Greening Sam and Avery

a wonderful wednesday

Running along a trail in hot pursuit of great natural treasures!

Lots of native wildflowers!

Time to pause for snacks and photos!

Some playground play.

And then taking a closer look at Lake Mendota.

We wore these little ones out!

Awesome outdoor play can do that!! 

hiking when I have lost my patience

I have seen several other posts lately (like this one) about using outdoor play and adventure as a way to get through the tough times of the day. And I have to say those posts were life savers to me today. The girls did not nap. Which means no house work done, no computer work done and no real break or me time. This makes for a cranky mama. The instant I got them out of bed I told them right away we were going for a hike.

And it saved our day!

Who needs to walk when you can slide down the trail on your tummy!

Or your bottom!

Avery got to walk quite a bit today and she loved it!

Snack time on the trail!!

This hike got me back to being the mom that I like to be. The mom that can hold a hand when the trail gets slippery. The mom that can make up a song on the spot to encourage a sluggish 3 year old. The mom that can let the 2 year old poke along on the trail because each and every stick is new and exciting. I like being this mom!

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The Nitty Gritty!

Hiking may not be the perfect outdoor play choice for all families. If your kids aren't use to hikes then this may make the tough time of your day even worse. BUT outdoor play or exploring in some form is always a great way to break up the day, break tension and release stress!!  Get through the hardest parts of your day in your backyard and they won't be so bad.

you never know what you may find on a hike

Like an alligator wearing a bikini!!

Probably a geocache, but a super funny thing for a three year old to discover along a hiking trail!

We found another geocache while we were out and this one had instructions! Leave a treasure, take a treasure! None of them were really treasures but the girls found some "Cars" cards that they liked. And we left behind a family token.

It is an old keychain from my dad's company! Not a great treasure for someone else but it was really the only thing we had that would fit in the geocache bucket.

No, we were not out there to go geocaching but since we found the bucket we thought, why not participate! And the girls got a huge kick out of it.

We also discovered great views,

fun trails to follow,

bridges to explore,

good exercise for the dog,

and some great family time!

She looks thrilled to be taking a photo with me!

An awesome weekend hike!

How was your weekend?

 

winter hike with family

So, the whole way up this hike I was way too focused on making sure no one was falling and watching for birds that I forgot to get the camera out. But it did come out when we got to the top and on the way back down!

The sand at the top was just perfect for castle building!

We saw hawks, eagles, geese and a beautiful view from the top!

The way back down was VERY slippery. So what would be the easiest way to get down? ON YOUR REAREND! 

We had a great hike!

We love family weekends because we are able to share some of our favorite activities and our most favorite spots in our area with people that we love! Thanks so much for making the long drive to see us PawPaw, Grandma, Bailey, Parker and Grayson.

 

can I be a professional hiker?

I wish I could find a local job where I take other people's kids for hikes. Long hikes. Pushing them further then they think they can go. Challenging them and then helping them to meet that challenge. Pointing things out that get them excited and then getting super excited about the things that they point out to me.

I just love the challenge of figuring out what I need to do to keep them going. I love the excitement after a new goal is reached, a new hike accomplished or a new great treasure is found. I LOVE being their hiking buddy!

Today I got to be a hiking buddy. My two girls did just fine. Well, Avery completely melted down at the end because she got her glove wet. I eventually got her to stop sobbing. But our two other "big" kid friends that were along have not done as much hiking and with the chilly weather they needed some extra encouragement. I held hands, encouraged and pointed out fun things for them to see. And they both did great! They had fun and made it through the whole hike.

Our "big" kids leading the way!

We made it to the top!

And then headed back down to check out the river below.

We had a great hike this morning. And are really enjoying this strangely warm winter weather!

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The Nitty Gritty!

More on this idea of being a professional hiker....well kind of.

If a parent isn't interested in outdoor things like hiking, fishing, camping, etc. do you think it is important for them to find some other way for their children to have those experiences? You could ask the same question about music, art, dance, sports, etc. Is it a parent's job to expose their kids to everything, including the stuff that they might not enjoy? Or do we stick with the things that we, as parents, truly love so that it can be a bonding experience as well?

I work really hard to try a little bit of everything with the girls. But we certainly have a nature and outdoorsy focus to our lives. My girls don't take dance classes or art classes. They aren't very good at sports. Is it wrong of me to focus with them on learning and doing the things that I love? Should I be seeking out other people that are better at art or dancing or sports to work with my girls on those things? I do my best to introduce them to these things because attending classes for everything would get really expensive; but is that wrong of me?

I would love to know how other parent's feel about this and where you stand on the issue!

enjoying the warmth

It is not often that the temp goes above 45 degrees in January in Wisconsin. So, with the temps in the 50s and high 40s the last two days we have been out exploring!

We went to check out a new park.

They just put in the play structure at a park that already had a splash pad and a great trail around a fishing pond. It is a great combination of different type of outdoor play! We can't wait to have picnics there, water play, fishing and exploring!

We have also been doing some hiking.

Avery is loving walking with her hands in her pockets and I think it makes her look like such a big girl! We went and checked out Lake Mendota. The ice is not safe to walk on anymore (someone's fishing shanty and ATV went through this weekend, luckily they weren't hurt!) but it is fun to throw rocks and see if you can get them to break through.

The warm temps also means there are lots of muddy puddles to play in!

It looks like it is going to be pretty warm for the next few days as well. All of our snow will probably be gone by the end of the week. Sam is super sad that her snow fort is disappearing. I keep telling her that winter isn't over yet and more snow will be here soon...but I am starting to doubt that! Where is out Wisconsin winter?

Are you still getting outside everyday? Update me on how your Everyday Outdoor Play in 2012 is going!

working off our christmas cookies

Several days of awesome meals, lots of snacking and more Christmas cookies than I can count meant that this morning we all went for a big family hike!

Most the time the hike was on a paved trail, which I am normally not a fan of, but when you have 12 people and five of them are little hikers the paved trail does make things easier.

But there was still lots of great exploring, playing with cousins, exercise and fresh air!

Can you tell that her mom is a photographer? She is always ready with a pose!

A good time was had by all!

Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday Season and a very Merry Christmas! With a little bit of outdoor exploring and play mixed in too!!

hike them early and often - a repost

Holiday time means family time! So I am being lazy here so I can spend as much time as I can with my kiddos and family.

I SO much enjoyed our hike the other day that I wanted to encourage all of you to get your kids out hiking even in the winter. I am going to repost some hiking posts to share some of our tips, tricks and insights about hiking with little ones.

This was originally posted here.

I am having some serious lack of motivation going on over here. My kids and I are certainly getting outside time, I have activities planned and learning that is happening but I just don't have motivation to take pictures or blog about it.

Not sure what is going on, sorry about that.

But one thing that I did want to talk about for just a minute is how CRAZY it is that I saw kids bigger than Sam going on hikes at the Mount Rainer park being CARRIED in backpacks!  These kids were clearly older, bigger and stronger than my daughter and should have been walking the trails alongside their parents.

Let me explain a little bit further. If a parent is going backpacking and plans on hiking some serious distance I can understand maybe needing to have a way to carry a slightly bigger kid to make sure they can make the whole distance. But these families were not backpacking and they were not doing anymore than 5 miles on the mountain trail.

Now, questions you may have and the answers that I will offer (this is just my opinion, feel free to share your opinion in the comments!) -

• Is the trail steep? Yes, in some areas the trail we were on was steep. But if you take it slow, make a game out of how many steps you are taking and pack plenty of motivating snacks the steepness should not be a problem. In place of the backpack offer your hands up over their head as a way for them to hold on and for you to help support some of their weight. 
• Did the trail have dangerous drop-offs? Yes. In many spots there were dangerous drop offs right to one side of the trail. I can see how this might make some parents nervous. If you are worried about this instead of a backpack try bringing along a walking stick. Have two adults hold the stick with the child in-between them. The child should then hold on to the stick like a hand-rail that will keep them from falling toward the dangerous edge.
• Was there climbing involved? Not too much but you did have to watch your feet because the trail was a bit uneven. If you have a child that seems very distracted and keeps falling try focusing their attention on things they can find on the ground. Can they find neat rocks or insects on the trail while they walk?
• Was the trail too many miles for a young child to hike? Nope. The group might have to make more stops, walk slower and appreciate the scenery more than if the child were being carried but isn't that what we are all out there for anyway? And there were tons of different trails to pick from at this park, all with amazing scenery and their own challenges so if a parent knows their child is limited by distance then choose a shorter trail!
• Would the added elevation make it more difficult for the child to hike? Probably. But it does that for adults too. If the child is use to hiking then they should do just fine. If you are winded they will be too which may require more rest stops. I am not an expert on whether altitude will affect kids worse than adults but it just takes a closer eye on the child to see how they are doing.
• Was the trail crowded with a fear of the child getting lost among the crowd? It was a holiday weekend and a major attraction in the area so yes, there were tons of people out on the trails at the Mount Rainer park. But hikers are not swarming you on the trail. If they need to pass you it is in a pretty orderly fashion and for the most part you have to step aside to let people pass. Parents can very easily hold onto a hand while other hikers are around to be sure the child is safe.

Now, why does this bother me? What is the difference between a child going on hike on their own feet versus being in the backpack? EVERYTHING! I am sure most of it is super obvious but I still feel like I need to say it;

1. Health. Hiking is the most amazing exercise. If you are out there getting a good workout why would you not want that for your child too?
2. Exploration. When a child is down at their own level, on their own two feet, they have a completely different experience. They go where they want, step where their own feet take them and see what is at their level. It gives them control to point things out to you, make discoveries on the trail that are their own and stop on their own when something grabs their attention.
3. Accomplishments. We all want to have confident kids that feel they can do anything they put their minds to. There is no prouder moment for a kid then making it to the top or completing a long hike all on their won. When they can do the same things that their parents are doing it is a great feeling that they will take with them into other parts of their lives. 

So, how do you set your child up to be able to hike a serious mountain trail at a very early age?

HIKE THEM EARLY AND HIKE THEM OFTEN!

I was talking to my sister in law on the trail and told her that as soon as Chester can walk start letting him do short portions on the trail, any trail. Start early teaching them your way of hiking, how to keep up, and how to have fun on the trail. When they are walking well then start letting them tackle short hikes (1-2 miles of pretty level terrain or shorter distance if the trail has elevation) all on their own but bring the backpack with you just in case. Once they have done some short hikes without needing the backpack show them you have confidence in them by leaving the backpack in the car! Keep changing up the hikes and do them as often as possible.

Okay, so what do you think? What age do you give up the backpack? Do you think there are certain circumstances where parents should be pulling it back out to use with their older child?  How did you get your kiddo ready for the trail?

winter hiking

Chris, the girls and I took Uncle Craig to Devil's Lake State park today for a little hiking.

We ran into a few obstacles that we had not thought about (like very icy spots on the trail and strong winds when we were hiking down by the water) but overall it was a great morning.

The little bit of snow added the fun of looking for tracks, making our own tracks and more.

A little snow snack at the top!

And me and Avery being silly on the trail!

And some fun ice/water play when we got to the lake at the bottom.

We were trying to land rocks on top of the ice without breaking the big chunks.

It was a fun little challenge!

And of course when we got to the boulder fields we had to take some cute photos.

It was a great way to spend our morning and everyone came home completely exhausted!

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The Nitty Gritty!

If you are thinking about doing some winter hiking with your little ones, and I would strongly encourage it, there are some things to keep in mind.

First, will the trail be safe. We did have a bit more ice on the trail than I had expected. Sam did fine with it, but we had to adjust our hiking style. Sam was not allowed to run ahead or be as wild and silly on the trail. We had to hold her hand and have her hike next to us more than we normally would. If you are unsure what the trail conditions are I would suggest calling ahead (if there is an information center or nature center available) and asking about ice or snow on the trail.

Second, dress your little ones in more layers than you think they need. Just like any winter outdoor play your kiddos will have a much better time and last longer if they don't notice the cold at all. But keep in mind their ability to navigate the trail as well. Even though snow pants might be the best way to keep them warm, those big puffy pants will make it very tough to walk up hills, over rocks or other rough terrain. Try using tights or leggings combined with fleece/flannel lined pants as a way to give them the warmth they need but also a bit more flexibility.

Third, bring extras! We started Sam out in her tennis shoes today but I had her snow boots packed in our backpack so that when her shoes got wet from the snow we would have a back-up to keep her comfortable and not end the hike. Extra clothes are important too. You never know when falls in the snow may happen and with no snowpants on clothes may get wet, having extras to change into may save the day!

Any other winter hiking tips or tricks?

outdoor play link up - ice hunting

Cold and no snow is not great weather for outdoor play. The kids get cold quickly, bored more easily and have more limited things to do.

BUT with cold, comes ice and the fun of watching our stream start to freeze over.

Our weather has been on and off cold; 40 degrees one day and 20 something the next. This isn't great conditions for ice to form. But we decided to do some ice hunting this week just to see what we could find.

We didn't find much, but a few small patches were enough to require giant sticks to make sure that every last little bit got broken up!

We have been making frequent trips to the stream this week to find these tiny little spots of ice. These trips don't last hours, usually only about 45 minutes, but it is enough time for the girls to get some energy out, use their little muscles to wield a big stick and some great fresh air for all of us.

If you have similar weather but with more rain/freezing and there are icicles forming you could also do an icicle hunt!

Now on to the LINK UP!

This weeks feature -

Ever gone on a sound hunt? I had never thought of this one and it is so simple but genius! Sun Hats and Wellie Boots linked up this week with their sound hunt  and I am in love with this idea! For some reason I can't link up an image but follow the link to see how a walk with some simple drum sticks turns into a real learning and play adventure!

How did your kids play outdoors this week?

Share your ideas for outdoor play activities with us! Here’s just a few guidelines for sharing.

• Any kind of children's outdoor play is welcome. If it happened outside, then please link it up!

• Please do not share any competitions, promotions, or posts that are not related to Outdoor Play.

• Please remember to link back to this post and help us spread the word about the importance (and fun!) of outdoor play!

• Each week we will feature an activity from the previous week. By contributing you are giving permission for an image and link to your post to be republished.