Greening Sam and Avery

outdoor play link - fishing at the pond

Continuing the pond theme week with a trip to a different pond to do some fishing!

And then we caught our first fish!

After the excitement of our first fish we needed a break from fishing. So we went exploring around the pond. 

Have you ever stood that close to a muscrat before? It kind of made me nervous that Avery got so close but the muscrat did not seem to care!

Then back to fishing...

Woohoo! We caught a second fish. [Again please ignore the fact that my child desperately needs a haircut!] Avery did not want to touch the fishing pole but she did help me throw back the second fish. 

So, I have to admit that we showed up to fish with a bucket of worms that we dug out of our yard and a pole with one small hook on it. I was not very prepared as far as fishing goes. Luckily a very nice woman was next to me and she gave us a bobber, a different hook and several minnows to try. She also let the girls look at the dozens of fish she was catching (in the time we caught one she probably caught 10!). Next time we go fishing we will stop by the bait shop and grab some options. 

We ended the adventure with a great picnic, some more exploring and a little time to play at the playground. 

I can't wait to take them fishing again!

 

This Week's Feature:

Have a little one that is interested in the sky? Check out this great educational and creative idea from Growing a Jeweled Rose - Painting The Sky. Her little one really had a blast with this activity and I think my kiddos would too. Thanks so much Growing a Jeweled Rose for sharing this one with us!

Now on to the Party! 

A few guidelines for the party...

- Any kind of children's outdoor play-related posts are welcome!

- If you'd like us to further share your post (e.g., on Facebook/ Twitter/ Pinterest), please just include a link back to this post (either in your post or sidebar) to help us spread the word about the importance (and fun!) of outdoor play!

- Please feel free to grab the Outdoor Play Party button from the sidebar and/or include a text link back.

- Each time we will feature an activity from the previous party. 

- By contributing you are giving permission for an image and link to your post to be republished. 

Share your ideas for outdoor play activities with us every other week! The linky goes live every second Friday at 12:01 GMT+1

she doesn't have to love every kind of outdoor adventure

Deep sea fishing is not for Sam. She was sick pretty much the whole boat ride! We were all very impressed because she never cried, whined or spoke even one word of complaint. She just kept throwing up, everywhere, and on everyone!  Disgusting! 

We had a few minutes at the beginning where she was not sick and then a little time at the very end where she was feeling okay, but other than that her trip was pretty rough. It didn't help that the fishing was horrible and we only caught one fish.

Way to go Uncle Craig.

But Sam got to see some sights and when she wasn't sick she had a great time on the boat.

Sam sat up for a few minutes when she really wasn't feeling well and was able to see a group of humpback whales that were not too far from our boat. It was amazing! Even though she was SO sick I still think she was pretty impressed.

Sam got a chance at the end of the trip when she was feeling better to reel in the bait fish. She was thrilled and thought she had caught a fish! We didn't argue with her.

At the end of the trip the captain was emptying out the bait bins and feeding the birds and sea lions. He got one sea lion to come all the way up on the boat and we pet it!

So cool to see a sea lion that close!

As we headed back to the house Sam told me that she never wanted to go on a boat again. I talked with her about all the great things that we saw but she still insisted that she didn't like it and didn't want to do it again. I don't blame her. If I had gotten that sick I wouldn't want to either. BUT I think I am going to make her take another boat ride while we are down here! I know, I am a mean, bad mom, but hear me out. They have these little tourist boat rides that you can take where you get to see the sea lions in their natural habitat, visit some secluded beautiful beaches and some awesome rock bluffs. The boat stays close to shore the whole time, is a short ride and there are stops to get out along the way. I think this type of trip might be a great way to show her that not all boat rides will make you sick and miserable. There is a risk that even this short and calm ride will make her seasick, but it is a risk I am willing to take so that she goes away with good memories and a willingness to try it again. Do you think I am crazy?

Okay, gotta get ready for the beach later!

Day 323: sam goes fishing

Pawpaw brought Sam her very first fishing pole. We were hoping to get it out and wet the hook from the kayak yesterday but couldn't get it put together and working in time. So today we walked to our local neighborhood pond so she could practice her casting and learn a little bit about fishing.

 
 
 
She was very good at following the instructions and wanted to do it by herself but after a few casts and she didn't catch a fish she was done. I am sure that is the way it would be for most little ones.

I knew there probably weren't any fish in this particular pond but wanted Sam to get a chance to try out the fishing pole with her grandparents.

Today was all about practicing. In preparation for a big family camping trip we have coming up soon we lit another backyard fire and roasted marshmallows. I want my girls to be familiar with campfires, know the rules and not be tempted to get too close.

 
Avery wanted desperately to help me blow on the fire but I convinced her to blow from a safe distance away.

I am really hoping that I will be able to enjoy the campfire and not be stressed with worry about them getting seriously hurt. Lots more practice is needed!

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The Nitty Gritty!

Practice makes perfect for almost anything that you do outdoors. Starting small and working up to bigger adventures are a great way to treat outdoor activities with little kids. Things like backyard fires, picnics, playing in a tent set up in the backyard, camping in the backyard and many others are all great ways to practice skills that your kids will need to be comfortable with when they do outdoor adventures with the family.

If you are familiar with PlayOutdoors their campfire blog has lots of articles on how to get kids outside. Plus, I actually wrote an article for them that is suppose to be published on Jne 6th about camping practice with little kids. And if you need information on how to poop in the woods there is a great article on there right now!