, now, most children’s base layers are either made of wool or synthetic materials.
A good quality base layer is imperative if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outside in the cold. It can help keep a child warmer than a huge thick puffy coat. But unfortunately, base layers for kids are some of the most overlooked pieces of kids’ winter gear. It’s easy to remember that kids need a coat, snow pants, and boots. However, if you are committed to spending quality time outside with your kids, you need to be prepared to invest in the best base layers for them.
You’ve probably heard everyone recommend wool layers as your base layer (even over synthetic base layers). But why? What’s so great about wool? And why does it cost so much? We’re here with the answers as to why wool is a great option for your base layer needs. We tried and tested a variety of brands of wool layers and are here to give you the scoop on each of them.
Merino Wool is insulating when it is cold and cooling when it is hot. Pictured wearing Woolino size 3t (child is ~30lbs and 38 inches).
What is merino wool?
Humans have used wool for clothing for millennia, and have been selectively breeding sheep for superior fleece for hundreds of years. Merino wool comes from breeds of sheep that produce extremely fine wool fleece. These fine fibers provide the wool more flexibility, giving it a strong yet buttery soft, and comfortable feel. Given their natural origins, merino wool fibers are biodegradable. The sheep are typically sheered once a year, which also makes wool a renewable sustainable resource.
As a mom who cares about the health and future of our planet, I find these facts quite alluring. However, it’s how well merino wool keeps my child safe and comfortable that’s truly won me over.
Merino wool is naturally breathable and can absorb large quantities of moisture. It can absorb a third of its weight before it even feels wet! As the fibers absorb moisture vapor, they move it away from the skin. That means when it’s hot out, the merino fiber evaporates the vapor outside the fabric—which will help keep your little one cool. When it’s cold out, the vapor condenses inside the fibers and puts off heat, even when wet, which helps keep your child warm. So, yes, you heard that right. Merino wool kids base layers can be worn year-round and aren’t just for cold weather conditions.
Qualities of merino wool
Other fabulous positives about merino wool are that it’s quick-drying, odor-resistant, and stain-resistant. This makes it perfect for puddle jumping and exploring creeks! The fabric is also much more durable than cotton, machine washable, hypoallergenic, and naturally UV resistant. Did you catch that last bit? Yes, merino naturally blocks UV rays—some brands listed below tout a UPF of 50! Can you say, hello, reef-friendly sun protection?!
Merino woollies are extremely functional as base layers for cold days, as pajamas, or even as stand-alone clothing for warm days, making them a triple-threat and three times as useful. The form-fitting design of merino wool base layers means that it’s an easy option for wearing under other clothing without a ton of fuss from your little ones.
Merino wool is by far the most versatile fabric for enjoying the outdoors in any weather. Pictured wearing Nui Organics sizes XS in women’s and 3t in children.
Merino wool is an investment
For many families, merino base layer/pajama sets are a bit of an investment (the brands listed in this article range from $63 to $109 USD). Although merino’s durability, versatility, and sustainability justify their cost over time, the initial price tag can be a hard pill to swallow.
It can be hard to spend a higher amount on kids’ clothes when you know your child will likely grow out of them in a season. This is especially true when buying for multiple quickly growing children. However, while investing in a wool winter layer can be pricy, they usually last a long time, making them suitable for handing down to another kid (or reselling second-hand).
Getting your money’s worth
Wool layers are also great for handing down, recycling, or reselling. If you have multiple kids, wool layers can be passed down from one kid to the next (they’re very durable). Sometimes wool layers are saved for generations and passed down to grandkids (talk about a long-lasting investment).
Lots of brands offer wool base layers for kids that are designed to last longer with cuffs that can be rolled up or down so that your child can get multiple seasons of wear out of one size.
For me, this makes merino wool the best option for sustainability and keeping clothing out of landfills.
Pro tip: To save some money on new items, you can sign up for the newsletter for many of these companies and receive info on sales, special officers, Black Friday deals, seasonal discounts, free shipping offers, off-season sales, and more. You may have to be patient and willing to purchase in the off-season, but the discounts can pay off!
Best brands for wool layers for kids
There are a lot of brands out there that sell merino wool layers. So, how do you know which one you should buy? The good news is, most of the brands in this lineup are small parent-owned and operated companies. They’re all reputable brands that make high-quality products. And because they’re parents, they also know the pricing struggle all too well. Multiple brands have designed wool sets with features for growing children in mind or affordable options for moving on to the next size.
Here are the brands of merino wool layers we tested and our top picks for the best merino wool brands for kids (alphabetical order):
In preparation for this article, I reached out to the above-mentioned brands about testing their products. Each of these brands produces merino wool base layers specifically for children. We have since been thoroughly testing the woollies since late summer. And when I say thoroughly, I mean I put the wool on my toddler and set her loose in the forests, creeks, and alpine balds of Southern Appalachia.
My child is a force of nature, so she’s given them some real wear and tear. Personally, I can’t think of a better fabric durability and kids’ baselayer tester than a toddler. So, here is our review of each brand and how they tested.
Chasing Windmills offers their base layers via a direct-to-consumer model. Pictured wearing size 4t.
1. Chasing Windmills
About the brand
Chasing Windmills is a small family owned and operated company located in Denver, CO. When browsing their website, it’s easy to see they are deeply committed to environmentally friendly and sustainable values. Chasing Windmills was born by a mother-father team (of twins) out of respect for Mother Nature’s goodness, and their commitment to minimizing their impact naturally follows.
They source traceable wool from pasture-based sheep roaming freely in mountainous New Zealand and Australian meadows. Their merino is certified by ZQ Merino, the Global Merino Quality Assurance Program, and the Responsible Wool Standard. The RWS program focuses on five cornerstones: protecting animal welfare, preserving land health, protecting social welfare, traceable chain of wool custody, creditable certification by professional third-party auditors, and stakeholder input and engagement, including animal welfare and environmental experts.
Their partners in merino meet strict animal welfare, environmental, and economic sustainability standards. Mindful of their eco-footprint, they purchase carbon offsets to ensure that renewable energy projects and greenhouse-gas-capture projects offset the environmental impact of their home office and shipping.
Chasing Windmills Merino Wool Base Layers’ knee pads are extremely functional
Why we love this brand
I love Chasing Windmills’ beautiful earth-toned colors and classic designs. The owners explain that they choose their colors consciously to avoid passing fashions—and hopefully last multiple siblings/children. My kid absolutely glowed in our local forests in the golden amber color gifted to us for this article. I love the natural hue and she loved its brightness.
The Chasing Windmills’ woollies are the only merino wool set in this lineup whose fabric is obviously ribbed. The ribs are extremely soft and seem to give the woollies a bit more flexibility. They’re of excellent quality and great for outdoor activities.
My favorite aspect of Chasing Windmills’ wool base layers is that they have reinforced knees (hallelujah!). As a toddler mom, the knee patches are a weight lifted off my shoulders. My child wears woollies year-round, day and night, over and over. Eventually, even the best quality clothes start to give under that sort of pressure. Inevitably, the first place she blows through in her wool sets is the knees. The extra protection from the get-go is hugely appreciated. I know the patches will save me the time I would’ve spent patching them. I should also point out, the knee patches are extremely well done. They blend nearly seamlessly into the pants. Even though they add an extra layer of durability, they aren’t bulky in any way.
The knee patches add extra protection without any bulk.Chasing Windmills’ golden color of glows in forest environments.
Sizing, price, and options
Chasing Windmills’ merino wool base layers for kids are made in the USA with 100% merino wool (18.5 micron, 200 GSM). They are available in a size range of 3 months to 12 years.
The company sells via a direct-to-consumer site model that allows them to offer its products at more affordable prices. The thermal long-john wool layers are sold in a set (long sleeve shirt and pants) for around $77 in a variety of different colors.
Their product line includes base layers, mid-layers (sweatshirts, hoodies, pants, skirts, etc.), neck warmers, socks, beanies, swaddle blankets and crib sheets. They also offer women’s sets in a wide size range that look delectable.
Iksplor is a children’s merino wool base layer company that designs and makes all products in the USA. Pictured wearing size 2t.
2. Iksplor
About the brand
Iksplor is a small family-owned and operated company based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Their mission is to create easy-to-use and care for clothing that helps get kids outdoors and wherever their childhood adventures take them. On their website, it’s obvious that the sisters are passionate about their commitment to sustainability.
Iksplor makes its products from 100% ZQ certified merino wool (18.9-micron, 200 G5M). ZQ wool is from New Zealand and certified to very high standards for the welfare of sheep, land, farmers, farmworkers, and of course wool quality. ZQ reports each and every fleece is hand-selected by highly skilled “wizards of wool” for fiber quality prior to certification.
Merino woollies are extremely functional as base layers or as stand-alone clothing.
Why we love this brand
Iksplor sets are offered in some really fantastic colors. My kiddo was gifted the raspberry color and let me tell you, she loves them (and so do I). The bright color drew her in immediately. She was literally clapping while jumping up and down! And I love how visible she is in fields and forests. I never have to wonder where she is when she’s wearing these woollies, which makes hide-and-seek extra comical.
Some of my favorite aspects of the Iksplor set are its 50 UPF sun protection, long-fitting limbs, and torso, thumbholes, and flatlock seams. These woollies are perfect for string bean kiddos like mine. The long features really stretch out the wear time for quickly growing children and move exceptionally well with my always rolling and wallowing toddler. This feature will let us get extended wear out of one size of wool layer.
The fabric of these merino woollies is quite soft and thin, but somehow substantial, even so. The thin close-fitting features make for perfect base layering in colder months and cool sun protection in warm environments.
All the products are high-quality and hand-me-down ready. But, if you don’t pass them on to another when your kiddos are done with them, you can send them back to the company (no matter the condition) and receive 20% off your next order. Once receiving the wool, it’s repurposed, reused, or composted.
Iksplor Merino Woollies move great with ever-bending kiddos.
Sizing, price, and options
Iksplor makes their base layers in a size range of newborns through 12 years.
The wool base layer set (long-sleeve shirt and pants) sells for around $89 (0-24 months) and $109 (2-12 years).
In addition to base layers, the company makes beanies, neck warmers, and a swaddle/adventure blanket.
Nui Organics’ merino wool base layers are heavenly soft but still durable. Pictured wearing size 3t.
3. Nui Organics
About the brand
Nui Organics makes a wide range of beautiful, functional products and wool base layers for kids. They’re a company founded on ethical, sustainable practices. The company takes special care to lessen its impact on the environment, even in the smallest details—like recently changing its product labels to biodegradable fabric and using compostable mailers.
Nui was founded in 2004 by a New Zealand mom with a small collection of organic merino wool baby blankets. The company’s guiding philosophy has always been to make something good, that causes no harm, and provides a safe, natural alternative to something that didn’t. They partner with factories in Bulgaria, India, and Lithuania that are committed to sustainable development and fair social conditions within the apparel industry.
When buying Nui, parents can rest easy knowing their children’s clothing doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals or additives.
Why we love this brand
Nui’s merino wool thermals are insanely soft to the touch, which I am guessing is due to using 17.5-micron fiber. For reference, human hair is around 100 microns. This makes it some of the softest merino wool on the market.
One of my favorite features of Nui’s kids’ wool base layers is the extra-long cuffs on the arms and legs. The long cuffs allow you to size up and get multiple years of wear out of each woolly set, even with growth spurts on the horizon! Our kiddo has been wearing the same set of Nui woollies for about 18 months and still has plenty of growing room left in them.
Nui has also added knee patches to their woollies, which I am a HUGE fan of. The knee patches aren’t only adorable; they’re extremely functional—especially for crawlers or those who wear the woollies as stand-alone garments rather than underlayers.
In the last few years, Nui has made the shift to making clothing that is simpler and more timeless. Their color palettes are beautiful and perfectly complementary. The complementary colors and high quality make Nui the place to go if you’re into building your child a functional capsule wardrobe.
Children’s merino wool base layers with knee patches will save you time and money in the long run.
Adult sizes are now available
Now, to all you fellow Mamas out there researching and buying your kids’ top-notch gear while YOU are still squeezing into the same base layers you’ve had since high school (please tell me I am not the only one)…I have great news. Nui Organics has expanded its product line into the adult realm! Now you can get gorgeous merino wool layers for the whole family!
The company quite kindly gifted me a set of their new adult merino Tencel blend base layers, in addition to the kiddo merino thermals for this article. And shoo wee, are they soft, comfortable, and breathable. They’re also extremely lightweight and temperature-regulating, making them the perfect base layer/pajama combo to take on any backpacking trip or even wear under my nursing scrubs on cooler days.
Nui now makes amazing adult merino and merino blend products! These are the merino/tencel blend base layers. Pictured wearing size xs in women’s and 3t in children.
Sizing, price, and options
Nui Organic’s merino wool base layers are available in a size range of newborn to 12 years.
The wool base layer set (long-sleeve shirt and pants) sells for around $69.
Some of their other lines, outside of merino thermals, include merino mid-layer knits, 100% organic cotton thermals, heavenly soft merino silk blends, and the newly introduced merino Tencel blends.
Other products (in addition to the wool base layers) include merino wool clothing such as tops, dresses, leggings, shirts, sweaters, socks, cardigans, and booties.
Simply Merino is small company that designs and makes all products in Vancouver, Canada. Pictured wearing size 3t.
4. Simply Merino
About the brand
Simply Merino is a lovely little family-owned and operated company out of Vancouver, Canada, that makes the cutest wool base layers for kids. The core of Simply Merino’s ethos is community and sustainability. All products produced by the company are 100% merino wool and made in Vancouver. They take special care to gather or produce all other needed materials locally—everything from elastic to packaging.
This little company is exceptionally waste-conscious. They recycle or repurpose all their fabric in creative ways. For instance, included with our woollies was a personalized and sewn card made with merino scraps. Seriously, does it get more creative than that?
All products made by Simply Merino carry the Responsible Wool Standard and OEKO- TEX Standard. These standards basically mean, the company can certify their products are produced ethically and sustainably, without potentially dangerous chemicals—from the sheep to your child’s skin.
Simply Merino’s base layers are beautiful colors and are great quality.
Why we love this brand
One of the key differences in Simply Merino woollies from the rest of the products featured in this article is that their actual fabric is a bit thicker (18.5 micron, 220 GSM). Honestly, I really like it. It’s still quite soft, just a touch thicker. If we were going out on an extremely cold day, these would be the base layers I would choose. Though it stands to reason, all the woollies in this article could handle any challenge the Appalachians could throw at them.
If you haven’t already figured it out, I am a sucker for earth tones, and Simply Merino has a beautiful color palate. They sent us a deep forest green color that’s swoon-worthy. An unexpected benefit is that the dark color resisted any staining despite some pretty intense puddle jump testing. I also love how my kiddo blends into the forest with these woollies on, it’s almost like she becomes part of the forest herself.
Another difference in Simply Merino from the rest of the pack is, you purchase base layer tops and bottoms separately to allow the option of mixing or matching. While for some this may not seem like a big deal, for the more fashion-oriented children out there, color choice matters (probably too much on some days – #toddlers, am I right?).
Simply Merino also makes some adult clothing, from beanies to women’s base layers.Simply Merino’s base layers are a bit thicker than others in this line up.
Sizing, price, and options
Simply Merino base layers have a size range of newborn to 12 years, and from XS to XXXL in women’s sizes.
Tops and bottoms are sold separately, so you can mix and match colors. Wool thermal long-sleeve tops are around $37 and the bottoms are also $37 (for a total of $74 for the set).
In addition to base layers, Simply Merino makes beanies, neck warmers, nursing pads (!!), tanks, and wool craft/mending materials. We had the opportunity to test out a couple of their merino beanies. The beanies are great, especially for kids. They don’t fit slouchy but aren’t at all constricting. My little one wore hers for hours without it falling off or her pulling it off due to discomfort. Yay for minor miracles and warm ears!
TK Clothing’s ‘Grow with Me’ style is extremely functional. Pictured wearing size 2/4t.
5. TK Clothing
TK clothing is another small Canadian family-owned and operated company that makes ingenious handmade wool base layers for kids. A major benefit of this company’s small size is that some of their pieces are still made to order and, therefore customizable! Their base layer set is probably the most unique in this lineup, and I absolutely love them!
The products are real-life actual handmade clothing. If the listing on their site says “handcrafted in North Saanich, BC,” then it’s made personally by Rebecca – a person, not a factory. When you buy from TK Clothing, you are supporting a truly Canadian handmade small business. The merino fabric is sourced from a carefully selected range of suppliers including: a mill in the USA (organic merino), a mill in Australia (one of the few left!), ZQ merino, or Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified or better.
They also have a small selection of products (like laundry soap and socks) that they do not make themselves, but are offered as part of the whole merino apparel package! – The laundry care products are all from Canadian companies, and the socks are from a small family-run business in New Zealand – they did design them all, though!
My child is on the smaller end of TK’s 2/4 but the woollies aren’t at all baggy.
Why we love this brand
First off, the woollies are made in a “grow with me” style. They have long limb cuffs and an elastic-free yoga-style waistband. All of which are easily folded up/down to fit your child through at least two years of growth. This bit of extra length is remarkable and extends the wearing season significantly. It’s ingenious! TK’s sets also look super adorable with contrasting neck, limb, and waist cuff colors.
The other most notable difference with this set is that it’s a slightly thinner weight of superfine merino wool (195 GSM). Even so, my kid has worn a pair for six months with no visible wear or tears. But if you’re looking for something thicker, the company also makes layers in mid and heavy-weight merino, too.
TK gifted us with a beautiful olive/ochre color set. The colors are rich and earthy, which y’all know I love. I think the contrasting neck and cuff colors add a touch of whimsy and fun, without taking away from the clothing’s simple and classic look. The fit of the “grow with me” style is fantastic. My child is on the smaller end of her 2/4 size and the woollies aren’t baggy. Even without an elastic waistband, the woollies stay in place through frolics and tantrums alike. Did I mention the style is ingenious? Because it is.
TK also believes in environmentally aware packaging. So when our package arrived, it was wrapped in paper and tied with 100% cotton string. The string can be composted and the packaging can be recycled. And if you’re local, they even offer pickup from their house (!!!) to save on shipping fees, packaging, and gas. How amazing is that?
TK Clothing’s earth tones blend beautifully in natural settings.
Sizing, price, and options
TK’s merino wool base layer sets are ZQ certified and have a size range of 3 months to 12 years.
The wool base layer set (long-sleeve shirt and pants) sells for around $80.
They also have some other unique product offerings. While most are kid-focused, TK clothing makes cloth diapering materials, leggings, hoodies, rompers, dungarees, undies, and some adult merino base layers and hoodies.
Wee Woollies make and design their base layers out of 100% Merino wool in Canada. Pictured wearing size 3t.
6. Wee Woollies
Wee Woollies is yet another small Canadian family-owned and operated children’s merino wool brand that makes great kids merino wool base layers. They too design and make their products in Canada from ZQ certified wool that is Bluesign, approved. This means they, too can assure their customers ethical sustainable practices (without dangerous chemicals) from the sheep to your child’s skin.
Wee Woollies is a fun kid and nature-centric company. A lot of their advertisements feature their own children in base layers running around the beaches of Vancouver Island barefoot, which is just straight-up endearing.
Is there anything more wholesome than a little kid in white long johns?!
Why we love this brand
The family also promotes mending of their products before replacement. The company has merino mending kits on their site should anyone be in need. This company likely has the most colorful and cheery woollies in this entire lineup. Each set has adorable contrasting cuff and neck hems. But Wee Woollies takes it a step further in that their gusseted bum is also a contrasting color. And can we just give a shout-out to bum gussets? I can’t think of any population who needs bum gussets more than ever squatting and bending little adventurers.
They gifted us a pair of their Polar colored woollies-which are naturally white. Before you start thinking white may not be a good idea, these woollies are beautiful and stand out. With merino’s natural UPF properties, the light color is perfect for hot days spent in alpine environments. They are also a bright pop in our typically densely green southern Appalachian forests.
There’s something incredibly classic and pure about a little kid in white long johns. I’m positive these are the pajamas my kiddo will wear to bed on Christmas Eve for Christmas morning. They’re just that wholesome. Okay, sorry for the tangent, back to the functionality of the woollies. They’re great.
The woollies are made in Canada from 100% ZQ merino wool (195 GSM, 18.9-micron). The wool feels soft and thin but is still incredibly durable. At 195 GSM, these are the woollies I grab when it’s hot and we are headed into exposed alpine environments. They have kept my kid comfortable and safe in all kinds of situations. Wet, dry, cold, hot , and of course glaring alpine sun—these woollies are a great choice.
Wee Woollies’ bum gusset is one of a kind in this line up. It allows your child to bend and squat to their heart’s content without straining the fabric.
Sizing, prices, and options
Wee Woollies have a size range from newborn to 12 years. Though I should probably note that the contrasting bum gusset is just in the smaller sizes (size 6 and down).
The wool base layer set (long-sleeve shirt and pants) sells for around $84.
The company also has merino hoodies, tees, neck warmers, and shortie jams in their product line.
Woolino specializes in safe sleep products for babies and toddlers. Pictured wearing size 3t.
7. Woolino
Woolino primarily focuses on safe sleep for infants and toddlers. This company is passionate about designing innovative, functional, and most comfortable sleeping solutions for babies using the best fibers nature has created. They love merino wool for all its naturally perfect properties – it’s the finest and softest wool on the planet, it’s exceptionally breathable, constantly renewable, versatile, and altogether unmatched by anything manmade. They make a range of merino wool products from bedding and blankets, to pajamas and their bread-and-butter wool sleep sacks. The sleep sacks are their jam and where this company truly shines!
Woolino products meet the highest quality standards. Everything they produce is made with Woolmark and Oeko-Tex 100 certified merino wool and GOTS and Oeko-Tex 100 certified organic cotton. They use nickel-free YKK snaps and zippers that are also certified to be lead and phthalates-free and carry Oeko-Tex 100 certification.
While their wool pajamas may not be their central product, they’re really great. All three of the color offerings are sweet, light colors with solid tops and striped bottoms. They are very reminiscent of classic pajama designs and just plain cute.
Woolino’s merino sleep sacks are so versatile and warm, we have taken it backpacking. Pictured wearing 18-36 month size sleep sack.
Why we love this brand
For the purposes of this article, we were gifted a lovely light blue set of wooly pajamas. The wool layers are extremely soft, which makes me think they likely have a lower micron (but the wool’s specifications aren’t listed in the product description). They’re also a similar lightweight to most others listed in this lineup.
My child quite literally spent an hour climbing up boulders to crawl around on her hands and knees in these woollies. Somehow, they survived unscathed (did I mention toddlers are the best product testers?). All in all, Woolino’s pajama sets are a very solid and adorable base layer for babies and toddlers.
But like I mentioned before, Woolino’s sleepsacks are really what the company hangs their hat on, and for good reason. Woolino’s sleep sacks are insanely breathable, durable, and functional. Some toddler models have footie holes that allow your kiddo to stand and walk in the sack safely (and may or may not make your toddler look like baby Yoda).
When I contacted them for this article, Woolino graciously wanted to gift us a sleep sack too. Given we have used one nightly for the last couple of years, I jumped. Their sleep sacks really are something special and hold up exceptionally well. These products will most definitely last you through multiple children. The one we have used for two years has no noticeable wear—and we’ve even taken that bad boy backpacking!
We have loved our Woolino sleep sack for the last 18 months now.
Sizing, prices, and options
Woolino focuses on infant and toddler safe sleep, so their product size ranges from newborn to 4t.
The wool base layer pajama set (long-sleeve shirt and pants) sells for around $65. The wool sleep sacks range from $75-$99. They usually offer free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount.
In addition to wool pajamas and sleep sacks, the company offers a variety of products such as blankets, bedding, pillows, gowns, socks, pants, bodysuits, sleepers, and lambskins.
Merino wool is durable, but it also needs to be properly taken care of. All of the recommendations in this list can be machine washed on the gentle cycle in cold water with a wool wash like this one. While regular laundry detergent in your washing machine will get your wool clean, it’s may also shrink or damage it. Most laundry detergents have enzymes that are designed to break down biological molecules (food stains), but that also means they’ll break down the biological molecules in the wool. You should also hang dry your wool layers, instead of running them through the dryer to prevent shrinkage. Proper care of merino wool clothes is essential in helping them last!
Conclusion
As we head into the colder months and the holidays, if you’re looking for versatile clothing that your children can wear in all situations, check out merino wool. I’ve mainly spoken of wool base layers for kids throughout this article, but there are companies out there making all sorts of children’s products out of wool. From the obvious like wool socks (Nui and Woolino both make fantastic wool socks) to outer layers, and even toys—merino is nature’s best technical and ecologically friendly fabric.
What’s your favorite thing about merino wool base layers for kids?
About the author
Somer is a mama living in southern Appalachia. Somer’s motherhood journey began when her oldest daughter was born with severe congenital heart disease. Avelyn spent the majority of her 18 months of life within a pediatric ICU. Though she lived her life chronically critically ill, Avie was an incredibly loving and joyous child. After her death, Somer and her husband sought solace backpacking a section of the Appalachian Trail. Before long, they discovered their ability to cope seemed to correspond with time spent outdoors.
When it came time to add another kiddo to the mix, bringing the baby along was never a question. In an effort to celebrate the freedom provided by healthy bodies, Somer has hiked her second-born 2k+ miles. Even so, she doesn’t believe grand adventures are necessary to reap nature’s wonder. They just as often revel in mundane evenings in their backyard. The family believes it’s prioritizing time spent outdoors that’s important.
Professionally, Somer has spent the last decade caring for veterans on an acute psychiatric unit as a clinical nurse educator. Over the years she’s become a passionate advocate within the intersectional relationships of mental health, wellness, and the natural world. She truly believes there’s healing and strength to be found outdoors for those who seek it.
You can find Somer online in the following locations:
Instagram: @somerpickel
RWMC post: Somer Pickel
Connecting with our children isn’t always easy. Finding the time for special adventure outings can be even more of a challenge. Life is busy and, as we all know, life with children is even busier. But, what if we told you that elaborate adventures aren’t necessary? Getting outside with your kids doesn’t have to be a challenge. You just need some simple ideas and an adventurous mindset! Today, Angie Mahlke, photographer and Minnesota mom of three, shares all about how to begin and plan simple, connection-building adventure days with kids. Get ready to turn your simple outings into big adventures!
Adventure days with kids
When I became a professional stay-at-home-mom over a decade ago, I didn’t realize the job position really translated to Chief Entertainment Coordinator. We’ve all heard the dreaded “I’m bored” whine enough times to evoke a Pavlovian response to the statement. Over the years I’ve created tricks out of necessity to survive the long days. One of them is to take a seemingly mundane activity and wrap it up in a pretty package presented as an Adventure Day. Today, I am going to share this mom hack with you to get you outside adventuring with your children.
How our adventure days started
What sprouted out of COVID restrictions turned into a new beloved tradition. Because things were canceled or changed to accommodate safety concerns, my daughter and I found ourselves bored at home. A lot. There was no more storytime at the library or mommy and me classes at the school. No more dressing up in leotards and tutus for dance class. No museums to explore, shopping trips, or indoor activities.
What we did have was the great outdoors.
We decided to embrace it. I started by making a comprehensive list on my phone of all the free or relatively inexpensive outdoor things to do in our area. Some were big, some were small. Some were locations and others were activities. I included places nearby and a few that were a bit farther out. Lots and lots of opens.
I decided we would cycle through them to entertain ourselves. Each day that we needed an activity, we’d pick one from the list. I called them Adventure Days.
(I also instituted Adventure Days this summer when all my children were home from school. Summer days have the potential to feel long and tedious without new and fun things to explore.)
Creating adventure days with kids
The activities themselves are rarely anything overly special or glamorous. But by simply giving it a special title of “Adventure Days,” the outing suddenly seems more exciting. My kids may not get all that excited about going on a hike. But, tell them we’re going on a grand ADVENTURE and they’re all in!
Plus, the label is also a cue to me that I should be fully present. On Adventure Days, I put the phone away. Work gets paused. They get my attention. I truly exist in the moment with my children, which means more to them than I ever expected.
If I had to wager a bet, I’d say the Adventure Days with my kids became more special because of the undivided attention that was given to them, not so much the activity we are doing together. Kids crave attention from their parents and being fully present for our adventures made them ten times as special for all of us.
Simple and intentional activities
So what do these outings look like? Simple. They look simple.
We often think our adventures must be grand affairs. I know I’m guilty of this. An outing doesn’t have to be EPIC to be an adventure. It is something I’ve had to train my brain to relearn. We worry our children will be bored unless it’s expensive and extensive. But that’s so not true. I promise.
Small things can make a big impact. Especially when they’re done with love and intention. The whole “less is more” mindset is accurate when planning daily or weekly activities with your children. A lot of it lies in the presentation and the delivery.
If you’re attentive and enjoying the experience, your child will follow your lead. (Did you hear that…YOU have to be having fun.) I know it’s a taller order than that. We’re busy and distracted as we juggle all the things. I’m right there with you.
I can say, though, I am grateful for those few hours during our Adventure Days when I sign off and truly tune into the present moment. It takes some practice. Give yourself grace for the times you’re distracted. Children innately know how to have fun. Adults need to relearn it sometimes.
Adventure day activities
Here are some simple ideas to illustrate the simplicity and connection building of Adventure Days with kids:
Bike rides into town to buy a treat at the gas station and play at the nearby playground.
Throwing rocks into the river.
Filling a bucket with nature treasures (rocks, leaves, flowers, pinecones, etc.).
Riding bikes or walking to a dinner or lunch date.
Enjoying warm tea or hot chocolate and a book while on a hike.
Taking the dog to the dog park.
Ice cream dates.
Picking wildflowers.
Finding a tree to climb.
Low maintenance, low-cost activities mean a lot
Your adventures don’t have to cost a lot of money (or any money), don’t need a lot of planning, and don’t require any fancy gear. Some of our favorite Adventure Days are the ones that came up naturally when I said YES to adventure and exploration.
An Adventure Day that sticks out in my mind is a scooter ride along a Mississippi bike path one spring day. We discovered puddles along the way and stopped often for my daughter to splash with her new rain boots. She also befriended many dogs that day.
The outing cost zero dollars. The bike path was close to home. It was convenient and free and simple. But, it was so much fun! It just took both of us saying yes to adventure and making the time to get outside.
How to have successful adventure days
Your Adventure Days will be more successful if you typically keep them small and simple. They’re easier to manage and less stressful. This often means staying close to home and choosing free activities.
It’s important to keep realistic expectations. Oftentimes we are disappointed when plans don’t go as anticipated. We all know children are infamous for throwing wrenches in plans. Keep an open mind and be ready to veer when necessary.
A lot of factors can determine the day’s outcome: weather, moods, temperaments, hunger, health, etc. Prepare for as many scenarios as possible to keep the day on track. Here are a couple of ideas that may help your Adventure Day be successful:
Bring snacks. Lots and lots of snacks.
Wear appropriate clothing.
Dressing in layers is always a good idea.
Bring extra clothing if your activity is messy or maybe always have spare clothing since children enjoy full sensory exploration.
Plan the outing for a time of day where your children are ready to play versus when they’re hungry and tired.
Put your phone down/away.
Say yes to things you maybe usually don’t say yet to on Adventure Days (e.g. puddle jumping, getting dirty, ice cream, etc.).
How to prepare for adventure
Another tip I’ve learned over the years is to prep as much as you can the night before. Set out clothes. Pack up snacks. Get water bottles ready. Also, don’t forget to talk to your children about your plans. I find things run smoother when my kids know what to expect. Then remind them again in the car or on the walk to your destination.
Most importantly: let it be fun!
This seems so simple, yet it’s the hardest one for me. When the whining and bickering set in, an alarm in my brain automatically blares at me to jump ship. We can’t control every scenario in every situation. Kids are hard-wired to react to unpleasantries (hunger, irritability, bugs, weather, etc.). Sometimes all it takes is a moment to hit the hypothetical reset button to reframe the activity in a way that everyone can enjoy.
And sometimes things will go wrong. You’ll get lost, you’ll forget something, you’ll get somewhere only to find it closed. Don’t worry about it! Sometimes, those misadventures are the ones that make the best stories and memories! Try to turn it into a positive experience and you’ll be laughing about it for years!
When to spice things up
I’ve been preaching simple, but some days can be grand! Throw in a more elaborate one from time to time. Mixing in some extraordinary with the ordinary can spice it up every so often.
Travel a little further from home once a month, once a season, or however often you feel is manageable. Research nearby cities for free or cheap things to do. Explore new parks, find nature centers, check out orchards or new hikes.
We give these Adventure Days a special title of Field Trip. They are typically educational in nature, so the title is appropriate.
The small zoo near us is a favorite. It’s an hour away (but, as a bonus, it’s free!). The drive adds a level of anticipation that makes it feel bigger than it truly is.
Occasionally, changing your scenery is key. A playground 45 minutes away is more exciting than the playground two blocks from your house that you frequent regularly. The hiking trail you visit sporadically is bound to entertain your children longer than the one you walk often. A new (to them) creek may provide hours of entertainment as they explore.
How to get started with adventure days
Now that you’ve heard the benefits of Adventure Days, how can you get started?
Create a running list of possible things to do in your area. Continue to jot ideas down as you discover or think of them. Make sure there’s a little bit of something for everyone and a wide variety of big and small, near and far.
Scour your area for things to do near you. Facebook community groups are a great resource. Your local library may have programs or information on area activities. Don’t discount word of mouth. Ask other families where they like to adventure.
Explore. Sometimes you wander upon hidden gems, like trails or creeks or a neighborhood playground you never knew existed. When you’re driving, take note of “brown signs” in your area, which usually denote unique hidden-gem destinations.
Incorporating the seasons
It’s also fun to incorporate the seasons into your Adventure Days. Find a hiking trail or park that has obvious seasonal changes. Make it a point to return to that spot season-after-season and note the differences each time you visit. How have things changed? Every outing is an opportunity for learning.
You can also use the seasons to brainstorm ideas. Each season has its own built-in activities. Find an epic sledding hill in the winter. Go berry picking in the spring. Discover a small town festival in the summer. Visit a pumpkin patch in the fall.
Creating multiple activities from one
Want in on a little secret? You can stretch one activity into multiple ones. Want to find out how? Here are a few examples.
Go on a leaf hunt in the fall to find as many different colors and kinds of leaves as you can. You can collect the leaves to use for other purposes later, like a leaf crown or a leaf collage. One of our favorites is to make leaf monsters by gluing leaves onto a piece of paper, adding googly eyes, and drawing arms and legs. This is a great way to turn one activity into several.
Another example of creating multiple activities from one is with rocks. One day go on an adventure to find unique rocks. Then another day you can set up a painting station on your driveway and decorate them however you want. Create rock animals or transform them into pretty flowers—you name it! Then yet another day, set out in your neighborhood to hide the rocks for others to discover.
Hit up a farm or orchard to pick fruit, veggies, or wildflowers. Once you’re home, turn the fruits and veggies into tasty treats together. Or make little bouquets, corsages, or bookmarks with the flowers.
Can you think of any other activities that can be multiplied into more fun for later?
Adventure Day ideas
If you’re stuck thinking of Adventure Day ideas, I created a list to get you started. I have them organized by categories: your simple, everyday ones; seasonal; and the grander affairs I like to call Field Trips.
Don’t forget to include your children while brainstorming. Sometimes they come up with the best ideas! Now get outside and start adventuring with your children!
Who do you think will enjoy the Adventure Days more, you or your children?
About the author
Angie is a wife and stay-at-home-mom of three wild hyenas. She resides in rural Minnesota, where there are more cows and cornfields than people. She is an introvert with a creative itch that needs to be scratched, whether it is photographing her children in their daily lives or coming up with fun ways to explore nature in their backyard. Messy hair, dirty faces, mismatched clothing, wild and free children—all these things fuel her creativity and the desire to preserve these fleeting moments. Angie and her family can be found camping, biking, and sitting around a campfire during the summer months and sledding and ice fishing in a million layers during the winter.
You can find Angie online in the following locations:
Instagram: @angie_mahlke
RWMC posts: Angie Mahlke
Are you looking for an unforgettable family vacation? Want to find a place full of memorable outdoor adventures for the entire family? Are you craving a luxurious guest ranch experience while you enjoy the beauty of a traditional dude ranch? We’ve found the perfect place. Today, Araceli Gonzalez, a California mom of three, is going to introduce you to Vista Verde Ranch. Vista Verde Ranch is located just north of Steamboat Springs in Colorado and is a luxury guest ranch for outdoorsy and adventurous families! Let’s take you on a tour!
*This post was sponsored by Vista Verde Ranch. All opinions expressed and photos contained herein belong to the author.
Vista Verde, a luxury guest ranch
Vista Verde offers the hospitality and charm of the Old West with the luxuries of an all-inclusive resort. We had the incredible opportunity to spend some time at Vista Verde earlier this month and had the most incredible experience. We were amazed by the beautiful location and fantastic facilities, the stellar culinary delights, and the wonderful activities program for kids and families.
Sounds pretty unbelievable, right? Well, that’s not even half of it. Let me show you around!
Nestled in the Rocky Mountains
Vista Verde is a gorgeous luxury cowboy dude ranch nestled in the Colorado Rockies, just north of Steamboat Springs. It backs up into a national forest and feels as if they carved out space for this gorgeous ranch, making it the most pristine location.
From the minute you arrive, you will be blown away by gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains and struck by the beauty of 100+ horses roaming throughout the property. Cozy log cabins are scattered throughout the property, offering rustic charm and the feeling of alpine luxury comfort. I loved the wood-burning fireplace, spa robes, and local handmade soap. There were so many thoughtful details and amenities, which created a cozy and restful experience, even with vacationing with kids! We all know that a vacation with kids can be nearly anything but relaxing, so I was very impressed with how easy they made everything for us.
Vista Verde has something for everyone
Vista Verde makes it easy to vacation as a family. They really do have something for everyone, which makes it perfect for large families with lots of different ages and interests! With a large family, it’s sometimes tough to find activities that we all like, so the more options, the better. The kids’ program is designed for children 6 years and older and you can choose to do activities as a family or break apart for part of the day to give each family member the chance to do what they want to do. We were so impressed with the attention to detail and careful planning that goes into making sure every family has a memorable experience.
A winter dream come true
While Vista Verde Ranch is a spectacular place to visit any time of year, we found it to be especially MAGICAL in the winter. We arrived on a snowy day and truly felt as if we stepped out into a winter wonderland. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a staff member who checked in with us every morning to ensure our day was planned for maximum adventuring. They answered all our questions with patience, attended to our needs and requests, and made the whole experience easy for us. After a day of adventures, it was amazing to go back to our cabin and warm up by the cozy wood-burning fireplace.
In the winter you can select from a wide range of activities such as skiing, ice fishing, massages, sleigh rides, snow tubing, snowmobiling, winter trail rides, yoga and so much more! The best part is that almost all activities were included as part of our all-inclusive experience! Amazing!
The ranch is also an amazing place to rest and disconnect. We enjoyed board games around the fire and truly enjoyed disconnecting as a family. I already know that the conversations we had as a family will be some of my favorites for years to come!
The Vista Verde horses
Vista Verde is a traditional dude ranch and home to over 100 beautiful horses. Horseback riding through snow-covered trails was pure magic and an experience our family will treasure forever. My kids described it as a scene from “Frozen”. One of the activities offered through the kids’ program is a sleigh ride to feed the horses.
It was an unbelievable experience to ride through the horse ranch as 100 horses gathered for their nightly feed. They were the most gentle and beautiful horses. The work and love that goes into caring for this beautiful herd is evident and it makes for a wonderful experience. We loved waking up and greeting the horses each day on our way to breakfast in the mornings. It was a pretty special experience.
So many activities!
Vista Verde had such a diverse program of activities! This is what sets Vista Verde apart from other ranches anywhere around. A carefully planned and wonderfully curated adventure program that is part of an all-inclusive experience is a dream come true for busy parents that are excited to get away, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of making all the arrangements for days upon days of activities. The attention to detail and thoughtful planning really made our stay special.
We opted for a family trail ride, ice fishing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and tubing as part of our stay. But there are so many fabulous winter activities led by the friendliest guides, it was really hard to narrow it down and choose. All the staff made us feel like part of the family and did the best job of taking amazing care of us.
Ice fishing adventures
For our ice fishing excursion, our guide drove us out to a local lake. We walked across the frozen lake and set up for an afternoon of ice fishing. The staff was all so knowledgeable and excited to share their passion for the outdoors with all their guests.
Sledding and snowmobiling
We also had the best time tubing down a magnificent mountain! We were so surprised (and delighted) to be greeted by our guide in a snowmobile! He took us up the mountain and got us all set up for our trip down in our tubes. We went tubing all the way down and at the end of the run, we were taken back up to the top after every run in a snowmobile! How cool is that! All the fun and way less work! This is perfect for kids that love action and adventure!
A divine culinary experience
And if you think the activities look great, wait until I tell you about the food! Food is a celebration at Vista Verde Ranch! The local chefs and staff made our experience so enjoyable! Every morning we woke up excited to head down to the guest house to enjoy our meals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were each better than the next.
The kids loved ordering a hot hearty breakfast, pancakes to their liking with extra blueberries, homemade bread, avocado toast and so much more. Lunch was always a delight with amazing hot soups and crisp salads. We often had homemade dessert with lunch! The dinners were amazing. We even had the opportunity to enjoy a three-course meal on our own (just us parents!) while the kids enjoyed entertainment and dinner in the play center. That’s nearly unheard of when traveling as a family.
My husband and I enjoyed happy hour nightly, followed by a formal dinner complete with a delicious gourmet meal of scallops and short ribs. These multi-course meals varied from casual to formal themes and they were all amazing! We celebrated with dessert every single night! We’ve never felt so spoiled!
Adventure right out your doorstep
Vista Verde is the most amazing place for an unforgettable winter family vacation. It offers the perfect balance of outdoor adventure, luxury relaxation, and culinary excellence for the entire family. It was truly one of the best and most memorable vacations we have ever been on and we will be talking about this trip for years to come!
No matter what your interests, Vista Verde has something for everyone in your family and will treat you like royalty. I guarantee your kids will leave in tears and beg never to leave. Mine did! We are already planning our next visit and can’t wait to get back.
Vista Verde Ranch
For more information on Vista Verde Ranch, here’s where you can find them online:
Address:
PO Box 770465
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
What outdoor activity would you be the most interested in doing at Vista Verde?
About the author
Araceli is a wife and momma to three wild and adventurous littles. She believes that nature and free play are truly the foundation of a beautiful childhood. Araceli and her husband have made it a priority to raise their children with a strong bond to the great outdoors. Araceli is a working mom with an extensive career in Project Management. She’s creative, crafty, and loves collecting houseplants. As a family, they love exploring wild places and she loves documenting their adventures.
Find more from Araceli in the following locations:
Instagram: @roaminggonzalez
All RWMC posts: Araceli
Have you ever spotted an owl in the wild? Have you heard one calling through the woods at dusk? Owls are fascinating, yet elusive birds, made even more mysterious by their silent flight and their nocturnal habits. But, finding owls isn’t impossible—you just have to know where and when to look. Today, Leslie Alvis, Ohio homeschooling mom of four shares her family’s experiences owling with kids and some tips for your own owling adventures.
“When you go owling, you don’t need words or warm or anything but hope. That’s what Pa says. The kind of hope that flies on silent wings under a shining Owl Moon.”
Owling inspiration
When I was growing up, my mom had a beautiful collection of illustrated nature books she read aloud to us. One was Owl Moon, a simple yet fascinating first-person story of a young girl going out owling with her father under a full moon in deep winter. They walk and watch and call until an owl replies. Eventually, they spot the majestic owl swooping above them in the bare tree branches. Owl Moon was one of the first books she bought for my own children, and it’s one of our favorites.
Owling with kids
The sweet story told in Owl Moon brings nature close. It always makes me want to go owling too, tromping in the snowy woods by moonlight. But, even though I grew up in the country, somehow I never realized until this past year that I can go owling with my kids—and so can you!
Owls are fascinating creatures. Day or night, their haunting calls are enough to make you stop in your tracks. There are actually many common owls throughout North America, as well as the rest of the world. And owling is a great nature activity you can do with your kids!
And although a full moon adds light, and snowy woods at night are lovely, you actually don’t need any of those things to go owling. You can go looking for owls anytime (day or night) wherever you live!
Our first owl encounter
Last February, wanting to return to our country roots to raise our children, my husband and I sold our house in town and moved our children to the country. One of our first experiences on our quiet country road was climbing out of our car at dusk and hearing a startlingly loud, haunting cry from the woods across the road. We all froze.
“Did you hear the owl?” my husband asked our kids, trying to hush everyone who was exclaiming over the weird noise. “That was an owl!” It certainly wasn’t like any owl sound I’d ever heard! Honestly, it was a little terrifying. But there it was—a low hooting off in the distance, followed by an answering cry nearby.
After convincing our five-year-old that it was safe to actually get out of the car (for weeks we had to talk her through the process every time we came home in the dark. She would cover her ears and race inside so she couldn’t hear the creepy owl chatter! But she finally got used to it and now loves to hear the owls call.), we went inside and looked up owl calls.
We learned that we had just heard a Barred Owl pair calling to each other. Sites like this one teach you to easily identify common North American owls by their calls. This little bit of knowledge fueled a desire to learn more about these amazing birds. We’ve been looking for owls, calling owls, and heading out on owling walks ever since.
What is owling?
Basically, owling is the practice of calling and searching for owls. Going owling with your kids is an easy and fun nature activity, and seeing (or hearing) one of these majestic birds is an experience they won’t soon forget! The first time anyone in our family actually spotted an owl, my husband and two-year-old were coming out of the woods at dusk when a Great Horned Owl flew across the path in front of them. Our toddler talked about seeing that owl for a long time!
By this point (a year later), we’ve all caught glimpses of these magnificent birds in the woods near our home. Just this morning my son saw one fly out of the pine trees just ahead of us on our walk. Last week we saw a huge pair of Great Horned Owls. The sight of them never ceases to amaze us all.
Where to go owling
While owls may be known for being elusive and hard to spot, they aren’t as rare as many people think. You simply have to learn where and when to look. You can find owls in many places, from forests and deserts to mountains and prairies. Owls love wooded areas, but many also live close to cities and suburban areas because of the ready food supply. They often live in trees (often conifers) and eat small rodents, so owls can be found almost anywhere those things exist—even in Central Park in New York City!
When to go owling
Owls become especially active during mating season in winter. The colder months are a great time to go owling because you are more likely to see or hear owls. Plus, the lack of foliage makes seeing the owls easier. During the summer months, we were afraid the resident owls in our area had moved away because we didn’t see or hear them for a long time. But, as fall drew on, we began to hear “our” owls again. We’ve even heard the parents calling back and forth with a juvenile offspring.
As I mentioned, most owls are nocturnal, which means they do much of their hunting and calling at night. However, it doesn’t have to be pitch black outside for you to go owling! We’ve spotted Barred Owls sitting on power lines near our home in the middle of the day. We’ve seen owls swooping from tree to tree in the woods, and often hear them calling, especially as winter days draw to a close.
Despite their close proximity, I’ve never yet been lucky enough to get a photo of one. That’s a testament to my lack of wildlife photography skills, not to the absence of owls. Maybe someday I’ll be able to capture a photograph of one of these beautiful birds.
Daytime owling
One day as we explored the woods, we noticed a commotion of birds in a stand of tall pine trees. Crows and other smaller birds were calling raucously and diving in and out of the trees. I had heard that smaller birds will sometimes “mob” owls in this fashion, so we headed that way to see if we could spot one. Sure enough, as we approached, a Barred Owl swooped out of the trees to go look for a quieter location!
It might have been the high point of our nature walk if our dog hadn’t flushed out a white-tailed deer just then. Our owl sighting dropped dramatically in importance as my son and I took off chasing the dog, who took off chasing the deer, howling all the way. At the end of that misadventure, I was just glad to have everyone, including the dog, all in one piece!
Owling at dusk
Owls do become noticeably more vocal as twilight approaches. The hour before sunset is a great time to go owling with kids if you don’t want to be out at night. It’s also a good time to try owling at local parks or trails, which may close at dark. Park rangers can be a great source of information about owls in their area. If you go to a public place wanting to find owls, ask around! There may be someone who knows just when and where to look.
How to look for owls
Searching for owls can be a bit tough and you have to have patience and good detective skills. Owls leave a couple of distinct signs of activity in the woods. If you know what to look for, you’ll have much better luck spotting one.
First of all, you can look for “whitewash” (owl excrement) on tree trunks. An owl’s excrement is chalky and white and can usually be found at the bottom of a tree that an owl is roosting in. You can also look at the base of trees for owl pellets, which are prized treasures for curious little ones. Owl pellets are small bits of indigestible hair, bone, etc. from an owl’s meal.
Finally, look for owl feathers lying on the ground. Owl feathers are large and are very soft. If you need help identifying the type of bird by a feather, check out the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Feather Altas – a free online tool to identify feathers.
We have been able to find owl trees in our woods by looking for these signs. Some common owls, like Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls, like conifer trees, in particular, so check those a bit closer. Check out this article for more information about where and how to find owls. It’s full of helpful tips for owling.
Owl pellets
Owl pellets are a sure sign that owls are in the area. As mentioned, an owl pellet is made from indigestible material left in the gizzard (such as teeth, bones, skulls, claws, and feathers) are too dangerous to pass through the rest of the owl’s digestive tract. To safely excrete this material, the owl’s gizzard compacts it into a tight pellet that the owl regurgitates.
It may sound gross, but dissecting an owl pellet is a really fun activity for kids, as they can see what the owl ate and sometimes find the bones and teeth of small animals. Although their diet largely depends on the species of owl, most owls like to eat insects, small mammals (like hares and rabbits), and other smaller birds. It is also common for owls to eat rodents, squirrels, bats, weasels, woodchucks, and even a domestic cat!
Owl nests
Did you know that owls do not build their own nests? Instead, they occupy nests left behind by other birds. Look for owl nests up high in the crooks and hollows of trees, any of the usual places you might spot a nest.
You can even build nesting boxes to attract owls to your own backyard! Screech Owls are considered the easiest owls in North America to attract with a nesting box. You can find directions for this simple DIY project here. We have plans to build a Screech Owl box for our homestead property, and maybe even add a barn owl box to the loft of our barn as we build it. Some of the wooded environment near our property is changing and threatening the natural habitat of the owls, so we want to encourage them to stay close by.
Spotting an owl
Hopefully, you get the chance to spot an owl on your owling adventure. They definitely look different than other birds and while they may be hard to spot, they will be easy to distinguish. Most owls have notably large eyes, a flat face, a large head, and a small, downturned hooked beak. They have very sharp talons with four toes and one is opposable (like the human thumb), which helps the owl grasp things like tree branches and food.
Although owls vary in color, size, and appearance, they have one interesting ability in common – they can turn their heads an astonishing 270 degrees due to more vertebrae than other birds.
And if you’re listening, you’ll notice that not all owls make that infamous “hoot” sound. Owls can actually make many different sounds – they can screech, hiss, and even growl! But despite the sound they make when they call, they make no sound when flying. This silent flight is due mainly to very broad wings and special flying feathers that limit noise when an owl flaps its wings.
Owling essentials
You don’t need anything special to go owling, but a pair of binoculars can be useful. Other than that, you just need some sharp eyes and ears, a sense of adventure, and your detective skills.
If you hope to call for owls, work out your plan ahead of time with your kids. Do you want them to walk into the woods silently, trying not to scare away the owls? At least in our family, that has to be clearly explained! Otherwise, the owls are going to be scared away by wild yelling long before we can see them. Are you going to designate one person to try hooting? Take turns?
I’ve learned that if you don’t have a clearly communicated plan, the owling walk will quickly become a hooting free-for-all! And although Barred Owls, in particular, will respond to imitation calls—even not very good ones—no owl is going to be fooled by 3 or 4 different pitches of hooo-hoooo-hoooing simultaneously.
Common owls
There are 19 species of owls are found in North America, including the following: barn owl, burrowing owl, eastern screech owl, great grey owl, spotted owl, and the long-eared owl, among many others. These owls not only live in wooded, rural areas, but also in suburban areas with trees. I’ve read that owls can be found commonly in cemeteries, since many cemeteries contain both large trees and also open areas where it’s easy for owls to spot their prey.
To learn more about owls in your area, check out this site about owling. It’s full of detailed information about owls all across North and Central America.
Make owling a family activity
Exploring the woods and hiking around while owling is such a fun and easy outdoor activity to do with kids. You don’t need any special gear or equipment to do a little owl hunting. Before you head out, just be sure to do a little research about what owls can be found in your area and when they are most active. Listen to an owl call and practice your “hoo’ing!” If you’re owling during the day, look for whitewashed tree bottoms, owl pellets, or feathers that could indicate an owl’s presence. If you find one (and it’s possible), try going back there during the night to see if the owl is active.
Finally, a word of caution: you may not always see an owl when you go owling. As the little girl says in Owl Moon,
“That’s how it is when you go owling. Sometimes you see one, sometimes you don’t.”
Be prepared to enjoy whatever wildlife you do see—you’re bound to spot some beautiful birds, squirrels, animal tracks, and other fascinating bits of nature. So, make it an adventure, have fun, and enjoy the beautiful world out there!
Have you ever gone owling?
What did you see?
About the author
Leslie is an Ohio farm girl and chaser of light, children, and sometimes chickens. She’s a lover of Jesus, wife to her high school sweetheart, and a homeschooling mom of four wild rascals who love the great outdoors as much as she does. As a family, they love hiking, camping, fishing, and just about any outdoor activity. She and her husband are just beginning the process of building a homestead from the ground up, doing most of the work themselves. Leslie has a lifelong obsession with writing and capturing everyday life from behind the lens. You can follow along with their homesteading, homeschooling, and everyday adventures on her Instagram account.
Snow days are the stuff of childhood dreams! A whole day off school to play in the snow sounds great to most kids. But, snow days are not always easy for parents. Many times, parents still have to work or take care of things around the house. While we’re all about getting kids OUTSIDE, we also know that sometimes you also need INDOOR games and activities to do when going outside isn’t possible. Today, we’re sharing 60+ indoor and outdoor screen-free snow day activities for kids! This giant list of ideas is sure to help you beat the boredom of a snow day and give your little ones plenty of fun ways to be active, creative, and play independently off screens.
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Indoor snow day activities for kids
It’s no surprise that we’re hoping your kids get outside and play in the snow on any snow day. This entire website is about getting kids outside and off screens. However, we are also parents and we know that it’s not always possible for kids to be outside all day, every day. So, when they’re in the house, we want to help you with fun screen-free snow day activities to keep them entertained and active. We hope these snow day activities will help inspire you to get creative on your next snow day and be prepared for any “I’m bored” complaint that comes your way!
What goes better with a cold snow day than hot chocolate?! After spending time outside playing, hot chocolate is the perfect drink to warm you up, head to toe. Get a little creative with your hot chocolate and set up a station for the kids to make their own. Include marshmallows, leftover candy canes, whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate chips, cinnamon, or whatever else you can find in the pantry!
2. Make an obstacle course
A fun way to make the most of an indoor snow day is to build an obstacle course for the kids. An obstacle course around the house or the basement will provide endless hours of fun and challenge them. Plus, it will help them stay active and test their creativity. We like to set up obstacle courses around our basement with stations, where you have to complete a challenge before moving on. We incorporate furniture, pillows, blankets, cushions, toys and anything else we can find a good use for. The kids have to climb over, under and through the obstacles. Some of the challenges include spinning around 5 times, doing a somersault, doing jumping jacks or pushups, shooting a basket, doing a handstand, hitting a target, or jumping rope.
The perfect snow day is not complete without snow ice cream! With just a few simple ingredients, you can turn ordinary snow into something extraordinarily delicious! Snow ice cream is always a huge crowd pleaser at our house and can be made with things we already have at home. Just take some freshly fallen snow and combine it with milk (or cream). Add a smidge of vanilla and a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Voila! Top with sprinkles or chocolate sauce for some extra fun!
4. Treasure hunt
Treasure hunts are always a fun idea and a great way to keep the kids occupied and entertained. We like to select one item and then hide it in various places around the house (or within a room) and they have to find it. My kids can play this game over and over and over. You can be involved and give them “hot” or “cold” clues or just let them figure it out on their own. Or, if you want to get really creative, you could hide something and give them a series of clues or draw a map for them to use to find it. Or make it a scavenger hunt and give them a list of items that they need to find to win the game.
If you’re looking for something fun for the entire family, break out a board game (or “bored game” as my kids call them) for a fun family-friendly indoor activity. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a game with an actual board (Candy Land, Life, Monopoly, Shoots & Ladders, Sorry) or just a fun card game (Uno, Exploding Kittens, Apples to Apples, Go Fish, Old Maid). Kids love games, particularly if there’s a prize on the line. Winner gets to pick dessert!
6. Friendship bracelets
Making friendship bracelets was one of my favorite indoor childhood activities. I went through a period of years of making elaborate bracelets for all my friends and family members. It’s something I can’t wait to teach my kids to do (hopefully soon). All you really need is some thread and some patience. Here’s an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to make friendship bracelets with helpful photos, but there are also probably a million resources out there if you have questions or want to get extra creative with your masterpieces.
There are very few things my kids love more than a good fort. After years of helping them, they’ve finally become master fort builders themselves and can erect an elaborate fort all the way around the couch (with rooms and secret tunnels) in about an hour. It’s a great way for them to play independently and forces them to get creative. Offer pillows, cushions, sheets, chairs, clips and anything that might help and let them give it a shot. And building the fort is only half the fun. A lot of the time, they’ll play in the fort for the rest of the day!
8. Indoor campout
Who says camping has to be just for outside? If you’ve got the room, set up your tent inside the house and let the kids have an indoor campout. Set up their sleeping bags, add some twinkle lights or a lantern and let their imaginations take them to their favorite camping locations. Have a meal of camping classics like hot dogs, kabobs, or foil packets. Make microwave s’mores! Before hitting the sack, give them flashlights and let them read books or tell ghost stories in the tent. And for bonus points for being the “coolest mom ever,” let them sleep there overnight!
If you want to wow your kids, burn some energy and show them a little classic science, making homemade butter will blow their minds! Making homemade butter is so simple (and so delicious) that you may never buy butter again! All you need is some heavy whipping cream and a Mason jar with a lid. Fill the jar about halfway with cream (leave lots of room) and tighten the lid. Now hand it off to your kids and let them take turns shaking the jar as fast and hard as they can. After about 10 minutes you’ll have whipped cream! But keep going! After a few more minutes, you’ll notice when the cream turns solid and you now have butter! Keep shaking until the butter is solid and separated from the buttermilk. It’s that easy! If you want to get extra fancy, add some special ingredients to make flavored butter (garlic/herbs, cinnamon sugar, honey, etc.). Serve with fresh bread, blueberry muffins, pumpkin bread, or English muffins.
10. Marshmallow tower
Building marshmallow towers can be a really fun indoor snow day activity for any kid or an effective team-building activity for siblings. All you need is a bag of marshmallows and some spaghetti and then let the kids get creative. They have to stick the spaghetti into the marshmallows to create a tower that won’t topple over. Make it more interesting by setting a timer and challenging your kids to make the tallest tower.
Bring a little of the winter wonderland magic indoors by cutting out and decorating your own snowflakes. There are so many possible ways to make snowflakes with paper and scissors. I like to show the kids once how to do this by folding the paper in some random weird way and cutting out various shapes along the folds. I’m always surprised by what it looks like when I open it up! Then I let them take over and do it their way. If you want inspiration, this post includes a great visual on how to fold the paper and make the cuts for different (and beautiful) designs. You could also use coffee filters and decorate them with watercolor paints or markers for colorful snowflakes!
12. Photobooth
Want some adorable photos from your snow day to help document and remember the fun and madness? Take some silly photos in a photo booth! Setting up a photo booth is really simple. You can use your camera, but you can also just set up your phone or an iPad for the kids to use. If you have a tripod or a stand, that’s great, but you can also use books or binder clips to prop it up. Have the kids get fancy in dress-up clothes or break out old Halloween costumes. Let them play with costume jewelry or silly accessories (sunglasses, hats, scarves, etc.). The photos will be worth the mess!
Making slime is totally the “cool mom” thing to do with kids these days! My kids are obsessed with slime and ask to make it on the daily. Very rarely do I agree (I’m obviously not the cool mom), but when we do make slime, it’s hours of entertainment. We like this easy slime recipe: 6 oz (1 bottle) of Elmer’s Glue, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1.5 tablespoons of contact lens solution, and some water. Pour the glue into a bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and mix in thoroughly. Next, add up to 1/4 cup of water if you want stretchy slime. Slowly add the contact lens solution (a little at a time) as you knead the slime. Keep kneading until you get the consistency you want, it may take a while (and you may not need all the solution). Add glitter or food coloring if you want to get fancy!
14. Balloon tennis
Another fun, active and easy indoor snow day activity for kids is to play balloon tennis. For this, all you need is a balloon (for the ball) and a couple of frisbees or even paper plates (to be the rackets). Make a line for the court and let the kids try volleying the balloon back and forth without touching the ground.
Kids love a challenge and they love watching their parents be silly. Minute to win it games are a great family bonding experience when you’re stuck inside on a snow day. Most of these games can be played with stuff found around the house and are easy to set up. There are tons of ways to adapt the game for the various ages and skill levels of your children. Here’s a great list of family minute to win it games. A few of our favorites are cookie face, penny towers, noodle pickup and pantyhose bowling. Be prepared for LOTS of laughter with these!
16. Snow play dough or DIY snow
White playdough is surprisingly easy to make and so much fun for kids! All you need is 2 cups of corn starch and 1 1/4 cup of unscented white hand lotion or conditioner. Mix them together in a bowl and you’ve got a moisturizing dough that’s fun to mold. Add some silver glitter if you really want to get fancy. Have your kids make indoor snowmen and decorate them with items they find around the house (buttons, sequins, ribbon, etc.). Kids love this fully hands-on sensory activity.
Or, you can also make your own sensory bin of DIY snow. We’ve got a great post with three DIY snow recipes to make with your kids from ingredients you already have at home!
Story stones help build imagination and storytelling skills. By using the stone with a picture on it, children can create a story or retell an adventure. Story stones are easy to make and would be a perfect indoor snow day activity for kids. There are a variety of story-telling games you can play. If you have a group, place all the stones in a bag and let each child pick a stone, then go around the circle and have each child build on the story by adding something about the stone they picked. We love these graphics and story prompts from Little Pine Learners, which allow your kids to be part of the process, from creation to story.
18. Animal charades
A game of animal charades is such a fun way to get kids moving and using their imagination! Kids of all ages like pretending and even little kids know animal sounds and characteristics. Usually, charades is played silently, without using words or sounds, but you can always adapt the game depending on the age of the kids and their charade skill level. Toddlers and preschoolers may really enjoy making the animal sounds! Here’s a great free animal charades printable that you can use to help you choose the animals.
Another fun indoor activity to do with kids is to put on a puppet show! You can make puppets with materials from your recycling bin. Or, you could make sock puppets from all those single socks you have lying around! Or you could use stuffed animals and dolls you already have at home. Help the kids come up with an idea for what the show will be about and then let their creativity shine! This is also an amazing activity to share with family and friends on FaceTime or other video chatting app. You don’t have to leave your house and you can bring some joy to others in isolation from a safe distance!
20. Make sugar cookies
Most kids absolutely love helping out in the kitchen. Especially so if they’re making sweet treats. If you want to have a little fun in the kitchen on a snow day, how about making a batch of sugar cookies. We love this delicious sugar cookie recipe that doesn’t require any rolling out or cookie cutters (although, those are fun, too). Double the batch and make extras for the neighbors!
If cookies aren’t your thing, here are a whole bunch of other tried-and-true great recipes to make with kids from our Creative Team.
I think we could all use a little extra pampering and self-care these days, even kids. If you’re stuck inside during bad weather or need a fun indoor snow day activity, consider having a spa day with your kids. Start with a warm luxurious bubble bath. Use all the fancy bubbles and soaps. When you get out, put on a robe and wrap your hair in a towel. Move on from there to a facial. You can make a natural face mask out of avocado, oatmeal, or honey. You may also use one you already have at home. Cut up some cucumbers they can use while their masks set to help rest their tired eyes. Next up, manicures and pedicures. Let the kids pick their nail colors and get as creative as they want.
22. Ghost mud
If snow’s not your thing, how about mud? Clean mud! To make ghost mud, all you need is a bar of Ivory soap, a roll of toilet paper, and a cup of warm water. Let your kids have fun removing all the toilet paper from the roll. This is a great indoor activity in and of itself! Gather it up and put it in a large container. Then add the soap – you can either grate it or do the soap explosion experiment where you microwave it! Then add the warm water and have the kids work the mush into mud! Check out this post for the full ghost mud tutorial.
Make mealtime a little more fun on a snow day by having an indoor picnic or an indoor tea party. Move some furniture out of the way and spread out a blanket or a tablecloth on the floor. Give the kids fun picnic-like finger foods and snacks like fruit kabobs, sandwiches, chips, and lemonade. Let them help in the process and have a say in what they make. Set everything up with paper plates for easy clean-up. Turn on some music and have a relaxing meal. Just make sure to put lids on drinks!
24. Make taffy
Did you ever make taffy as a kid? My cousins and I used to make taffy every summer and loved it! It can be a little messy, but it’s super fun and your kids will love how interactive and involved the process is. There’s a lot of taffy pulling, kneading, and stretching involved, so little ones can get some energy out while they make it. Here’s a great kid-friendly taffy recipe and a step-by-step tutorial on how to make taffy with kids.
My daughter loves any excuse to raid my closet and try on all my shoes and jewelry. And all the kids love costumes. Give the kids permission to play dress-up by having them put on a fashion show. Let them select their own outfits and do their own hair (and make-up, if you’re feeling extra brave). Then let them walk the runway to fun music fanfare and applause. Grab your camera and play the part of paparazzi to your little supermodels.
26. Indoor snowball fight
If you’re not able to get outside for a “real” snowball fight, you can safely bring it inside! You can purchase soft indoor snowballs or just do it the old-fashioned way by using balled-up socks. Divide up into teams and dump half of the snowballs on each side of the room. Instruct the teams that the goal is to have the least number of snowballs in your area at the end of 5 minutes. Snowballs can only be thrown, not kicked and they can only throw one at a time. Then let them go wild!
There are TONS of ways to DIY a bird feeder using eco-friendly and recycled materials. We’ve made bird feeders using recycled toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks, orange peels, twine, pine cones and sweet gum balls! A really easy way is to coat your materials in peanut butter and then dip in birdseed. We have a great post on making ec0-friendly bird feeders with kids using materials you already have at home! When you’re ready to venture out into the snow, the birds are going to be especially grateful for the treats!
I’ve always been impressed with how many things I can do with a roll of tape! If you’ve got a few rolls of masking tape lying around, you’re in for hours of fun. We love this idea to create a race track using masking tape for your cars around the house or around a room. Not only will it be fun to come up with the course, obstacles, and challenges, but then racing the cars will be a blast!
In my opinion, nothing sounds better to me on a cold snowy day than snuggling under a blanket and reading a good book. You don’t need any kind of fancy reading nook or window seat (although that sounds nice). A couch, oversized chair or bed will work fine. Snuggle up together and read something exciting together with the kids. Even if your kids are old enough to read on their own, they love being read to. So, grab a book (here are some great read-aloud book ideas) and dive in!
Crank up the music and dance the winter blues away! If you’re stuck inside on a snow day, a dance party is a great way to have some fun, burn some energy, and show off your smooth moves. Let all the kids have a turn choosing the songs or let your system shuffle music from your favorites. Make it extra fun by adding some instruments (even fake/imaginary ones like an air guitar) or costumes.
Outdoor snow day activities for kids
Playing in the snow is so much fun! It provides a fabulous sensory experience for all those who are lucky enough to enjoy it. We’re all about getting kids outside, no matter the weather. We hope that you’ll send your kids outside to play in the snow as much as possible on their next snow day. And if they’re in need of some fun snow day activities and ideas, we’ve got tons! This list should help you get through an entire winter of snow days!
Sledding has become a beloved winter activity for our family. Especially as my kids get older, they really love the speed and thrill of how much fun they can have on an otherwise normal hill. However, as with every fun activity, especially when children are involved, it’s important to be safe, as well as have fun. Find a hill that is not too steep and has a long flat area at the bottom so there is a place to glide to a stop. Avoid hills that end near a street or parking lot or near ponds, trees, fences, or other hazards. And don’t underestimate the fun of even a small hill. As kids get older, they may want a bigger and longer hill for sledding, but don’t be afraid to start small and see how it goes. My kids can have hours of fun on the tiniest of hills!
Building a snowman is a classic wintertime childhood activity that is a blast for kids of all ages. Give your snowman the perfect proportions by aiming for a 3-2-1 snowball ratio (for example, if the lowest ball has a diameter of three feet, the middle ball would be two feet, and the top ball would be one foot). Also consider that the lower to the ground your snowman is, the more stable he will be.
Just because building a snowman is a classic activity doesn’t mean you can’t use nontraditional decorations. Let your kids give your snowman (or snowwoman) some personality. Give him a funky cap or an ugly Christmas sweater. Give her a grass skirt and Hawaiian shirt to wear. And no one said your snowman had to be a man. Make a snowwoman, a snowdog or snowcat, a snowtiger, or an entire snowfamily! Add some extra fun with snow paint (food coloring and water in a squirt bottle) to give your snow character clothes or stripes or just have some extra fun.
33. Snow maze
If you have a large wide-open space with nice untouched snow, consider making a snow maze for the kids. You can shovel the maze out, or just walk through to pack down the snow in lines, with turns, dead-ends, and loops. Depending on the ages of your kids, you may want to make it harder or easier to find their way through the maze. Kids will love trying to figure out where to go and how to get through with the fastest time.
Snowball fights are such a fun way to get the kids outside, active and burning through some of that snow day energy. Older kids tend to do better with snowball fights, but even little kids love making and throwing snowballs. Snowball fights are usually about nailing a member of the other team with a snowball, so make sure to talk to the kids about proper snowball fight etiquette (no throwing at the face, no ice or rocks in snowballs, etc.). If you don’t want to throw them at each other, you could have a competition to see who can throw them the farthest or who can make the most snowballs the fastest.
35. Look for animal tracks
Winter is a great time to head out to the woods (or even your local park) and see if you can find animal tracks. Fresh snow is great for showing tracks of various woodland animals. Examples include rabbits, foxes, deer, and squirrels. Make it a game and see who can spot the most tracks, the biggest, the smallest and the most exotic. Try to guess what animal made them, where they were going and what they were doing. Don’t recognize the tracks? Take photos of the tracks and look them up when you get home to see what animal made them.
36. Snowball target practice
My kids love to use snowballs for target practice! Set up or choose a target and see who can get closest to the bullseye with snowballs. You can do this horizontally (place a target on a wall or choose a location on a tree to throw at) or vertically (set a bucket or item on the ground and throw the snowballs up into the air to see if you can get them to land in the bucket).
37. Ice experiments
Turning water into ice sounds simple enough, but in the winter, it’s a great educational science experiment. Water freezes at 0 degrees Celcius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Use your snow day to get in a science experiment by challenging your kids to see how long it takes water to freeze into ice. Try freezing water in various locations around your yard or neighborhood to see if that makes a difference. What about using different containers? On a super cold day, we’ve heard of people throwing a cup of water into the air and watching it freeze instantly!
Add some color to your snowy landscape with snow paint. All you need is water and food coloring. Put it in a spray bottle and let the kids turn the snow colors and make designs. You can also give them a paintbrush and let them color snowballs or paint pictures in the snow.
39. Ice lanterns
Ice lanterns are made by using molds to freeze ice into candle holders. You can put them outside to light your walkway, or on your front porch to welcome guests. If you add a handle, you could even take them on a night walk/hike around the neighborhood. Our friends over at Take Them Outside have a great tutorial on how to make ice lanterns with kids.
Add some magic and fun to your outdoor snowy space by making colored ice globes. All you need to do is add a few drops of food coloring to the water in a water balloon and let them freeze (either outside or in the freezer). Once frozen, pop the balloon, and you’re left with a beautiful ice globe in your color of choice. Take them outside to decorate or play with.
41. Snow cakes for the animals
Everyone loves cake…even animals! But while deer, squirrels and birds probably shouldn’t be eating cakes made from sugar and flour, they can eat cakes made of snow, fruits, and veggies for the animals! Head out to a field or choose a spot near the woods where animals will be sure to find it. Use the snow to make a big cake on the ground and decorate it with birdseed, carrots, apples, lettuce and other fruits and vegetables. The animals will be grateful for your generosity.
42. Frozen suncatchers
Suncatchers made from ice are not only beautiful but super easy to make! Spend some time outside gathering natural items to use in your suncatchers. The more colorful the better. Examples: branches, berries, twigs, flowers, buds, and leaves. Lay out a plastic lid, paper plate, cups, muffin tin, pie plate or silicone mold to use as the mold for your suncatcher. Fill the mold with water and add your natural elements to the water in any design of your choosing. Leave outside for a few hours or overnight to freeze. Gently remove the ice suncatcher from the mold and hang it from a tree branch or window sill. Pro tip: Rumor has it that if you want your ice to be crystal clear, boil the water first! For a full tutorial, check out our post on how to make frozen ice suncatchers.
In its simplest form, a mandala is a circular structure with a design that radiates out symmetrically from the center. There is no right or wrong way to make one which is why it is such a wonderful way to engage children to make their own mandalas using items they find in nature. Go for a walk or hike and collect items to use in your winter mandala. Choose a location to start making it directly on the ground, with a snowy white background. Let the children’s imaginations create something beautiful! This is a great time to discuss symmetry and shapes, but don’t push them too hard to stick to any hard and fast rules. Creativity wins the day. We’ve got a great post on making nature mandalas with kids if you want to read more about this fun activity.
44. DIY yeti tracks
After you’ve found animal tracks in the snow, why not have some fun creating some of your own! Use heavy cardboard to create oversized yeti footprints. Cut the feet out and attach them to the bottoms of your kids’ snow boots. Head outside and let them create their own yeti tracks in the snow. Create a trail around the yard or neighborhood for others to track. Your kids might be surprised by how they can seem to walk on top of the snow. With a larger surface area, they will sink less, giving walking on snow a whole new feel.
There are so many fun things you can do in the snow, but building a fort has to be up there at the very top of awesome winter outdoor activities! Last year my kids built an amazing igloo (with dad’s help) that they played in for hours and hours over the course of a few weeks (until it melted). They were so incredibly proud of their igloo and had so much fun building it! Always be extra careful not to make it too heavy on top, and make sure kids have proper adult supervision.
Have you ever tried or made maple candy? All you need to make this delicious treat is some pure maple syrup and snow! You’ll need to help your little ones, though, as you first have to heat the syrup before pouring it hot into the snow to solidify. Grown-up supervision is a must. For the full set of directions, check out this awesome maple syrup snow candy post from our friends at Little Bins for Little Hands.
Snowshoeing is essentially winter hiking over the snow. You need special snowshoes to do this, but they’re not expensive and can even be rented very cheaply in many places. Snowshoeing is a great way to get the whole family outside together for fresh air and exercise. We’ve got a great beginner’s guide to snowshoeing with kids to help you get started with this fun family snow day activity.
A snow day is the perfect time to try ice skating – particularly at an outdoor rink. There’s something magical about skating outside when it’s frosty cold. Most rinks have rental skates for kids as young as two, along with buckets or rails for little kids to hold onto. If your kids are little, we also recommend wearing a bike helmet and super thick gloves to protect kids’ heads and fingers.
Blowing a bubble and watching it turn to ice is such a fascinating activity. If it’s super cold outside (below freezing), try making frozen bubbles! This is a great science experiment for kids in freezing temperatures. It might take a few different attempts to get a bubble to freeze, depending on time, sunlight, what the bubble lands on and bubble solution. Check out our full post on making frozen bubbles, which has tips and a great homemade solution that works! You may want to chill the bubble solution in the fridge or freezer before using it outside, to help with the freezing process. And if your breath is too warm, try waving the wand to make the bubbles instead.
50. Frozen clothes
Freezing and posing clothing seems to be all the rage right now! It’s such a simple and silly way to have some fun with your kids. All you need to do is soak some clothing in water and then set outside to freeze. Then, reshape the clothing to look like it’s being worn and stand it up in the yard! Set up a whole scene and astonish the neighbors!
Playing tic-tac-toe outside in the winter is so much fun for kids. There are a variety of ways you can set up a game outdoors. Use 4 large sticks to create a board on the snowy ground and then use colored water in spray bottles to designate your X or O marking. Or use pinecones, leaves or rocks for Os and 2 sticks to make Xs.
52. Eat an icicle
Icicles are nature-made popsicles, just hanging there ready for a lick! Let kids be kids and give them the chance to taste an icicle this winter. The next time you have a snow day, go on a hunt for icicles. Be careful getting them down, as they can be very sharp. For extra awesomeness, dip it in sugar!
When it’s warm outside, we practically eat every meal outdoors on our back patio. Why should winter stop us from enjoying delicious food with a side of fresh air and snow? Use your snow day to spend a little extra time outside and host a winter picnic for your kids. We recommend serving warm and savory non-messy and easy-to-eat foods, if possible. Fill a thermos with vegetable soup, chicken noodle soup, chili, stew, lentil soup, ramen, or macaroni & cheese. If you’re not using your thermos for food, use it for drinks like hot chocolate, hot tea, or warm apple cider. If you don’t feel like taking a whole meal outside, let them eat a special treat outside like donuts or cookies.
54. Snow angels
Making snow angels is a quintessential snow day childhood outdoor activity. This activity needs no real explanation or instruction, but there are a few things you can do to make it more fun for kids. After the kids make the snow angel, let them decorate them! It’s really funny to see hollow snow angels on the ground with pinecones for eyes, sticks for hair, and a red berry mouth!
Sandcastles are all the rage in the summer, but building snow castles on a snow day can be just as much fun! Get out your sandcastle-building equipment (cups, bowls, shovels, etc.) and do the same in the snow! Create elaborate castles with moats and leaf flags. Bring out the army men, Barbies, or characters and make an entire town. Add some colored water to give it a whole new look! There are so many fun things to build in the snow.
There’s nothing more magical in the wintertime than snowflakes! If you’ve ever seen photos of individual snowflakes up close, you know just how truly miraculous and incredible they are. Take some time this winter to study snowflakes with your kids. Talk about how snowflakes are formed, how/why they’re similar, but all unique. Use a piece of black felt to try to catch falling snowflakes to observe and see if you can even photograph them.
Snow day activities should be fun and creative. Make good use of that mud kitchen in the winter by using it as a snow kitchen! Let your kids play with some mixing bowls, utensils, and pie pans to make all kinds of snow delicacies. Snow cakes and snow pies, sundaes, and snowshakes. Let the kids decorate their creations with twigs, leaves, and pebbles (or whatever natural materials they can find outside).
Snow day activities are a great time to consider doing some acts of kindness for others, particularly those that can’t get around well outside in the snow and ice. If you have kids old enough to help, shovel the sidewalk or driveway of an elderly neighbor or new parents. Salt local walkways or paths. Scrape off windshields or help clear paths for delivery drivers. They’re all guaranteed to appreciate the kindness.
You’ve heard of lemonade stands in the summer, so why not a hot chocolate stand in the winter? This is one of our most clever snow day activities for kids. Get your kids into the entrepreneurial spirit by letting them set up and host a hot chocolate stand. There probably won’t be a lot of traffic out and about on a snow day, so invite nearby friends and neighbors to participate. This type of activity is great for teaching kids about hard work, customer service, counting money, etc.
60. Ice bricks
Most educational resources will tell you how important it is for kids to learn how to play with simple blocks and stacking bricks. We definitely agree, but we want to put our own twist on it by taking it outside! And in the winter, why not make ice bricks for building for an even more enjoyable experience. All you need to do for this snow day activity is freeze water in various size containers. Make small blocks using ice cube trays and larger ones using Tupperware. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water to make colored ice blocks. Pop them all out of their containers on the ice-cold sidewalk and let the kids get creative!
61. Ice bowling
Keep your kids outside and occupied for hours with ice bowling! All you need are 10 water bottles and a balloon. Fill all the water bottles with colored water and place them outside or in the freezer to freeze solid. Leave room at the top or leave the lid off to give the water room to expand as it freezes so it doesn’t distort the bottom of the bottle, keeping them from standing upright on a flat surface. Fill a round balloon with water and freeze to make a round bowing ice ball. Once it’s all frozen solid, take outside and set up a bowling lane! The bottles are the pins and the ice water balloon is the ball. Teach your kids how to keep score and it becomes an educational math activity as well!
You may have heard of making mud faces on trees…this is same, but only with snow! For this fun snow day activity, all you have to do is pack some snow on the side of a tree trunk and then mold it into a funny face. You can add rocks, leaves, sticks or berries to make facial features.
Who says you can’t swim outside in the winter?! If you have the opportunity, let your kids experience the fun of “swimming” (or soaking) in an outdoor hot tub on your next snow day. Hot tubing is a great snow day activity for kids. There’s something really special about being enveloped in warm water while it’s snowy and cold outside. The contrast is invigorating! You don’t need an actual hot tub, you can make your own! Fill a big bucket, tub, or kiddie pool with warm water and let the littles soak. But as always, use caution and adult supervision. Kids shouldn’t spend very much time in hot tubs at the risk of overheating their small bodies.
Take advantage of the fresh powder and hit the slopes on a snow day. Skiing and snowboarding with kids is incredibly exhausting, but so much fun! Pack up your gear and head for the hills to take advantage of all the fun the winter has to offer. If your kids are new to skiing, we highly recommend you read our beginner’s guide to downhill skiing with kids. Or get the kids a lesson or ski school before hitting the slopes. Instructors are usually really great with kids and teach them in a way that’s fun and easy to understand. Once they’ve gotten the hang of it, they can show off their new skills with you.
What are your child’s favorite snow day activities?
What do you like to do on a snow day outside?
What are the best indoor snow day activities?
Do you dread winter? Feel like you’re trapped inside with wild kiddos because winter activities take a lot of preparation, skill, time, or money? We have some great news for you! There is a simple winter activity that requires just a few resources and will inspire you and your children to get outdoors, enjoying the winter, and getting your family much-needed exercise and fresh air. Today, Creative Team member Ashley Greenhalgh, Nevada mom of two, is here to walk you through the basics of how to get started winter shoeshoeing with kids! Consider this your beginner’s guide to snowshoeing!
How to get started snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is an amazing way to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the winter months. As a beginner, it can be hard to know where to start. I have taken countless friends snowshoeing for their first time, and I will tell you that every one of them was nervous and intimidated before we stepped foot on the snow. Also, by the end of the afternoon, every one of them was saying “Wow, that was so easy, fun, and beautiful!”
Snowshoeing is one of our family’s favorite activities. It’s a relatively easy sport to pick up, even for kids, and requires no prior experience or training. Everyone who is able and willing to snowshoe can and should, no matter their age! It is a great way to get the kids outside and hike through pristine powder snow. Today, I will be giving tips and tricks so you’ll feel confident to start snowshoeing with kids. Everything you need to get started; minus the information about your local area.
What is snowshoeing?
Let’s start with the question some of you may be asking…”What is snowshoeing?” Basically, snowshoeing is a type of hiking that involves walking over or on top of the snow with the assistance of footwear that displaces your weight over a larger area (so you don’t sink). With origins roughly 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, snowshoeing has played a vital role in remote mountain survival, with trappers and traders utilizing snowshoes to traverse the inaccessible regions of the wilderness. What started thousands of years ago as an essential mode of winter transportation has evolved into a popular recreational activity.
Snowshoeing is a great way to start enjoying winter!
Benefits of snowshoeing
There are so many great benefits of snowshoeing for kids. One of the best things about snowshoeing is that you and your children will get a great workout (you’re more likely to be warm than cold while snowshoeing). Snowshoeing is a wonderful way to get your body moving and work on those big gross motor skills. Snowshoeing is an excellent low-impact aerobic exercise and works muscles that kids may not otherwise exercise at home.
Also, snowshoeing is a relatively quiet and peaceful activity. You can easily talk to your children or friends or listen to the sounds of nature (birds, running water, etc.). It’s a wonderful way to bond with the kids and talk about their day or challenges. It allows you to get out of your own head and let nature clear away your thoughts and worries. Snowshoeing can be therapeutic!
Speaking of talking, it’s a great social activity to do with friends and family. Adults, kids of all ages and ability levels can enjoy snowshoeing together. For families that love hiking together, snowshoeing lets you extend your hiking season through the year and lets you enjoy solitude in areas that might be crowded in summer. In general, there are way fewer people venturing outdoors in the winter, so it’s easy to find an area for a peaceful snowshoe adventure.
Snowshoeing is also easy to learn and inexpensive to try. If gear and lift-ticket prices for skiing or snowboarding give you pause, you’ll be happy to know that snowshoeing is affordably priced. Your required gear includes snowshoes (see below for more on this) and appropriate outdoor winter attire. Poles are recommended, but not required.
Good for kids of all ages
Individuals of any age and ability can go snowshoeing. Your outing can be tailored to match your interests and fitness levels, making this a great way to get outside as a family and have fun together (big and little kids alike). Snowshoe outings can be anything from a leisurely walk in the park, a casual outing to explore nature, or a steep and difficult backcountry hike!
Waterproof boots and snowshoes with a simple strap are important.
Where to find snowshoes
If you want to give snowshoeing a try, the first thing you’ll need to do is locate some snowshoes. Snowshoes are basically large flat “shoes” that distribute your weight over the surface of the snow so that you can walk (or float) over it. The design of the snowshoe is to deter snow accumulation and allow for optimal maneuverability. You may remember seeing cartoons with large wood frames with lattice (that look like a giant tennis racket). But today’s snowshoes have evolved to use durable lightweight metals, plastics and synthetic fibers.
For your first time, I’d recommend either borrowing snowshoes from a friend or renting them for the day. Snowshoe rentals are available at most REI stores, or local sporting good stores as well as a lot of ski resorts for a small fee. For example, our local REI rents children’s snowshoes for $8 per day.
After your initial snowshoeing excursion or two, it is likely you’ll want to invest in some snowshoes of your own, and some for your kids. I’ve listed the equipment we use, love and recommend near the end of this post. Some things to look for are simple but secure straps (that eventually the kids can put on and remove on their own), and good grip on the bottom, for secure footing in slippery and deep snow.
How to dress for snowshoeing
How you dress for any winter activity will make or break your day. And with kids involved, I like to minimize the risk of them being uncomfortable. If they stay warm and have fun, it is more likely they will want to go out snowshoeing again and again. Which, in turn, will make your winter so much more enjoyable. The easiest way to dress for snowshoeing is basically to dress the same way you would to go sledding. At the end of this article, I’ve listed recommendations for the gear we have been using for years.
Start with a base layer – The best base layers are wool or synthetic material. Also known as long-johns! This layer is temperature regulating and wicks moisture. Nice warm wool socks are a great investment for winter activities.
Add a mid-layer – This is your insulating layer ~ think a fleece, sweater, or even a down vest.
Finally, add an outer layer – Snowsuits (or snow pants and a winter coat), mittens (waterproof), and a good hat. The best outer layers are waterproof! We love our Reima snowsuits.
Snowboots – Again, start with a waterproof option, or at least a boot with a waterproof base (a lot of boots will be waterproof just over the foot area, but not up to the calf.)
Sunscreen and sunglasses – Sunscreen in winter might seem weird, however, the sun is hitting you from the top and also reflecting off of the snow, so double whammy. The good news is that usually only their little face is showing under their winter gear, so it will only take a few seconds to rub some sunscreen on. We love All Good Sunscreen.
Investing in warm winter clothing will determine whether you and your children enjoy winter…or dread it. I, for one, choose the first option. Life is better outside!
Bring a sled and your furry friends as an added bonus! Make snowshoeing even more fun!
How to snowshoe with kids
Now comes the important part…how to snowshoe with kids! The good news is, that if you can walk, you can snowshoe! It’s about that easy! Have you ever tried walking in snorkel fins? Walking in snowshoes may feel similar to that at first. You’ll need to take bigger steps, and lift your knees higher than you normally do. Your heel will be mobile though (it’s not strapped down), so really, it’s much easier than snorkel fins!
Starting on a packed-down trail will be easier than starting in deep snow. Many winter areas have cross-country ski and snowshoe trails that are relatively flat and very easy for beginners to get started. Your stride should be wider than it is for hiking in order to avoid stepping on the insides of your snowshoe frames. Because of that, you may find your hips and groin muscles aching a bit after the first few times you snowshoe, but those muscles will get stronger quickly and you won’t notice it so much after a few outings.
Where to go snowshoeing with kids
There are so many places you can go snowshoeing, and your location will dictate the types of terrain and available areas that you have as options. However, here are few places you can look into, which may allow snowshoeing in your area:
City, county, state, and national parks
Golf courses
Open or backcountry space
Your own backyard
City streets or country roads
Flat hiking trails
Nordic centers (around ski resorts)
Mountain lodges & resorts
Simple tips for beginner snowshoeing
While snowshoeing is a very easy outdoor activity to do with kids, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to make your outing successful. Here are some tips that we’ve learned over the years of snowshoeing with our kids.
Research trails
On your first couple of outings, keep it short and sweet. Aim for a flat, groomed trail and try snowshoeing for 30 minutes. Heck, with little kids, 15 minutes may be all that you get out of them the first couple of times. Praise them for their efforts! Praise yourself! You got outside in winter! It will get easier, and I truly believe you’ll love winter more.
Invest in good winter gear
Good quality winter coats, snowpants, and boots for the whole family can be expensive. Try a second-hand store for gently used winter gear. Kids grow out of things so quickly that rarely their gear is worn out by the time they need the next size. That is why it makes sense to buy second-hand. Not to mention, it is much easier on the environment. If you cannot find any gently-used gear, REI is a great place to buy clothing and supplies. They have a great return policy if something doesn’t end up working out for you or your children.
Bring a backpack
It’s always nice to have a backpack on you, filled with some essentials. We always pack a compass, map, snacks, water, camera, spare gloves, sunscreen, First Aid Kit, and phone. Include whatever essential items you may need to stay safe and warm (extra gloves, hand warmers, etc.).
Pack snacks
As I mentioned before, snowshoeing is a really great workout. You’ll be burning calories from snowshoeing itself, and if it is cold outside, your body will be using energy to keep you warm. Solution? Snacks. Always snacks. Having a filling snack on the trail will keep everyone happy. Think carbs and protein. Also water! It may seem counterintuitive that you’ll need to drink water, but in the cold and during exercise you breathe faster so you lose water just with exhalation. An easy thing to bring is a PB&J sandwich and a water bottle. Also, a quick dose of sugar (a piece of dried fruit or hot chocolate, for example) is always nice to have on hand in case someone starts to meltdown.
Have fun
As parents, we all know that our attitudes affect our children’s attitudes. If we’re not having fun, chances are that they aren’t either. But if they see how excited we are to do this, they just might be more open-minded about it. Point out the trees, plants and animals around you. Tell them repeatedly how well they’re doing. This applies to any activity, not just snowshoeing. If they’re not enjoying the hike, stop and build a snowman! Or bring a sled to play on. Or have a delicious snack.
Be safe
Before you leave for your outdoor adventure, tell someone where you’re going, when to expect you back, and mark the location where you parked. It is easy to get turned around in the snow when the entire ground is white. If it starts snowing, it can be even worse.
Snowshoeing gear recommendations
Again, snowshoeing is a great entry-level outdoor activity for kids that doesn’t require a lot of gear or equipment. However, there are definitely benefits of making sure you’re dressed appropriately for outdoor weather when doing anything outside with kids in the winter. Obviously, none of this is required for a good time, but here is the gear that we have tried and tested over the years and love and recommend to you.
Snowshoes – When you’re ready to invest in snowshoes for yourself or your kids, start with flat terrain snowshoes. They’re designed to walk on flat, groomed, or rolling terrain. Smaller snowshoes are better for compact snow, larger snowshoes provide more “floatation” and are best for deep powder. The snowshoes will list the recommended weight (this is your body weight plus gear).
Boots – We have had the best luck with Kamik boots – waterproof, warm, and durable.
Base Layer – We like a fleece-lined long john layer. This option comes in plenty of colors.
Insulating (mid-layer) – A fleece jacket is a great mid-layer and can also be used year-round to take the chill off during evenings outside. We love Columbia Fleece.
Outer layer – We can’t say enough about our Reima snowsuits! Waterproof and toasty warm!
Mittens – Fingers warm each other (so we like mittens better than gloves) these are a good option, affordable and waterproof.
Starting a new winter activity can be so exciting, and snowshoeing is a simple, fun way to enjoy an afternoon outside with your children. It is quiet enough that you can talk as you go, but also gives a great workout. The views you can find in the winter are incredible and it will give you a whole new appreciation for the beauty of winter. We really hope you’ll give snowshoeing a try this winter. Get those kids (and yourself) outside for a fun new adventure!
Have you ever tried snowshoeing with kids? I would love to hear about your snowshoeing adventures!
About the author
Ashley is an RN certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. She’s a nature-loving mother of two who is passionate about outdoor education for parents and their children. Ashley grew up in Alaska, where her family spent most of their time outdoors fishing, camping, skiing, and hiking. She currently lives with her husband and children near the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe, where they can be found outdoors year-round; hiking, backpacking, biking, skiing, and camping. She is also very passionate about photography and owns a small photography business.
If you’re anywhere close to the coast and interested in a fun outdoor activity that will not only provide hours of entertainment, but also provide dinner, we’ve got a post for you! Today, Creative Team member and California mom of three, Araceli Gonzalez takes on a winter crabbing with kids adventure. She walks us through everything you need to know to get started winter crabbing with kids, what to bring and how to catch them! Enjoy (with butter)!
Winter crabbing with kids
Are you looking for a fun winter activity to do with your kids beachside? Are your kids into catching dinner? Let’s go CRABBING! Because there’s nothing quite as amazing as fresh crab with a side of BUTTER, right? Yes, please!
One of our favorite winter activities is crabbing along the California Coast. Crabbing is a fun and easy activity for the entire family. It’s a great way to get outside and catch some dinner while burning some energy, enjoying the fresh air, and taking in the scenery of the glorious coast. Going on a winter crab hunt makes for a fun day trip or a weekend camping adventure. We oftentimes crab hunt while camping and there is nothing like taking a bucket of crab back to our campsite, cooking it up over an open fire pit and enjoying it dipped in warm butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon!
I am no expert on crabbing, but will do my best to walk you through the basics!
Crabbing license & regulations
We live in California and the most abundant crab around here is the Dungeness crab. Crabbing is popular along the Bay and up and down the Coast. While it may sound simple enough to go out and catch dinner, it’s important to understand local laws and regulations as they can change from year to year.
Before you venture out, make sure you read up on your local licensing requirements and understand the rules and regulations governing crabbing. In California, recreational crabbing season runs from November through about July. There are typically daily bag requirements as well as minimum size limits for the crabs you can catch and keep.
We kick off the season in early November and enjoy it throughout the winter months. Seasons and regulations vary by state and can change from year to year. Recreating responsibly should always be top of mind so that we can all continue to enjoy these wild and gorgeous places.
Although my husband is the real subject matter expert, I managed to pick his brain to bring you some of the basics and methods we use when crabbing. Here are some basic supplies that you’ll need to get started crabbing:
gloves
ice chest
traps
bait
bait holder
crab measuring device
bait ties
crabbing license
How to catch crabs with a snare
There are several ways to prepare for the big catch. We enjoy crabbing right from shore with snares and a fishing rod. It’s a simple method that requires the least amount of equipment. To crab right from the shoreline all you need is a fishing rod and a snare to attach to the end.
A snare is a trap that tangles up the crab. It is a small bait box with loops of monofilament attached to it. Fill the snare with bait and toss it as far as possible from shore. Once you catch the crab it’s important to follow local regulations pertaining to the size of the crab and whether it’s large enough to keep. Measure the crab and if it does not meet size requirements release them back into the ocean.
My son helped this little guy right back into the ocean.
Rod holders help prop up the fishing rod while you wait for the big catch. Our boy sitting by the ocean and waiting for the bite…
Catching crab using crab pots
Now let’s talk crab pots. How do they work? Crab pots are larger and if you’re lucky, you can catch a lot more crab in one catch. Crab are lured into crab pots with bait. They walk directly into the large cages through openings that they can enter and once inside they cannot escape. There are several ways to tie the bait to the inside of cages and lots of different things you can use as crab bait.
Our go-to crab bait is usually squid, anchovies, and chicken. Once you open the cage it’s important to measure all your crab and only keep those that meet the size requirement. We carry a measuring tool that we use to determine which ones we can keep and the kids release the ones that are too small back into the ocean.
How to handle crab
Don’t get pinched! Safety always comes first when handling crab – both your safety and the safety of the crab. Crab handling is important and using caution can spare you from a pretty painful pinch. Once you have a good grip on the center of the crab, you can pick the crab up without getting pinched. Hold them firmly, but not so hard it damages the shell. Wearing gloves is the safest option. Here my husband helped secure the crab for this photo very carefully. He was pretty excited about his catch!
Benefits of crabbing
Crabbing requires patience, persistence, and has a meditative effect on kids and adults alike. Just like fishing, crabbing is great for our mental health because you’re spending time outside, surrounded by nature, water, and sand. We love exposing our kids to outdoor activities that reduce stress and anxiety. We treasure these moments away from all the noise and crabbing together is a great way to relax as a family. It’s also a great way for kids to know, respect, and appreciate where their food comes from. It connects them to our planet and makes them want to protect it for themselves and the animals that share it with us.
Sometimes a day trip is all you need to really enjoy the relaxing benefits of crabbing. While it may seem like a lot of work (as is almost any outdoor adventure with kids), a day trip to our favorite crabbing spot is always worth it. When a long camping trip isn’t possible for us, we make the most of day trips, so we can still enjoy our favorite activities. Sometimes we’ll wake up at 6 am, pack a lunch, make breakfast burritos for the road, and head to the beach. We arrive early and enjoy an entire day of crabbing and playing at the beach.
A winter tradition for the entire family
There are so many benefits in finding activities that the entire family can enjoy. Crabbing has become a tradition for our family and we look forward to crab season every winter. It means more beach adventure in the cold months when swimming and surfing aren’t an option. It’s also a healthy way for all of us to get outside, get some fresh air and Vitamin D (and Vitamin Sea). Just spending time near the water is often the cure for those winter blues.
And the opportunities for play for the kids are endless near the beach. Not everyone has to participate in the crabbing, there’s always plenty of other things to do. Digging sand holes, running through sand dunes, and simply enjoying our time together as a family. It is a great winter activity that will leave your family with countless memories for years to come.
I hope to see you out on the coast!
Have you ever caught a crab?
About the author
Araceli is a wife and momma to three wild and adventurous littles. She believes that nature and free play are truly the foundation of a beautiful childhood. Araceli and her husband have made it a priority to raise their children with a strong bond to the great outdoors. Araceli is a working mom with an extensive career in Project Management. She’s creative, crafty, and loves collecting houseplants. As a family, they love exploring wild places and she loves documenting their adventures.
Find more from Araceli in the following locations:
Instagram: @roaminggonzalez
All RWMC posts: Araceli
The winter months can be frigid, but that certainly doesn’t mean that you and your little ones have to stay inside! Now is a great time to find some fun and creative ways to get outside together with your kids. And even better if you can teach them a skill, while you’re at it! If you or your little one is into photography, we’ve got a treat for you. Today, Megan Rigdon, Maryland photographer and mom of three is sharing two super fun and free Winter Photo Scavenger Hunts for kids. Budding photographers of all ages will love this wintertime activity. So grab your favorite hat, mittens, and a camera, and let’s have some fun!
Winter photo scavenger hunt for kids
I love to get my kids outside as much as possible, year-round. It’s more important now than ever, with virtual learning and all the time spent inside on a screen. However, the cold winter months can make it trickier to get your little ones outside for fresh air and adventuring. Finding fun activities that teach and challenge them can make it a lot more enjoyable. Photography is my passion. My children see me capturing the world around me all the time! They also share my interest in photography and want to snap photos and see the finished project. So, when I created this fun outdoor winter photo scavenger hunt, I knew it would be a big success.
Winter children’s books to get you inspired
There are so many children’s books that would make a great intro to this fun adventure. My kids and I love reading some of these fun classics before venturing outside for our winter photo scavenger hunt. The books help get us excited about the season, the weather, and the cold. We talk about the pictures in the books, the scenes, and the characters. Here some of our favorite winter children’s books.
Luckily, arranging and setting up the winter photo scavenger hunt doesn’t take a lot of preparation or forethought. You only need a few things and we’ve got you covered. First, I gathered and prepared all of the materials that we would need before I told the children about our exciting plans for the day! For example, I printed the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt on 8.5 x 11 inch cardstock paper. Since my daughter would be using an instant camera, I taped a small sandwich bag on the back of the paper so that she could put her photographs in it. I gathered the camera and popped in the firm. I laid out all our winter clothing so we’d stay toasty warm while exploring outside. Finally, we were ready!
Two printable scavenger hunts
In order to make this fun for kids in both snowy and n0-snow conditions, I created two different versions of the winter photo scavenger hunt for kids. The first scavenger hunt printable is a “Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt” – this is perfect for a chilly winter day where it is absolutely fine if there is no snow on the ground. The kids can find things like a brown leaf, an evergreen branch, and a pinecone.
The second photo scavenger hunt printable is a “Snowy Day Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt.” This one is great for adventures outside when the snow has covered the ground. Children can search for a snow shovel, icicle, and a snowball. This activity also opens up opportunities for your child to make a snow angel and snowman too!
A hat, mittens, and boots are challenges listed on both versions of the winter photo scavenger hunt for kids, so make sure your little ones have bundled up appropriately for the winter weather! They will need to take pictures of these articles of clothing. Plus, the added warmth will help keep them cozy warm for longer while you’re outside snapping away and looking for all the items on your photo scavenger hunt.
Instant cameras
There are countless types of cameras your child could use for this challenge such as an instant print camera, your cell phone, or a digital camera. Instant cameras are a great way to get kids started in photography since it gives them some instant satisfaction. If you had a Polaroid growing up, you probably remember this feeling.
My daughter wanted to use her Fujifilm Instax camera. This camera prints the photos right away so she can immediately see the image she took. She loved using this camera and then showcasing her images in a special book when she finished the hunt.
Below is a list of some great options for instant cameras for kids (and adults).
Before you get started, there are a few tips you should share with your child on how to properly take and compose a photo.
Handle the camera with care. Use a strap to either secure around your child’s neck or wrist so it does not fall.
Take your time! Do not rush to take the picture.
Ask yourself…how can I capture this subject in a creative way? Is there a better angle? What’s in the background?
Hold your camera very still when taking the picture.
Ready for the hunt!
My daughter could not wait to start this fun winter photo scavenger hunt! She put on her fingerless red gloves, snuggly hat, and boots and headed outside! She looked around the yard for all of the winter challenges. The squeals of excitement when she found each challenge was so sweet. It just warmed my heart how happy she was to see the images that she had captured!
Photo keepsakes
After we completed the winter photo scavenger hunt, we came inside to warm up our fingers and toes! We set out all of the photographs and chatted about each challenge. My daughter decided to make a winter photo book to showcase all of the beautiful images that she captured. She glued the photographs to each page and labeled them. Throughout the winter, she can go outside and take a few more pictures to add to her book. What a lovely keepsake!
Are you kids into photography?
Have you ever done a winter photo scavenger hunt?
About the author
Megan Rigdon is a mother to three energetic children and lives on their family farm in Harford County Maryland. She is a lifestyle family photographer and a lover of joyful and colorful images. Megan has a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught kindergarten prior to having her own family. They spend as much time as possible exploring the farm and going on adventures together! Raising chickens, fishing, gardening, and crafting are just a few of her favorite things that she enjoys doing with her family.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
As Christmas decorations are packed away and the last of the eggnog is consumed, families will gather together to ring in a new year once again. A new year holds the promise of new beginnings and a fresh start. While it’s common for adults to set New Year’s resolutions, kids can get in on the action and set their own resolutions, too! Resolutions for kids need not be boring or related to schoolwork. Rather, New Year’s resolutions for outdoorsy kids should be fun and creative, especially if you want them to stick. Today, Creative Team member Michelle Garrett, California mom, and creator of Wonder Club Explorers, is here with six ideas for New Year’s resolutions for outdoorsy kids that love nature, exploration, and adventure.
New Year’s resolutions for kids
A New Year’s resolution is really just a goal. It can involve any number of things. Maybe it’s something to achieve, something to do more of, or an opportunity to try something new. With so many traditions disrupted this year on account of the pandemic, a New Year’s resolution can be a welcome distraction and a way to keep spirits up as children start a new year.
When you’re ready to start a conversation with your kids about resolution setting, start by asking them what they’d like to do this year. If a child is interested in making things with their hands, then offer them ideas for hobbies that involve tools that result in a finished product. Or, maybe your child has a budding interest in writing (lucky you!) and journaling might be their cup of tea. Regardless, help your child hone in on their potential interest and use that as the basis for a resolution.
Once your child has identified a resolution (or two), help them go about making a plan to follow through with their goal. Here’s where you’ll want to guide them to make the resolution both attainable and timely. While lofty goals are the stuff that dreams are made of, a new year’s resolution should be achievable. If not, kids will miss out on the intrinsic reward of personal growth and the sense of accomplishment associated with following through with something. In that regard, it could be helpful to establish incremental steps to help your child tackle a larger goal.
Outdoor-based resolutions
There’s no shortage of options for New Year’s resolutions for kids who love the outdoors. Maybe just getting outdoors more this year is resolution enough! There is also any number of hobbies and activities to inspire a child to try something new. When you are ready to broach the conversation of resolution setting, it’s helpful to have a few activities in mind to start the conversation. Activities that spark curiosity and capture a child’s imagination and creativity. Here are six ideas for New Year’s resolutions for outdoorsy kids that are tickled by the notion of exploration and adventure.
Plein Air painting
The art of painting outside is called Plein Air painting. If your child likes to express themselves through art and also loves to be outside, then leave the four walls of a room behind and try painting outdoors. Give your child a prompt like “paint what you see” or paint a specific item in nature. Then, let their creativity take hold as they sketch and paint an outdoor landscape. This is a wonderful New Year’s resolution for outdoorsy kids because it allows them to express themselves creatively while breathing in the fresh air and stimulating all the senses. Plus, painting is messy. Taking this activity outside gives them a little extra room to be as messy as they want without the dreaded clean-up of an indoor paint session.
Photography
Fun fact! Ansel Adams got his first camera when he was 12 years old. Could you imagine a world without the iconic and awe-inspiring landscape photographs snapped by Ansel Adams? A fantastic New Year’s resolution for an outdoorsy kid is to learn about photography. Learning outdoor photography can be immediately rewarding. Teaching kids at an early age how to operate a camera, compose a photo, and actually develop or print a photograph is a fun way to explore a new hobby. Not to mention, it gives kids a chance to create their own artwork to hang on a wall or gift to a friend.
If your child is interested in learning more about photography, our friend Nichole teaches a Photography 101 for Little Creatives workshop. In the workshop, Nicole shares basic photography techniques and knowledge about light, composition, and proper camera handling. She also includes 6 photography projects, such as creating a stop-motion video, completing a scavenger hunt, making a family tree, a pinhole camera, and a food photography challenge.
Journaling
Putting pencil to paper is an excellent way for kids to express themselves. Journaling need not be a diary, per se, but could be any number of things. A journal could have it’s very own theme, like gratitude or random thoughts. Or maybe a child’s journal is a place to silence an inner critic. It could serve as a place to talk about adventures taken or dream about adventures to be had. It can be for stories, drawings, observations, jokes, or funny things that happened each day. As far as New Year’s resolutions for kids go, journaling can pay off dividends given how important written communication is in school and life.
Knitting
A little known fact about knitting- it keeps your brain sharp! It helps to redirect one’s focus and exercises both sides of the brain. Besides all of those good-for-you benefits, knitting is a fun hobby for kids to pursue as a New Year’s resolution. Why? Kids will get excited about individualizing their own knitted creations. They get to make choices about the color of yarn to the length and fit of their knitted pieces. They could even make their own stuffies and blankets to decorate their rooms. These may become cherished items that comfort them throughout childhood.
If you want to combine knitting with learning about the weather and temperature outside, consider knitting (or crocheting) a temperature blanket! These are hand-made blankets where each row (or two) in the blanket is a different color, based on the temperature outside that day! It’s such a brilliant idea and really fun and colorful for those that live in areas where the temperature varies a lot. Most people follow a temperature blanket chart which tells them which colors to use, but you can also make your own chart depending on the weather/temperature in your location.
Whittling
Whittling is a cool hobby and past time that translates well beyond childhood. Carving or whittling wood doesn’t require a lot of equipment. A good Swiss Army Knife and safety gloves are really all that one needs to have fun learning the basics of whittling wood. Whittling is also a great motivator to get kids outdoors. Kids can collect twigs and tree branches while on hikes and nature walks for future whittling practice and projects. With the right safety precautions, whittling is a fun hobby to try as part of a New Year’s resolution for outdoorsy kids.
Start with easy tasks, such as stripping bark off a stick. This stick can then be used to toast marshmallows over the campfire. Or feathering a stick that can then be used for kindling on the campfire.
Making something comes secondary to learning how to use the knife safely and properly, so make sure you start with the basics of proper handling and care.
Start with softer easier woods such as silver birch, alder, or sycamore.
Use young wood that is not so dried out…but never take it off the bush or tree. Always use what you can find lying around you on the ground.
Exploring
Regardless of age, the spirit of adventure should be cultivated! If your wee ones want to get in on some fun adventuring, my son and I created Wonder Club Explorers to instill wonder and curiosity through easy and approachable character-building activities. Becoming a member of an outdoor-based activity club is a great way to stay accountable through the year for taking adventures and getting outside. This is a great new year’s resolution for outdoorsy kids that gives them lots of fun activities and adventures. Nature-loving kids can even earn patches for their adventures without the burden of fundraising and meetings. As far as New Year’s resolutions go, exploring and adventures are the stuff of which memories are made!
Making resolutions fun
The most important thing to remember about New Year’s resolutions for outdoor kids is that they should be fun! Resolutions are an opportunity to try something new, to pick up a new skill, to learn and grown. And to have fun! To help kids with their resolutions, consider finding them an accountability buddy to keep their resolution top of mind, lest it is forgotten. As this year draws to a close and we feel hopeful about better days to come, resolution setting can reap big rewards and draw outdoor-loving families even closer together. To that end and from our house to yours…
Happy New Year!
About the author
Michelle spends her days working on projects to improve the quality of life for the citizens of her community and her nights reading books to her 6 year-old about every kind of dinosaur there ever was (there are 900 validated species, in case you’re wondering). Together with her son, Michelle created Wonder Club Explorers, a company to inspire wonder and curiosity in kids. She carves out time for herself on the weekends as an early morning exerciser and metalsmith of fine jewelry. She resides in Altadena with her husband and son amongst California Oak trees and a stone’s throw of the San Gabriel Mountains.
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This case is for organizing photos but it works GREAT for seeds. Find it 
Spiders make a regular appearance in our garden. 
