Exploring with Kids

HIKE, HOLIDAYS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Valentine’s Day Outdoor Activity: Nature Heart Hunt
- February 1, 2021
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and that typically means a whole lot of love and hearts! Let’s embrace the hearts and invite nature to be our valentine this year. Today, Creative Team member, Katie Fox, an RV-living roadschooling mom of 2, takes us on an outdoor nature heart hunt. She shows us how we can take this love-filled holiday outside and enjoy time together as a family, connecting with each other and nature. Let’s all go hunting for nature hearts!

“Keep close to Nature’s Heart…” – John Muir

Hearts aplenty

It’s the time of year when many of us get crafty with heart shapes and spend time with our children making cards and decorations to show friends and family how much we care. If you are looking for ideas, these heart-shaped seed bombs are amazing! Or, maybe, we are busy (or our kids beg us) and we buy pre-made decorations and boxed valentines for our children to complete on their own. There’s no shame in saving your sanity and buying Valentines with your child’s favorite character.

But, no matter how your family prepares and celebrates, Valentine’s Day is the time of year when kindness and love shine through. This is important. Many holidays focus on giving, but Valentine’s Day is tied to the heart. Indeed, the holiday’s focus is entirely about love and kindness. It doesn’t have to be romantic love, either. It can be about the love you feel for your family, friends, and neighbors.

You do not need to buy into the commercialized element of the holiday to spend time with loved ones focused on connecting, being kind, and your love for each other. And today, I’m sharing with you a fun outdoor activity for the entire family. Going on a nature heart hunt is the perfect way to spend some time outdoors exploring and have a little adventure with the kids.

Valentine and heart fun facts

In fact, connection and love are essentially where the heart shape and holiday stem from.

I am a lover of history and learning new things, so naturally, I delight in finding reasons to look into why things are the way they are. For instance, why is the heart a symbol of love? Why does the heart shape occur in nature? Who was Saint Valentine? And why is this holiday named after him?

These are just a few examples of the questions that ran through my head as I began to brainstorm writing this nature heart hunt post. I won’t share all of the new facts I learned after diving down this rabbit hole of information (the amount of information may overwhelm you, as it did me), but here are the most interesting discoveries.

The heart as a symbol of love may actually find its origins in nature!

Ivy leaves, lily pads, and silphium leaves (an extinct ancient North African plant) are all heart-shaped, and their respective cultures connected them, in some way, to fidelity or reproduction. Over time, the depictions of these plants in art may have morphed from heart-shaped leaves to simply the heart shape.

The heart shape connection to love may come from anatomy drawings dating back to the Middle Ages.

Since the heart organ has long been seen as connected to human emotions, the heart-shaped drawing of the organ eventually began to represent love.

Saint Valentine and his role in the love-filled holiday is equally uncertain.

Some say Saint Valentine did not agree with a law forbidding young men from marrying (in hopes of making them more battle worthy), so he performed marriage ceremonies in secret. However, others believe Saint Valentine was another (of the dozen or so who held the name Valentine) martyred man altogether.

The heart shape’s prominence in nature was a difficult one to find information on.

The only thing that even suggested the reason for the occurrence of this shape in nature, referred exclusively to the leaf shape. It proposed the heart shape enabled the plants to obtain more sunlight.

The holiday was likely invented by a poet!

Geoffrey Chaucer, who often combined or altered traditions in his poems, wrote Parliament of Foules in 1375 and suggested that on the day February 14th birds and humans should come together and find a mate.

“For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”

Hearts found in nature

Now, you might be thinking, where are some good places to start hunting for nature hearts? This is a great question and the answer is simple. Pretty much everywhere outdoors! Check out these ideas to get you started on your nature heart hunt.
- Clouds
- Rocks
- Leaves
- Puddles
- Fungi
- Lichen
- Tree bark
- Shadows
- Animal spots
- Tree cavities
- Animal tracks (think deer hooves or dog prints)
- Cactus limbs
- Shells
- Tree stumps
- Cracks in mud or sidewalks
- Snow mounds
- Tree branches
- Flowers
- Black walnuts (look inside)
- Graffiti or murals
Hunting for nature hearts

The first rule in nature heart hunting is that there are no rules in heart hunting. There is absolutely no wrong way to go hunting for hearts in nature, so your heart hunt can be anywhere and any way you want. My family started going on nature heart hunts a couple of years ago. I cannot remember where I got the idea, but it stuck and we love it. So, whoever you are who shared this idea, thank you!

You may be surprised to know this, but the heart shape naturally appears in nature everywhere! There are literally hearts all around you! Once you start looking, you will notice them all the time. And if you are anything like me, you will begin to snap a photo each time, too. As a result, you may develop quite a collection of nature heart photos.

Eye spy – the heart-shaped version

Hunting for hearts is such a fun and easy outdoor activity. It’s basically iSpy (eye spy?) where you’re only looking for hearts. You can play this on any hike, walk, or outing. A nature heart hunt is perfect for kids of all ages (and adults). It can easily keep my young children engaged and moving forward on our outdoor adventures. So far, each and every time I suggest we hit the trail and search for hearts, my kids are 100% committed instantly! Certainly, this activity will fail me one day, but for now, I am enjoying hunting nature hearts with my children.

I search for heart-shapes right along with them and show them any I see. I always make sure to give them an opportunity to point them out first. My 3-year-old enjoys spotting the heart-shaped rocks, tree cavities, and lichen. Whereas, my 6-year-old usually dedicates his time to finding heart-shaped leaves or plants.

Find them or make your own

Do you want to know the best part about this particular nature heart hunt activity? We almost always find several examples, even if they are not perfect. And, if for some reason we don’t find any nature hearts. we simply make our own! It’s super fun to make a heart shape using a few pieces of nature nearby on the ground (leaves, sticks, flowers, etc.) and the kids consider it a complete success!

Love actually is all around

Hearts are literally all around us. They are in the sidewalk cracks, tree bark, playground equipment, leaves, rocks, and clouds. Most importantly, all of these things are available in most outdoor environments and all are great places to find those hidden hearts. You don’t need to go far or anywhere fancy for your nature heart hunt because love is all around, wherever you are!

So, as this love-filled holiday draws closer, take your family outside (a park, playground, neighborhood walk, trail hike, or any other adventure) and go hunting for nature hearts. It is easy and fun and will fill your heart with happiness.

Have you ever found a heart in nature?

“When you realise Earth and Heart are spelled with the same letters, it all begins to make sense.” — Unknown author

About the author

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 snail. 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
Website: http://www.familyinwanderland.com
Facebook: @familyinwanderland
RWMC posts: Katie Fox
FAMILY TRAVEL, HIKE, NATIONAL PARKS, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SUMMER
Exploring Capitol Reef National Park with Kids
- July 3, 2020
Exploring national parks can be an amazing experience for families. One of Utah’s most beautiful and underrated parks is Capitol Reef National Park. This park is great for hiking, learning about new cultures, camping, appreciating natural beauty, bonding as a family, finding yourself, and so much more. Today, we have Katie Fox, a full-time RV-traveling mom of 2, here with everything you need to know about exploring Capitol Reef National Park with kids.

Exploring Capitol Reef National Park with kids

Our family loves exploring national parks. However, one big problem with national parks is that they’re usually huge and have so many neat places to explore. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are anything like me, the list of things to do and places to see can be daunting and overwhelming when trying to plan your adventure. This is especially true when you factor in planning a trip that accommodates the needs and desires of small children. Never fear! I’ve got your back. I’m here to share everything you need to know to plan a successful, family-friendly weekend adventure exploring Capitol Reef National Park with kids.

Capitol Reef kid-friendly hiking trails

There are numerous hiking opportunities at Capitol Reef. The options can feel overwhelming if you don’t know much about the area. Here are a couple of kid-friendly hiking trails in Capitol Reef that are easy to squeeze into an adventure-packed weekend in the park.

Sulphur Creek Waterfall Trail

Sulphur Creek Waterfall Trail in Capitol Reef National Park is a 1.8-mile round trip hike. It’s easy and, while it is a full sun hike, it’s a really great way to beat the heat! The trail begins right behind the visitor center and follows the shallow Sulphur Creek as it meanders through red rock canyons. We walked in the creek almost the entire time. The water helped keep us nice and cool.

If that isn’t amazing enough, it ends at a large swimming hole and small waterfall. The swimming hole is murky brown because of the red clay bottom. The water temperature is perfect! There is just something surreal and wondrous about taking a dip surrounded by the lovely red rock canyon walls. The best part? Even if you don’t make it to the waterfall and swimming hole, you and your little hikers can still play in the creek and enjoy the amazing views.

Hickman Bridge Trail

Hickman Bridge Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Capitol Reef National Park. If you are looking to avoid crowds, this one may not be for your family. Full disclosure, this 1.8-mile round trip hike is in full sun and has some elevation gain that is sure to tire little legs. If you’re up for it, I recommend hiking this one in the morning, when the temperatures are cooler.

The trail does offer stunning views, such as the ruins of a granary and the foundation of a pithouse used by the Fremont Culture, as well as the smaller Nels Johnson Bridge. If you, like our family and many overly ambitious parents before you, attempt this hike and find you aren’t up for finishing it, just know you are not alone!

Gooseneck Overlook

This .2 mile round trip hike (yes, you read that right), is at the end of a washboard dirt road. If you and your vehicle are up for the bumpy ride, the overlook is beautiful. We even saw an adorable snake chasing a lizard, which obviously captivated the children more than the beautiful view.

Capitol Reef kid-friendly activities

There are lots of other kid-friendly activities to do at the park besides hike. These are the experiences that really make Capitol Reef distinct from the other nearby national parks. They really add that extra something special.

Fruit picking in historic pioneer orchards

Yes, that is correct! There are fruit trees in the historic town of Fruita. You are able to meander through them and pick fruit to your heart’s content. They have apricots, cherries, apples, mulberries, plums, peaches, walnuts, and more. They bag and charge for what you leave the orchard with, so be prepared with cash. Check the Capitol Reef website to find out which fruit is ripe for the picking when you go, because orchards are notoriously finicky. Avoid my mistake and speak with a ranger or call ahead to double-check which fruit is available. We went in early June and nothing was ready yet. My kids were expecting a fruit picking experience and it was unfortunate to have it end up being unavailable.

Pies at Gifford House

Nothing lifts people’s spirits quite like pie, right? If you do happen to follow in my footsteps and the orchards are not available, grab a fruit pie at Gifford House! Gifford House is a restored Mormon pioneer house that operates as a small storefront. Inside the store, you’ll find delicious fresh-baked pies, cinnamon rolls, sourdough bread, homemade ice cream, replicas of items pioneers would use in daily life, and more. Once you purchase your pie (or various other goodies), there is a lovely grass area right out front where you can sit and enjoy your treats while taking in the spectacular red rock walls.

Be on the lookout for marmots

Have you ever seen a marmot? I realize marmots are not just in Capitol Reef National Park, but we’d never seen them before. These adorable little creatures inhabit the area of Fruita. There are signs along the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive warning of their frequent road crossing. If you happen to see one, count yourself lucky. Plus, a sighting may also lend itself nicely to learning more about the chunky little creatures.

Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

If your little hikers are tired of all the walking, or if it’s too hot to be outside, consider a driving tour of the park. The Capitol Reef Scenic Drive is a sixteen-mile round-trip drive and is absolutely stunning. It offers a lot of different views of the park and all the areas. Not to mention, there are weather permitting offshoot dirt roads you can venture down and explore. Capitol Gorge Road and the highly recommended Grand Wash Road meander through tall rock canyon walls and provide more beautiful views. Even if you skip the detours, the drive is lovely and has pull outs for you to stop and take photos or just linger to soak in the views.

Earn a Junior Ranger badge

The chance to earn a Junior Ranger badge is available at almost all national parks and is a great way to round out your trip. With my kids, this experience always adds some additional fun (and learning) to our park adventures. The Junior Ranger booklets are chock-full of information about the park, including geology, plants, animals, Leave No Trace practices, and the former peoples and cultures to inhabit the land.

As part of the Junior Ranger program in Capitol Reef, you must attend a ranger talk. There are so many amazing options, including bats, geology, the Fremont culture, and more. Plus, if you turn in your completed booklets, you get a badge and sworn in as a Junior Ranger. If your little ones are like mine and struggle with the end of a trip, the swearing-in process is a wonderful send-off and makes leaving a little easier for everyone.

Explore the cultures at Capitol Reef National Park

One of my favorite things about national parks is how they try to incorporate information about the cultures and people that inhabited the land before it became federally protected land. Here are a couple of kid-friendly activities and options to incorporate cultural learning and bring awareness to your adventures at Capitol Reef.

Explore the historic town of Fruita

If you have time, Fuita is a little pioneer town full of buildings to explore and things to see. An old-school house, a barn, Gifford House (as mentioned above), a nature center (which due to Covid-19 we were unable to explore), and more. There are signs to provide some information about each building too. I found it really neat to share with my children how the Fremont people lived in the area before the Mormon pioneers and how each culture was different. I am a total history nerd and very much enjoy learning these types of things.

Petroglyph Point

Petroglyph Point is a short trail right off the main road. This is such a lovely stop and I highly recommend it. There are several spots to view the petroglyphs created by the Fremont culture and some are in amazing shape. My little ones tried to guess what each symbol meant and we looked them up later in a petroglyph handbook we picked up at the visitor center.

Capitol Reef National Park resources

There are so many amazing things to do while exploring Capitol Reef National Park with kids. This is a small list of all the amazing things Capitol Reef has to offer. The Capitol Reef website provides a variety of other options, and even has a section for visiting with children.

Looking for some more information to make your trip the best it can be? Read up here for some more tips from Run Wild My Child.
- A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking with Kids
- Hiking With a Toddler
What’s your favorite place to explore in Capitol Reef National Park?

About the author

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 snail. As they wander the North American continent, Katie explores as much as possible, with a particular fondness 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. 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
Website: http://www.familyinwanderland.com
Facebook: @familyinwanderland