outdoor kids

FALL, HIKE, INFORMATION, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How to Get Kids Outside During the School Year
- October 2, 2019
It’s that time of year again – our children are trading in their beach towels for backpacks and holding pencils more than sidewalk chalk. Whether you homeschool or traditional school, back-to-school generally means less free time and fewer hours to play outside. Not only that, but the days are growing shorter and the weather’s turning cooler. Getting kids outside during the school year can be a challenge. However, spending time outside in nature is still necessary for our kids’ physical health, mental focus, and emotional development. Today, the amazing Leslie Alvis, Ohio homeschooling mom of four, is here sharing a few ideas for practical ways to build outdoor routines into your school days. Hopefully, these tips will help you incorporate more nature into your busy schedule without making outdoor time feel like one more thing on your to-do list.

Make nature time a priority

Whether back to school means a traditional school program for you or homeschooling with a flexible schedule, days become extra busy as you settle into a fall routine. Many of us have kids involved in extra-curricular activities and sports. It’s easy to feel like we don’t have enough time for nature exploration during the school year. However, a busy schedule doesn’t mean the outdoor adventures have to stop! In fact, I think it should help us make nature time even more of a priority. We’re here to show you how to get kids outside during the school year.

Our kids need us to help them balance the demands of school with the freedom of childhood and the wonder of exploring outdoors. Formal education is necessary, but children also require time outside for proper growth and development. Ginny Yurich, author, educator, and founder of the 1000 Hours Outside movement, says,

Nature play facilitates growth in every area, making time outside a crucial part of the landscape of childhood.”

Time outside matters

Time spent outdoors doesn’t always have to be done in giant hour+ long chunks. Even on busy days, there are many ways to get our kids outside for short amounts of time, which still have huge benefits for kids. A quick break to explore outside helps break up the mental stress of school. While a long hike or bike ride gives them a chance to catch their breath mentally while also strengthening their bodies, sometimes a short walk/ride around the neighborhood is just what they need. Weekend adventures provide fun and memories for the whole family, but short outings to a local park are great for when you don’t have tons of time. Our family tries to include a mix of these different activities throughout the school year to keep us all enjoying the great outdoors, no matter our schedules or the weather. Time outside gives us space to breathe and the freedom to explore.

Take walks to get kids outside

Walks are one of the easiest ways to get kids outside and moving! A family walk can happen anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t have to take long or have the perfect setting. Just look around at what you do each day and see if you can link a walk into that activity. Walk to the bus stop. Stroll to get the mail. Wander to the end of the street…around the block…down a country lane.

As homeschoolers, we work a daily walk into our school routine as our recess. Sometimes we do it when the lessons are dragging long, or sometimes as soon as the school day is finished. But at some point, we grab the bikes, scooters, and stroller (and the dog! Our neighbors call us a parade!) and head outside for some fresh air and exercise. The time out in nature is good for us all. I’m pretty sure it’s all that saves my sanity on some long winter days.

When you get your kids outside to take a walk, you’re not only getting active together, but you are also exploring and observing nature together. My kids never fail to find something wonderful to point out to me on our walks. The bunny that’s always lurking near the vacant lot on the next street over. A brilliantly colored leaf or flower. A puffy cloud.

There are a world of discoveries from every sidewalk, driveway, and walking trail. Sometimes we have more time to linger and wander than others, but wherever we are outside, we see amazing and beautiful parts of the natural world. Getting kids outdoors on a walk is a great way to tailor-fit a quick nature adventure to your family’s busy schedule.

Evening adventures get kids outside

Sometimes our days get really full and busy. I try to plan at least one evening (or late afternoon as the days grow shorter) each week to intentionally get outside! Look at your schedules and find an hour somewhere in the week to go have a little outdoor adventure. Play at the park. Walk in the woods. Blow bubbles. Get some friends together to play frisbee or hide-and-seek together in the lingering twilight. Again, this doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just requires you being intentional about making time for your family to breathe in the fresh air and explore nature together. You won’t be sorry you did!

Take kids’ school outside

Another way to get kids outside after school is simply to take the lessons or homework outside! Before you discard that idea as impractical and impossible, I challenge you to give it a try. When the weather is nice, set up a school/homework station on the porch, the backyard or in the tree fort. Let your older students take their reading up in their favorite tree. Pack up the backpacks and snacks and go sit in a picnic area at a park. There are so many ways to help kids take their schoolwork outside!

Yes, you may have to keep tabs on them and make sure they aren’t totally distracted from their work. But honestly, most of the time kids will buckle down and get their book work done when they realize all the many other things they would rather be doing outside! And wouldn’t you rather have your kids distracted by the mystery of the cicadas and the falling leaves than sitting inside glancing at a computer or television?

We are a second-generation homeschooling family. I grew up hauling my textbooks outside every chance I got. I loved it. (This probably contributes to the feeling of claustrophobia when I’m stuck indoors.) It motivates me to give my own children the same opportunities to get outside in all seasons, doing all kinds of things. Even schoolwork.

Outdoor learning

Whether you homeschool or not, there are a lot of ways to extend learning outside. When you step out into nature, everything around you is a science lesson, art lesson and history lesson. Studying the beauty of nature gives inspiration to every kind of art. Observing the mysteries of the natural world naturally leads to questions and learning about plants, animals and how things have changed over time. Time spent in nature is never time wasted. So, when your days are busy with school schedules and extra-curricular activities, don’t forget that time in nature is an essential part of your children’s education, too.

Look for ways to include outdoor time as part of school! Choose a nature-based science fair project. Conduct your own STEM activities outside using nature. Help your kids study the weather, the seasons, the natural world around them. Volunteer in your child’s classroom to take them outside to work in the school garden or go for a nature walk. Incorporating education into your outdoors time is one of the best ways to make sure you are getting your kids outside after school starts.

Picnics get kids outside

Is the sun shining? Is the sky so blue it takes your breath away? What about the breeze that’s the perfect combination of crisp air and gentle warmth? Take advantage of the lovely fall weather and have a picnic! Take PB&J sandwiches on a hike. Order pizza delivery to your favorite local park. Or build a campfire in your backyard and cook hot dogs and s’mores. Kids don’t need fancy food—they need time outdoors and memories with their families. Impromptu meals outside on a gorgeous day are some of my favorite times with my kids.

Weekend adventures get kids outside

Another way to get kids outside during the school year is to plan weekend adventures! We all know that sometimes if we don’t make plans to do something, it just won’t happen. So, grab your calendar and make some plans. Pick a Saturday afternoon and go explore that state park. Find a new bike trail and spend a few hours on it. Go hiking together, or just go have a picnic at a nearby park. Find a local corn maze or fall festival and enjoy some outdoor fun. Pull your family loose from the tug of school schedules and obligations and make some memories together.

Weather

Just a quick note on the impact weather can have on your fall activities. Cooler days, shorter evenings, and more rain can make planning an outing challenging. Getting caught in a summer shower can be fun. But getting caught in the rain in October can be miserable. Especially if you aren’t dressed for it. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, so be prepared! Check the weather often and look for days that will suit your family and the activity you are planning. Take advantage of those gorgeous sunny days and enjoy nature to its fullest!

Don’t let bad weather keep you from getting your kids outside this fall. Sometimes the wind is unexpectedly biting. Sometimes it pours rain every time you plan a nature outing. Several times we’ve planned for an all-day outdoor adventure and had to do it in chilly, incessant rain. Honestly, that makes memories, too! Sometimes they’re the best memories! Just remember that your attitude sets the tone for dealing with the unexpected or inconvenient. Oftentimes, kids don’t mind wet feet and pants as much as adults do. And a cup of hot chocolate can turn a chilly experience into a delightful adventure for a kid!

Need more fall ideas?

As we mentioned, sometimes planning an outdoor activity and making it a priority is half the battle. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas of things you can do outside this fall as a family, we’ve got a great list of 100+ outdoor fall activities for kids and families. This list should give you all kinds of inspiration for easy and quick nature crafts to outdoor adventures, STEM experiments and more.

How do you get your kids outside during the school year?

Hi, I’m Leslie Alvis! I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, wife to my high school sweetheart and best friend, and a mom to four rascally kids. They love the great outdoors as much as I do, and our yard often feels like the scene from “The Sound of Music” where you hear voices and laughter and can’t find any children until you look up into the trees. I love writing, photography, and all things outdoors. We live in Northeast Ohio on the edge of Amish Country, where it’s perfectly normal to park beside a horse and buggy at the grocery store. We also homeschool, which basically means that I’m trying to teach my kids to use their minds without losing my own. While we follow a traditional curriculum, I weave every outdoor adventure I can into our educational journey. I believe that the lessons children experience firsthand sink deepest into their hearts and minds, and there is so much we can learn outside in the beauty and wonder of nature.

Find Leslie on Instagram @c_l_allofus
ANIMALS/WILDLIFE, LESSONS, NATURE SCHOOL, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Nature Study: Exploring Ponds with Kids
- July 15, 2019
Summer is a perfect time to get kids outdoors to explore and experience new things! And what better place to enjoy on hot days than someplace with water? Today, the incredible Leslie Alvis (Ohio homeschooling mom of 4) gives us a unique look at a common place your children can explore this summer: the ever-delightful and intriguing pond. Exploring ponds with kids is not only fascinating and fun, but it’s also educational! There’s so much to see, feel, observe and learn about around a pond. Technology and screen time cannot replace the hands-on lessons children learn just playing outside in the amazing classroom of nature. So grab a bucket and a butterfly net, and let’s head to the pond together.

A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is intermediate in its nature between land and sky.”
Henry David Thoreau

Why head to a pond?

Ponds are a fascinating place, an ecosystem in their own right. They sustain entire life cycles of plants and animals in their own self-contained space. In the summer they hum with life, providing a vibrant atmosphere to explore. From the birds and insects filling the air with song to the fish flashing by in the water and the bullfrogs calling just out of reach, they are a child’s paradise of discoveries.

Exploring ponds with kids is also timelessly interesting, entertaining, and relaxing. Most children can find an endless number of interesting occupations at a pond. I can never believe how long my kids will spend just tossing rocks or sticks into the water. And I’m amazed at how beneficial that simple activity is: building strength and developing motor skills, making them aware of cause and effect, and introducing them to basic physics (gravity and displacement, for instance). Today, we will look at just a few ways you can experience a pond with your children, weaving education and development together with delightful play.

A note on pond safety

Before we get started, I’d like to mention some safety guidelines. Any time water is involved, we have to be extra conscious of our children’s safety. Water is such a fun thing that few children understand its danger. And unlike swimming beaches, ponds often have slippery mud or grassy banks that can drop abruptly into deep water. Teaching children to swim is the number-one prevention to drowning accidents, but even that isn’t a guarantee of safety. Never leave children unattended near any water, especially a deep body of water like a pond.

Be safe together!

If you are comfortable allowing your children to wade in the water, make sure you have carefully checked out the wading area yourself for dangers like slippery mud and sharp drop-offs. And even if you have instructed your children to stay out of the pond, we should be aware that accidents happen and a child can slip and fall into the water in an instant. Stay close and focused on your children, adventuring and playing together. Exploring ponds with kids should be fun and safe.

Teaching nature skills

To start off exploring a pond with kids, simply walk around the pond. Talk before you start about how everyone needs to use their “nature skills” to explore the pond area. These skills include walking quietly, speaking quietly, and trying not to disturb the wildlife around you. We always have to work on sharing our discoveries quietly—the first child to yell they saw a goose will probably scare off the whole flock! This is also a good time to teach children how to study nature without disturbing it, to observe but not take, and to show respect for the natural environment surrounding them by being careful where they step and what they touch.

Sensory exploration

Exploring a pond with kids provides a great sensory experience. It’s easy to get started by asking questions involving the senses. What do you see? It’s like an amazing game of “I Spy.” Do you see those wildflowers on the far bank? Can you spot that turtle out sunning on a log? How many frogs can you count? Oh, no, one just ducked underwater!

Hearing and Smelling

Observing the natural atmosphere of the pond moves quickly to hearing. Do you hear the birds singing? The bullfrogs calling? The wind whispering through the tall grass? The buzzing of the insects? And then there is always smelling—and if the pond you are visiting has the smell of stagnant water, your children are sure to notice it! But you can also smell wildflowers and a fresh breeze. Honeysuckle and freshly cut grass. I love how much my children will get into talking about all the details they notice.

Unforgettable sensory experiences

When exploring ponds with kids, there are countless ways to experience the natural world. How many things can you find to touch? From the smooth leaves and raspy blossom of the cattails, to the silky water and slippery plants in the pond, to the slimy skin of a frog and the soft whisper of a dropped bird feather, there are a multitude of things to feel around a pond. (Of course, unless you have the owner’s permission to pick things, make sure you give careful instruction about not picking any plants or disturbing the environment. Leave it unspoiled for everyone to enjoy!) Touching pond creatures might stretch the sensory comfort zones of some kids, but if you have the opportunity to let your children touch a frog or a fish, it will be a sensory experience they won’t forget!

Hands-on adventures

Getting wet and dirty is part of learning about the pond environment, too. If my children are within reaching-distance of water—any water—they are sure to get wet! It doesn’t matter the temperature or what they’re wearing. If we are going near water, I just plan on them getting soaked. So, if the pond you are visiting is wading accessible, wear some water-appropriate clothes and footwear. Bring some buckets, a net, a magnifying glass, and explore a pond with kids up close!

Exploring a pond with kids is a hands-on activity. If you have an adventuresome child with quick reflexes, they might be able to catch a bullfrog or net a minnow to examine. These are good opportunities not only to study creatures up close, but also to teach our children how to handle them and to release them safely back into their natural environment. The minnows can’t breathe air, so we have to observe them in the water. The frog is slippery and likes to jump, so we have to hold it securely but without squeezing it.

Tadpole science project

In early summer, tadpoles are one of the easiest and most fun things to catch and study. Find a shallow still area at the edge of a pond in early summer, and you will probably see dozens of tiny black blobs wiggling around in the water. These are tadpoles—baby frogs who will develop before your eyes! If you have permission from the pond’s owner, scoop some up in a bucket and you will have a hands-on science project. Bring them home, feed them, and watch them grow! Before long, it will seem unbelievable that these miniature frogs grew from those funny wiggly creatures you caught in the pond. For more information, we’ve got a great post on raising tadpoles with kids.

More hands-on activities

When exploring ponds with kids, study the pond water itself. This is particularly fun if you have access to a microscope. The multitude of tiny organisms living in pond water is amazing. Even if you don’t have a microscope, you can get a pail full of pond water and see if you can spot little plants and water creatures in it with a magnifying glass. You may be surprised just how much you can find!

Exploring ponds with kids isn’t limited to the water. A butterfly net can help you capture amazing creatures such as dragonflies, butterflies, and other flying insects, as well as water insects. Chasing a flying insect is a great hand-eye coordination activity—plus, it’s just fun! And when my children do manage to catch a butterfly or damselfly, they love to examine their vibrant colors and fragile wings. Every creature is so unique and beautiful.

Keeping a pond notebook

If you want to make this a more formal learning experience, bring a notebook or nature journal for each child. Help them keep track of the different living things they see and hear. I love keeping nature notebooks where children can draw pictures of things they have observed and what they have learned about them. Having a pond notebook is a great way for them to process what they are discovering with a quick sketch and a short description. This appeals to some kids more than others, but sitting beside the pond and drawing pictures of what we see is such a lovely way to spend a summer day…or a least a few minutes of one.

Resources

We have found that nature guides and handbooks are valuable resources for learning about pond life. Teaching kids to look up different plants and wildlife that they see helps them learn on a deeper level. Once they have looked up a bird or a flower in their guide book, they are much less likely to forget its name or characteristics! Plus, we can learn together all the things I don’t know (which are many!). We use some of the classic field guides, like Kauffman Field Guide to Birds of North America.

There are also some great resources available for less than $10, like these illustrated nature guides. The entire Take-Along Guides series is geared toward helping children learn about nature in an easy-to-find, graspable format. I can’t recommend them enough if you are serious about helping your children learn about wildlife and plants for themselves.
What do your kids like to do at a pond?

Leslie
@c_l_allofus

Hi, I’m Leslie Alvis! I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, wife to my high school sweetheart and best friend, and a mom to four rascally kids. They love the great outdoors as much as I do, and our yard often feels like the scene from “The Sound of Music” where you hear voices and laughter and can’t find any children until you look up into the trees. I love writing, photography, and all things outdoors, and do pretty much everything with my kids tagging along. If we can’t do it as a family, it’s likely it won’t happen. We live in Northeast Ohio on the edge of Amish Country, where it’s perfectly normal to park beside a horse and buggy at the grocery store. We also homeschool, which basically means that I’m trying to teach my kids to use their minds without losing my own. (Every once in a while I think I might be succeeding.) While we follow a traditional curriculum, I weave every outdoor adventure I can into our educational journey. I believe that the lessons children experience firsthand sink deepest into their hearts and minds, and there is so much we can learn outside in the beauty and wonder of nature.

If you want more from Leslie, read all her Run Wild My Child posts here.
HIKE, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, URBAN NATURE
Neighborhood Hiking with Kids
- June 19, 2019
Hiking with kids doesn’t have to be daunting or intimidating. It doesn’t require fancy gear or long miles. All you need to do to get started is step outside your front door with the purpose of having fun and a sense of adventure. Today, we have Maggie (Nimo), active mom of two from Sydney, Australia here sharing how her family got started hiking by going on local neighborhood excursions. She walks you through everything you need to know about neighborhood hiking with kids and how to start your own family tradition.

Benefits of hiking with kids

Hiking is not only fun, but it has many health benefits for kids and adults. Hiking is a great way to get kids outdoors and is a fun way to get them to love nature and foster their curiosity about the world around them.

When most people think of hiking, they think of an expedition that involves fancy gear from The Northface, hiking poles and a hydrating Camelbak with a straw into your mouth. While these kinds of hikes can lead you to some amazing places, they are not always possible to undertake with small children. However, hiking doesn’t have to be so intense. Kids can get outside and hike in their own neighborhoods!

The start of neighborhood hiking

When my son was only 20 months, I fell pregnant with my second child. I had such bad morning sickness that I spent most of my days laying on the floor, the TV on and my son entertaining himself around me. When my husband would come home from work, we would go for a walk to get some fresh air. This was the beginning of our neighborhood hiking adventures.

In the beginning, we needed to carry my son most of the time we were hiking, but in no time, he was covering the distance all by himself! That was 3 years ago. Today, he is an avid hiker and is always encouraging his little sister not to give up.

Neighborhood hiking with kids

Our hikes have since advanced from our neighborhood to National parks, but we still make time to walk around the neighborhood a few times a week. Most of our neighborhoods are rich with interesting things to make a group of children excited enough to get outside. If you want to get your little ones hiking around your neighborhood, here is where to start.

1. Start a weekly tradition

Pick a day (or multiple days) in a week and call it “family hiking day.” Pick a time that suits the whole family, when the kids are not too tired or hungry. Also, make sure you are not in a hurry so the kids can explore. Our hikes usually happen in the evening, after dinner. This is a time when my husband and I are not rushed, the kids are full and they have that pre-bedtime surge of energy.

2. Make it exciting

Make a big deal of your neighborhood hikes and show them you’re excited about going. Help them pack a little bag with items for the hike (my kid’s bags contain water, a magnifying glass, a neighborhood map printed off Google maps and a headlamp for winter walks). Our hikes are known as excursions by the kids and we have reached a point where they usually choose which direction to take.

3. Find interesting things in your neighborhood to mark your destination

When we first started hiking and our son was small, our excursion used to take us to a neighborhood cat. When he became comfortable with that distance, we discovered a friendly dog that was a little bit further and this became our destination. We have since discovered other interesting things around the neighborhood and we choose to hike to those destinations. This gives the kids a goal and helps set their expectations.

Some of our other destinations are a large tree with all sorts of interesting insects to watch. There’s a large rock where we practice our climbing technique and a local dog park where we have made friends. Sometimes we hike to a construction site so the kids can see the diggers and tractors. Most recently, a local community garden has become a favorite spot for my 2-year-old daughter because she gets to feed all my lettuce to the chickens. Kids find interest in so many things that adults tend to overlook. Use your neighborhood hike to discover things in a whole new way.

4. Find friends to hike with

There is strength in numbers. This could not be truer when it comes to toddlers and pre-schoolers. During our walks, I usually notice that my kids cover way more distance when we bring friends along. I like to ask other mothers in the neighborhood and their kids to join us on our hike. I find that the children get so busy with each other that they rarely ever ask to be carried or complain about the distance.

5. Don’t worry too much about the destination

Yes, I mentioned that having a destination helps keep kids motivated, but make sure you allow them to explore. Toddlers and pre-schoolers get distracted very easily. Sometimes, a rock or tree will catch their attention and they’ll want to stop to explore or play. You can try to gently encourage them to keep walking, but don’t force them or get impatient with them. This will only make you frustrated and discourage them from trying the walk again.

If it so happens that a child stops and refuses to move on, then stay there! Let the kids explore whatever they find interesting until they’re satisfied. If after a while they still don’t want to move on, turn around and go home, and try again another time.

6. Don’t combine the hike with a task

Neighborhood hikes should not be the time when you plan to stop at the grocery store and pick up a gallon of milk. Separate “tasks” from “hikes.” These neighborhood hikes are meant to get your kid outside and into nature and eventually increase the child’s stamina and endurance. If you tie it to a task, you shift the focus to your needs and it then becomes impossible to move at the child’s pace. Remember, these child-friendly hikes should be led by them, so don’t rush them.

7. Safety first

As always, when hiking, safety is high on the list. Put down some basic rules that are easy for the kids to follow. Our rules are:
- No running too far ahead of the parents
- When asked, you must stop
- All children must hold an accompanying adult’s hand when crossing a street
We also try to avoid main roads, as its more peaceful and less polluted. We always repeat our rules before leaving the house. If any child is struggling with following them after a few reminders, that child goes back home with one of the adults. I have had to do this to show the kids just how important it is to follow the rules. I’m happy to report that, my 4-year-old son knows them and follows them quite well. My 2-year-old has not gotten the grasp yet, but I am confident she will get there.

8. Leave the gadgets at home

When we do neighborhood hikes, we make sure to stay off our phones. However, one adult usually carries a phone with them for emergencies and safety reasons, but it stays hidden in a backpack or pocket and is not to be used. Our hikes are a time to connect as a family. You never know when a pre-schooler is going to hold your hand and tell you about their day. If you are distracted by your phone, they may move on to something else and you’ll miss out on an important piece of your child’s day. Our neighborhood hikes usually last around 45 minutes, and everything else can wait.

9. Don’t forget to have fun!

The main purpose of our neighborhood hikes is to explore, exercise, and, most importantly, have fun. Use your imagination on your hike and pretend to hunt for dinosaurs or escape from crocodiles. Let the kids’ imagination take them places like the jungle or desert, and go along with them. You will be in for quite an adventure.

Start your own tradition of neighborhood hiking

If you want to get outdoors more with your family but find life getting in the way, neighborhood hiking is a great place to start. Getting out the door and into your local neighborhood is the perfect way to start adventuring more with the kids. Before you know it, you will be online ordering that fancy gear from the Northface, ready for a hike off a beaten track! We hope to run into you out there. Happy hiking everyone!

About the author

I am Maggie (Nimo). I’m originally from Kenya but lived in the U.S. for over 10 years. While living in Pittsburgh, I met and married a Slovakian man. We decided to move to warmer weather, initially thinking California, but we kept moving and ended up in Sydney Australia. We now call Australia home and when we are not busy working, we like to get out and hike, camp and travel with our children ages 2 and 4.

You can find more of their family’s adventures in the following locations:
Instagram – @babystepslongstrides
Website – http://babystepslongstrides.com/
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, PARK, URBAN NATURE
Finding Nature in Urban Settings
- September 19, 2018
Show of hands of all you city-dwelling parents that want to incorporate more nature into your child’s life, but feel inhibited due to your urban surroundings. Today’s post is for YOU! Being outdoors and immersed in nature isn’t just for kids that live in the country. An outdoor lifestyle and love of nature are possible to foster no matter where you live. I’m thrilled to have Amber Richcreek of The Playful Learner here today sharing all kinds of ways you can find nature in the city. Because one the of benefits of living in a big city is easy-access to so many wonderful things — nature should be one of them! Today, we’ll show you how to make that happen.

City vs. nature

I’ve spent a lot of my life completely immersed in natural settings. I grew up in the middle of nowhere on an acre of land, right by a national forest in the mountains of New Mexico. My husband and I fell in love while traveling the United States and hiking through national parks. Spending time outdoors is one of our favorite things to do together.

However, before having kids, immersing myself in nature felt like an all or nothing thing. I lived in the city; nature was something I visited on the weekends and on vacation. We were living in Seattle when we had our first son. Shortly thereafter, we moved north to a smaller city with a population 87,000 residents. It’s not as urban as Seattle, but it’s still substantial. We live about a 15-minute walk to downtown and just a couple blocks off from a major street.

Prioritizing outdoor time

This past year when choosing my New Year’s resolution, I sat down and reflected the things that are most important to me and the values I want to instill in my children. I then wrote out a schedule of the things we actually do every day to see how the two listed compared. At the top of my “values” list was spending time nature and instilling a sense of love and responsibility for Mother Earth in my kids. However, while spending time in nature was at the top of my values list, I realized we almost never went outside! That’s when I knew that I needed to make nature a part of our daily lives, no matter where we lived.

We are a one-car family and my husband uses that car to commute every day, so driving into the country with my children isn’t an option on the weekdays. We needed to figure out ways to incorporate nature into our daily lives with just walking nearby, or maybe a bus. I no longer wanted the excuse of living in a city to stop us from connecting with the environment and spending time outdoors. I realized that being immersed in nature couldn’t be all or nothing anymore. It’s too important and shouldn’t have to wait for the weekends or vacation. We need more nature every day!

Ways to find urban nature in the city

When you live in the country it’s easy to immerse yourself in nature. It’s obvious…nature’s right there! But when you’re in a city it’s easy to forget that nature is still all around you and never far away. Research has shown that having even just a little bit of natural settings in an urban environment can help with anxiety and depression. Finding those little pockets of Mother Earth for our children isn’t just a nice idea; it’s essential for their mental health!

Today I’m here to share some simple ways we’ve put urban nature into our every day lives in the city. I hope these ideas will inspire more city-dwelling parents to get outside more with their kids and explore. Because nature really is all around, you just have to look for it!

Look up

We live in the Pacific Northwest so we have plenty of clouds. I’ve taken to pointing them out to my son. Looking for familiar shapes in the clouds, and telling the weather. Now, instead of only looking up for airplanes and helicopters, we look up to find birds, bees and butterflies. We lay under trees in the park and watch the sky shine through the leaves, soaking up the sun and enjoying the fresh air.

We also love looking up at the night sky, too. While city lights may block out some stars, the moon is almost always visible. We observe the phases of the moon and watch for special lunar events, like new moons, supermoons and blood moons.

Look down

Nature is literally right there at your feet! Make sure to look down occasionally and your child will be delighted to find a variety of insects, crawly critters, worms and even flowers growing through the pavement. Little ones are so close to the ground already, it gives them a great vantage point for discoveries. I only had to point out natural novelties on the ground a couple times before my son started finding these things (and more) on his own.

And while your child is looking down, let them turn over stones and look for rolly-pollies. Point out any mushrooms your find or pinecones that have fallen from trees. There are all kinds of discoveries kids can make just by being observant of what’s right at their feet.

Watching a favorite tree through the seasons

My son has a cherry tree right outside his bedroom window. We started watching it when it was beginning to sprout new buds and leaves after the winter. It was a beautiful pink in the spring, and so we call it “Solomon’s Pink Tree.” Now, this tree is part of our morning ritual. We look out his bedroom window to check on his pink tree every day, observing it through the seasons and watching how it changes. Sometimes in the afternoons we’ll go outside and sit under it, have a picnic or read a book. We hung a bird feeder on a branch and now we love watching the birds eat, communicate and chase each other. Our tree is located on that strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street, but it’s our own little slice of Mother Earth, right in the city.

Parks aren’t just playgrounds

Almost every city has hidden away parks filled with nature. We are lucky to have a lot of parks in our city. Before my New Year’s goal to spend more time in nature, we would go to the park just for the playground and then head home. However, I recently discovered that parks have so much more to offer than playground equipment! Now, we make a point to walk around and explore the whole area, including any wooded areas, creeks, and streams.

Some of our parks have perfectly landscaped nature that’s not meant for exploring. In that instance, we just look. We listen for bird songs, look for nests, point to the different flowers and plants, watch for squirrels, etc. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to find a city park with some wild nature we’re allowed to explore! I usually do a quick visual check that there are no homeless people sleeping in the bushes (we are in a city, after all) , and then allow my son to explore around as he chooses.

Neighborhoods

We feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful neighborhood surrounded by neighbors who love to garden. On days when a trek to the park isn’t in the cards, we’ll stick closer to home and just circle the block and enjoy our neighbor’s yards and gardens. One of our neighbors even has chickens! My son constantly requests to “visit the chickens.” Some of our neighbors have vegetable gardens, and that sparks conversations about how much of our food comes from Mother Earth.

We love playing iSpy in our neighborhood or going on a neighborhood scavenger hunt. It’s amazing how much nature you can find on your own street if you’re actively out looking for nature.

Community gardens

We rent, so, unfortunately, we cannot plant our own garden, but we’re on the waitlist for a plot in the community garden. Lots of cities have community gardens for those that rent or don’t have space in their yard. Community gardens are a series of plots where you can rent out a garden box or two and grow your own flowers, fruits or veggies.

When we lived in Seattle, I worked at a preschool with a drab, metal, green-less playground that jutted out into a parking lot. However, across the street we had a large plot in the community garden. Together, our school community and the children built a beautiful little oasis in the city with climbing peas, lush greens and potato buckets. It’s amazing how children will eat kale by the handful when you tell them, “You can eat that plant!” If you have a yard or garden, encourage that! And if not, look into your city’s community garden options. Even if you have a black thumb like me, the experience of digging in the dirt and trying is worth it.

Making small changes

That realization about my imbalance of values and time followed by implementing these simple changes has impacted our lives dramatically for the better. Getting outdoors and into nature is no longer an all or nothing thing for us; it’s a part of our daily lives. It’s had a huge effect on my older son and how he views the outdoors. Two-year-olds are like little mirrors, they mimic our habits and phrases. I’ve found that now on walks my son will say things like “Look at this flower, mama!” or “What’s this, mama?” as he picks up a pinecone, rock or leaf. It’s not sweeping mountain views or acreage of pasture or long hikes through national parks, but it’s still impactful. Even just small changes of getting outside a few minutes every day or a few times a week can make a huge difference. Every time we go outside my children are learning to cherish nature, and pay attention to it in their everyday lives. And that’s the best way to start.

Hi, I’m Amber! I’m a preschool teacher by trade but currently a stay-at-home-mom of two boys (8 months and 2 1/2). We live in the Pacific Northwest, where I spend my time playing, writing, reading, and taking photos. I blog about play-based learning in the home at ThePlayfulLearner.com.

Find me on Instagram @AmberRoseCreek.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Slacklining for Kids
- July 11, 2017
Slacklining is a perfect way for kids of all ages to hone balancing skills while building core strength and confidence. My son received a slackline as a gift this past Christmas and we’ve had so much fun using it these last few months. Slacklining is one of my kids’ favorite backyard activities and I’m blown away by how much time they spend on it daily, balancing, bouncing and playing games. Today, we’re walking you through the basics of slacklining for kids and why it’s a great product to add to your backyard activities.

What is a slackline?

A slackline is a two-inch-wide nylon webbing strip with a ratchet tensioning system. Some slacklines have a bit of a rubber coating to make learning to balance on it easier. Most slacklines attach easily to trees with no additional tools or rigging needed. Some come with an extra training line (help-line) to hold on to from above, which is great for beginners and helps encourage the correct arm position. Some also include protective tree pads, instruction manuals, and a carrying bag. You can get them in a variety of lengths and a beginner kit ranges from $40 – $100. This Flybold slackline kit comes with everything you need to get started at a decent price point.

Benefits of slacklining

Kids absolutely love slacklines – they incorporate so many of the things kids find fun: balance, falling, bouncing, physical challenge. Slacklining helps build their core strength and balance, improves focus and confidence and is a total body workout. It also get kids outside and keeps them active!
- Develops balance
- Improves core strength
- Total body workout
- Improves stability muscles
- Rehabilitation and injury prevention
- Improves focus
- Develops coordination
- Gets you outside
Perfect for backyards

Slacklining can be done anywhere, which is another reason why it is becoming so popular! All you need is a slackline and a couple of trees or posts. You can easily put up a slackline in your own backyard, at the park or on a camping trip. The slackline is tethered to two trees like a tightrope, but is flat, stretchy and bouncy. Most slacklines are very long, so you can ratchet the line to fit any distance. If you don’t have two trees, you can use posts or even purchase a portable slackline rack.

Tips for beginner slackliners:
- Position the slackline very low to the ground so kids won’t get hurt if they fall off
- Ratchet the slackline as tight as possible (although a little slack makes it easier to walk across)
- Keep your eyes up and not looking down at your feet
- Start by balancing on one leg at a time (count to 100 then switch)
- Learn to balance on each foot before starting to walk
- Go barefoot to help with grip
- To minimize the bounce, have an adult sit on one end of the line
Take it up a notch

Surprising to me, there’s actually a lot of things you can do on a slackline. In addition to the obvious walking across it, you can balance on one foot, walk sideways, walk backwards, bounce on it, do turns, sit on it or jump onto it. My kids play games on the slackline (who can bounce the highest), they challenge each other and incorporate it into backyard obstacle courses they set up. The possibilities are endless. My kids also like to time each other and see who can walk across the fastest and who can balance on one leg the longest. Once children gain confidence on the slackline, they can try teaching themselves slackline stunts or raise the slackline higher, to make it harder to balance.

If you really want to up the ante, try adding a ninja ropes course slackline. This will help improve hand strength (great for helping little ones with writing), upper body strength, coordination and confidence.

Have you or your kids ever tried slacklining?
INFORMATION, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, SUMMER, WATER
Benefits of Creeking with Kids
- June 12, 2017
There are very few things my kids love more in life than playing in the water, whether that’s swimming in a pool, splashing in waves on the beach, running through the sprinkler or just hanging out in a bubble bath. My kids love water so much they volunteer to wash the dishes so they can play with the water in the sink. They get super excited about rainstorms because they know they can jump in the puddles. That’s why going “creeking” with the kids is one of our favorite family activities – it combines the kids’ love of water with our love of exploring the outdoors. Today, we’re going to show you all the amazing benefits of creeking with kids and how exploring a creek is one of the most fun and educational outdoor activities for kids!

Sensory benefits of exploring a creek with kids

There are so many incredible benefits to taking kids creeking. Not only do they get plenty of fresh air and sunshine while creeking, but they get to wade through the cool water, catch minnows, tadpoles and crawdads, hunt for fossils, climb over/around obstacles, skip rocks, build dams, observe wildlife and connect with nature in a very personal way. When kids go creeking, they’re part of nature – they’re surrounded by it, immersed in it, touching it and exploring it in ways that they can’t by standing on the sidelines.

Psychological benefits of creeking

I don’t have any hard scientific data to back me up here (although I’m sure I could find it if I looked), but I’ve seen amazing things happen when kids that have never experienced creeks get to play in one for the first time. We love taking our friends and their kids to creeks in our area (we’re familiar with a lot because we love them so much).

I’ve noticed that getting kids in the water in a little creek does something for them that’s hard to explain – it gives them a sense of adventure and independence and freedom. When parents give their kids permission to get wet, dirty and explore on their own, it promotes self-confidence and encourages curiosity and exploration. Shy kids become bolder. Clingy kids become more independent. Kids that don’t like bugs or worms suddenly become more interested in them.

Physical benefits of exploring creeks

Creeking also helps kids in a multitude of other areas – walking through a creek helps with balancing and stability (rocky creeks are unstable terrain), encourages problem-solving (how to get from one side to the other), teaches about life stages of nature (from tadpole eggs to live bugs to dead fish) and prompts kids to ask questions about nature and the environment that they might not otherwise think of.

My 4 year-old asks some of the most amazing questions while we’re creeking, like: Is this a dinosaur tooth? Is this the same kind of water that’s in the river? Do fish eat rocks? Why is the water cold? What kind of fossil is this? Where do frogs go at night? Why does that tree look like that? Is that a crocodile? Where can we find a snake? If so, can we take it home with us?

Cool blast from the past

Exploring creeks with kids is a wonderful activity to do in the summer when everything’s lush and green and thriving. Wading through cold creek water is the perfect way for kids to cool off without having to spend the day at a packed public swimming pool or running up your water bill and flooding your lawn with the sprinkler. Creeking seems to be a thing of the past and not a lot of people are out there exploring them with kids – you’re likely to have an entire stretch of any given creek to yourself. It’s also completely free and can be done with very minimal gear.

What to pack when exploring creeks with kids

Here are a few of our favorite things to take with us to the creek:
- Reef-safe sunscreen to protect you from the sun’s rays and keep the water clean
- Bug spray to keep mosquitoes and flies away
- Rashguard and sun hat, so you don’t have to keep applying sunscreen over and over.
- Bait net for catching bugs, minnows, and crawdads. This net has metal around the edges, which prevents the net from ripping when kids drag it through the sand and rocks.
- Water shoes that give kids some stability and grip, but keep the rocks and sand out.
- Polarized sunglasses are helpful for letting kids see underwater, although not necessary.
- Bucket or a small fish tank if you want to catch anything and watch it while you’re at the creek
- A change of clothes for the ride home – that way it’s totally ok for the kids to get as wet and dirty as they want.
Locating a creek

Creeking is a great activity for kids of nearly any age (my kids started before they were 2) and can be done almost anywhere in the country…so long as you know where to look. Knowing the location of a good creek is probably the hardest part about creeking and is possibly what prevents most parents from taking their kids. However, there are a number of ways to find local creeks in your area. Here are a few:
- Facebook pages for your area – feel free to ask local moms if they know of any good creeks (mom support groups or even buy/sell/trade groups)
- State parks and conservation areas – almost always guaranteed to have a creek or two, just call or ask at the visitor’s center where you can access one
- Google searches – a lot of times you can find a list on a local blog or website of some creeks to try out
- Google maps – scour the maps of your local parks and neighborhoods for creeks and go check them out
- Explore on your own – some of our favorite creeks are ones that we’ve found entirely by accident while out hiking or geocaching in local parks and conservation areas
Tips for parents when exploring a creek with kids

There are also a few things that parents can do to promote and encourage a love for creeking. First, make sure you (at least) act like you’re having fun exploring and discovering new things. If you don’t want to get your feet wet, skip rocks or try to catch minnows, your kids won’t either. They take their cues from you, so get in the water with them and share their experience – touch the crawdad, splash the water, show them cool rocks you find. They’ll pay attention to what you’re interested in, so make it count.

Secondly, keep a close eye on them, but allow them freedom to explore, touch and discover new things on their own. Giving them some independence will encourage them to be brave, explore and push their own boundaries. You’ll still be right there, but allowing them to go a little ahead of you or check areas out first means a lot to a little kid.

Finally, give them permission to get dirty and wet. Bring extra clothes for you kids and yourself and allow them to splash, throw rocks, fall down, stomp in the water, wade through mud, climb embankments, lay in the sand and all the other things that go along with creeking. So long as you’ve got some relatively unmuddy water to rinse them off before stripping them down and thowing them back in the car to head home, it doesn’t matter if they get a little bit dirty or absolutely filthy, so just let it go and let them do what they want…just this once. Believe me, it’ll be something they remember and appreciate.

Let’s go creeking!

I hope I’ve encouraged you (even just a little bit) to try to get out and explore a creek this summer. I promise your kids will love it and you won’t regret it. You might even get a bit addicted to creeking like we are and seek out creeks where ever you go!

We’d love to hear about your creeking adventures…

Did you go creeking as a kid?
Have you ever taken your kids creeking?

Also, be sure to check out our e-book on Exploring Creeks with Kids! It’s a great resource for parents filled with practical tips for exploring creeks, creek wildlife and conservation, how to know if a creek is safe, etc.