This weekend my husband and I headed to the local art museum.  There was a gallery featuring artwork by the local high school students.  Incredible.  Even the pieces missing symmetry or the ‘perfect’ level of shading impressed me.  The effort.  The thoughtfulness.  The unique perspective of each student manifested as creative license in each piece.  

I thought of my own daughter and wondered how in the world I would ever be able to encourage the artist in her, considering my lack of formal artistic training.  It’s one thing to teach your kid how to glue construction paper and glitter and popsicle sticks together, but it is another beast altogether to teach a child to recreate, on paper, with a pencil, the world around them.  

Naturally, I turned to my mother for guidance.  How do you teach a kid to draw when the whole idea intimidates you?  I grew up watching her draw–for fun, to earn some extra money, and with us.  She somehow managed to be encouraging even while she carefully corrected us.  She taught us to forgive ourselves when our drawings didn’t look like we thought they should.  She taught us to try again, because trying again was fun.  I remember drawing with her so clearly, but I don’t remember her technique–how did she teach us to embrace the challenge of recreating something on paper?

She agreed to write up her thoughts on the subject to share with you all…

It is a common misconception that children need to be taught to draw.  But really!  They don’t need someone to show them how to make a mark.  They love to make marks—on walls and floors and brothers and bellies.  I can’t remember a time that I didn’t have a pencil in hand, but it wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I learned how to “draw” in spite of countless hours and a small fortune invested in lessons.  Soon after, I started teaching at my daughter’s elementary school as a volunteer.  What I discovered is this:  Teaching children to draw means first teaching them to see and teaching them to see means giving them permission to ignore the symbolic world of our educational system.  There’s nothing wrong with symbols: this post would mean nothing to you if you had not mastered symbology (i.e. letters) in school.  But when it comes to drawing, I find that spaces, lines, texture, hue, saturation and color are much more interesting than symbols.

 What follows is drawn (sorry!) from the excellent book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” by Betty Edwards.  I can’t cover all of the material in the book in this post, but I highly recommend you give it a read. .  I can assure you that it will unlock your child’s inner artist—and maybe yours as well!

It’s fortunate that this is a blog about the outdoors, since nowhere else are a child’s creative urges more stimulated than in the natural world.  There are no symbols in the natural world.  Every subject in nature willingly gives itself over to creative interpretation.  Natural subjects aren’t annoyed when they are drawn with double chins, or with noses too big or lips too small; and the level of effort on the part of the artist is a matter of whim, not constrained by the clock.  I’ll leave drawing theory to Betty Edwards, but the modified exercises that follow will make more sense to you if you understand the theory behind them.  Give the following exercises a try to get your budding artist started.  (And I need to state that these exercises will be so much more effective if you and your little ones are all doing them together.  There will be some pretty silly images; if they can see you laughing along with them at what is most certainly going to be an “artistic” failure, they will be more likely to dismiss their own fear of failure and have fun.)

You will need to judge when to start and how fast to move through the exercises.  I recommend you wait to start lessons until stick figures aren’t good enough anymore and your child asks you how to draw _____ (fill in the blank).  This transition from drawing at will to learning to draw can be tricky because children are by nature impatient and by the time they are asking how to draw a subject, they will know about symbols and will assume that they need to know how to make the symbol that represents a subject.  You will need to use your mother’s intuition to get things started.  With many of these exercises the initial goal is not to create an image that immediately looks like a prancing buck or a fine botanical illustration–the point is to learn to truly see.  Once an artist has learned to see everything, there is no limit to what can be represented on paper!

I also recommend that they be allowed to stop when they lose interest.

Supplies:

Paper.  Newsprint pads are a good choice because they are large and cheap.

Pencil.  A plain old #2 pencil is fine for older children.  Crayons or markers are good for smaller children.

Eraser.  Erasing is fine, but won’t be needed for exercise #1.  If your little student gets too carried away with erasing, move back to blind drawing for a while.

Practice truly seeing the subject–not the symbol. 

1.      Blind drawing:  Use a drawing surface that can be steady on its own—like a table, an easel, or a stool.  Tape a piece of paper to the surface.  Choose a subject—the simpler the shape the better.  At least for the first drawing, a stone is a better choice than a pine cone;  a stick is a better choice than a maple leaf.  Have your child sit so that the subject is off to the side and behind the paper far enough that sneaking a peek at the drawing surface is difficult (i.e., they would have to turn their head to look at what they’re drawing).  The challenge is to draw the subject by ONLY looking at the subject, never at the drawing, and by NEVER lifting the pencil from the paper.  The objective for your child is to draw every detail that they see.  This exercise is good because it encourages paying attention and because it is impossible to be “wrong.”  The purpose of the lesson is to learn to focus and pay attention to small details, in other words—to see.  Younger children will have a very short attention span, so simple is critical.

Afterward, look at the drawing with them and remark on any detail in the drawing that reflects paying attention to the subject.  If you can get them to pay attention long enough, do this several times in a row.  Encourage them with each iteration to see more detail.  Part of the value of this exercise is to make the shift from symbolic consciousness to immersion in observation, a skill that’s natural to children.

Notice the Little Details

2.      Mirror Drawing:  Modify the blind drawing exercise to allow peeking.  A good subject for this second lesson is your student’s non-drawing hand, since it is so close. Same story–with emphasis on drawing every detail without lifting the pencil from the paper… and while they are allowed to peek at the paper, focusing on the subject is best.   Share your drawings and see if you can link the little curves and angles in the drawing with details in the subject.  Your child may be dismayed that the drawing doesn’t look just like their hand.  Congratulate them on the little details and remind them that ‘success’ here is measured by not lifting the pencil and by seeing details, not by representing a hand.

Now take that drawing and cut away one segment so that you are looking at just one part of the whole drawing (to start, chose the simplest part).  Since it is just one part, the tendency to symbolize the object is thwarted.  Using just the first line as a pattern, draw a mirror image of it. Make it fun; even if the two are not true mirrors, there will be some detail to remark about.  Again, have fun with the designs and patterns that emerge and keep them focused on noticing the details.

It’s Okay to Trace.

3.      Tracing:   We are all taught that tracing is cheating, but that’s not true.  Tracing is an excellent way to create muscle memory.  Seeing the line and replicating it requires very finely tuned eye/muscle coordination–tracing is a good way to lay this down.  For this exercise, you will need a line drawing of something recognizable.  A page from a coloring book works well if the image is fairly simple.  Have the children trace the drawing three times:  The first time, turn the picture upside down for the tracing.  The second time, they can’t lift their pencil from the page.  Ask them to see if they can do it without drawing over their lines (the secret is to start with the outer edge and work in a circular fashion to the center).  The third time, have them draw only the spaces between the objects in the picture. This brings us to negative spaces.

Learn to Draw Everything–Except the Subject.

4.      Negative Spaces:  Negative spaces are the empty areas around the subject.  In terms of artistic composition, negative spaces are one of the most important elements of a drawing.  As an example, consider the Rubin vase; the subject is a vase, but in the negative space (the white area of the image) are two opposing faces.  But before your little artists can begin using them for composition, they have to learn to see them.  One of the values of learning to see negative spaces is that it forces your brain to stop seeing the symbol–the object that occupies the positive space.  For this exercise, use natural objects arranged on a piece of colored paper.  It is important at this point to use the paper to create an outside boundary–the negative spaces on the outer edges are easier to see with a boundary.  Sticks, leaves, and rocks are good choices.  String coiled on a sheet of paper also creates nice negative spaces.  Cover most of the paper with these items, so that there are only one, two, or three spaces where the colored paper shows through.

The exercise will be to draw the non-subject space—the space that is open between the objects.  Talk about looking for round parts and angled parts; have them use comparisons to get better shapes (this line is shorter than this one, the space is wider than this line).  Compare drawings and remark on the shapes that are closest to the real space.

Now remove a few more objects and open up a few more spaces.  Either add them to the drawing or start a new drawing.  Again, with each iteration, remark on those spaces that are true to form.

Keep removing objects and drawing spaces.  At first the spaces will be just spots on the paper, but as you remove items and the spaces become bigger, the “space” between the spaces will start to look like leaves and rocks and sticks (see pictures below, with a few more objects removed.)

Seeing it all–lines and spaces

5.      Upside-down Drawing:  This is the most complicated exercise.  You will need to judge if your child is ready for this.  Using the same image you used in exercise #3, turn the image upside down.  On a clean sheet of paper, ask your artist(s) to draw exactly what they see.  The finished drawing will be upside down.  Ask them to look for spaces and to pay attention to details.  They (and you) will be surprised at how closely they have been able to replicate the image.  Try it again with a more complicated image,  At this point, stick to line drawings–nothing with dark and light or shadows.  Again, the point is to force the mind to see an object as it is, not as the symbol it has been trained to think it should see.  When a familiar image is upside down, it is harder for the brain to associate it with a preconceived notion of how that object ‘should’ look.

Putting it all together.

6.  A drawing for the portfolio:  It’s now time to put it all together. For the final drawing, use a fairly simple object, with spaces and lines.  A chair is a good choice because it has well-defined lines and angular spaces; or give them a mirror and have them draw their own eye.  Other options are piles of rocks, a leaf, a flower.

(Hint: to help them see the negative spaces around the outside of the object, teach them to use their hands to create a picture frame.)

Give the students as along as they need to draw the object.  Encourage them to remember what they learned about drawing spaces between lines.  Even if the drawing is not an exact replica of the object, pull out the parts of the drawing that show attention to detail.  Compare the final product with their earlier attempts at symbolic drawing.  Celebrate success!  Remember, even if the drawing is not worthy of the Metropolitian Museum of Art it IS a success.

From this point, it is likely they will be drawing all the time. Experimenting should be encouraged.  In school, they will be encouraged to practice symbolism because it can be standardized to all skill levels, but this isn’t a bad thing if they have the opportunity to let go and draw what they “see” outside the classroom. Whether or not your students become artists in the commercial sense, they will be have begun to develop an important naturalist skill–the ability to “see.”

Capture the Flag. The best place I’ve ever played this game was in a sandy wash with sorta steep sides. In this beloved game, each team hides a flag on their side of the wash, or field, or dirt road. Team members strategize to sneak over steal the other team’s flag without getting caught while also guarding their own flag against capture. More info on Capture the Flags rules here.

Hide and Go Beep. If it’s to dark to play hide and seek, this game makes fora nice post-sunset substitute. To play, simply locate one another by sound having hidden players “beep” every 30 seconds or so.

Flashlight Tag. One person is “it” and holds a flashlight, unlit. When he sees another player, he quickly turns on the flashlight and shines his light on them. The rest of the players do their best to avoid being spotted with the flashlight. If the “it” player shines his flashlight on you, you take the flashlight from him and are now “it.”

Signals. Players should pair off and create a flashlight signal (one short and one long flash, three short flashes and so on). Partners must then separate and go to opposite ends of a large, open playing area. Players are given one minute to scatter before they begin flashing their signals. Each pair tries to reunite as quickly as possible by sending flashlight signals to partners. The first pair to reunite is the winner.

Glow-in-the-dark Ring Toss. It’s sorta like horse shoes, but with glow-in-the-dark bracelets as rings. Set up a stick, stand back, and take turns trying to toss your ring onto the stick. Good game for little kids.

Glow-in-the-dark Kickball. Make a daytime favorite night friendly by using a glow in the dark ball as your kickball. Use glow in the dark frisbees for bases. Players can wear glow sticks to avoid collisions.

Firefly. Select one player to be the firefly. He or she puts colored plastic wrap around their light (or uses the red light setting if they have one) and moves away from the rest of the players while they count to 20. They then start looking for the firefly who is constantly moving around. Every minute or so, the firefly flashes his flashlight on and off a few times. When the firefly is finally caught by another player, everyone is called in. A new firefly is chosen, and the game continues.

Glow in the Dark Bowling. Get a bunch of clear water bottles (empty or full) and put a glow stick in them. Take a ball and try to knock over the pins. Great game if you’re camped by an old dirt road.

Kick the Can. One player is designated as “it.” He or she stands with one foot on the can and closes his or her eyes while counting out loud to 50 or so. This gives players time to hide anywhere they can: behind trees, tents, rocks, washes, etc. When the “it” person reaches 50, he or she opens their eyes and begins looking for the other players attempting to kick the can. If “it” tags someone before they kick the can, that person must go to “jail” and wait. If “it” catches all the players, he or she wins.

Nighttime Scavenger Hunt. There are so many cool but seldom seen or heard things that come out at night, make a scavenger hunt and tell your kids to use their flashlights, and their eyes and ears. Look and listen for things like owls or other night birds calling or frogs and crickets. Find a salamander, moth, the north star, a blooming night flower, spider, something with glowing eyes, etc.

Starting today we here at Outsidemom have joined

Frankly, we’re thrilled, and have already begun the initiation (i.e. Lindsey is on a field trip all day, and I’m headed outside for spring cleaning just as soon as I hit the Publish button!). (more…)

Have you heard of this?

When I say napping outside, I’m not talking about letting your child finish thier nap in the stroller after a walk or  letting them fall asleep in a pack while you hike – although those are both great ideas. I’m talking about people who put their children outdoors to take nap every single day, no matter what the weather. No matter where they are, which is often right outside their own home.

I first read about this idea on DesignMom, in a post about a trip she’d taken to Sweden. She described the country as “one big Waldorf school” where kids spend a lot of time outdoors. They play outdoors, spend school time outdoors, and yes, their kids take naps outdoors. It’s sounds like the OutsideMom’s version of a utopian society to me. (more…)

I recently moved down the street from a lake. A bonafide honset-to-goodness lake. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting into stand up paddleboarding (SUP). Preferable with my kids. So I knew just just the person to go to for advise. Danielle and her husband own Sweetwater Paddle Sports in Southwest Florida and run a SupMommys group, a class where Moms AND their kids come to learn the ways of the paddleboard.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom Danielle. Can’t wait to try this out.

How did you get into Stand Up Paddleboarding?  

I grew up in Naples, Fl (on the beach), then lived in the Virgin Islands with my husband for a few years. Being on the water has always been a part of who I am.

Three years ago my husband and I got the urge to try stand up paddleboarding since surfing is rare on the southwest coast of Fl. After a few times out on a board my husband and I decided we wanted to open our own stand up paddleboard shop, Sweetwater Paddle Sports. We’ve been open for 2 years, have been crazy busy and are now expanding!

What made you decide to start your SupMommys group?  (more…)

So Stacy Tornio sent a copy of her (and Ken Keffer’s) new book to me a few weeks ago.  I’ve been reading through it ever since.  So many ideas (448 to be exact)!  So well organized!  She’s giving away autographed copies of this book, as well as kids CLIF bars (Zbars) through the end of April.  Having read through much of this book, I highly recommend you sign yourself up for the giveaway.

Why?

Let me tell you.

These guys get it.  Their book tallies up the essence of outdoor parenting blogs everywhere.  This is from the introduction: “Nature is a destination, but you don’t have to travel anywhere to find it.  Just open the door and step outside.  The tiniest of porches can house a flower container.  A backyard can provide a lifetime of natural experiences.  Nature is everywhere….”  This book is perfect for first time moms, as a really awesome baby shower gift, and for those who wish they did more things outside but aren’t sure how to start. (more…)

It is so close to springtime here.  The grass is mostly green.  The Fox Sparrows are back in front of the house.  Robins are perusing the lawn for tasty grubs.  The Red-tailed Hawks that live in the Cottonwood just down the road are searching the fields for voles again.  Mud Season has just about passed and I don’t have to wipe the dogs’ feet every time they come in the house.  Flowers will be unfurling their splendid banners any day now!

They may already be blooming where you are… and if you aren’t sure, there are a number of excellent websites that can keep you up to date on the blooms occurring in your neck of the woods.  Here are my favorites, arranged by region (this list is hardly comprehensive, but is a start). (more…)

We always advocated that being outside is its own reward; that kids can be entertained with a minimum of ‘toys’ while in Nature’s Playground.  And while we still stand by that, it’s also true that a few simple props can greatly enhance any camping trip–especially ones that last a few days.

Here’s a list of our favorite camping gadgets.  If your kids are especially short on attentiveness, space these out over a few days for even greater enjoyment.

• Binoculars  Whether it’s to view the night sky or the moon, magnify a spider (turn your binoculars upside down), or check out the birds in the trees above camp, binoculars are a great addition to any bag of camping goodies.  With adult supervision, any pair will work or you can buy your kids their own pair fairly inexpensively.  Look for ones with low magnification, wide field of view, not too heavy or consider a pair specific to kids.  I’ve been drooling over these made by Bresser.  They ship from Germany.  For older kids, invest in a pair that is durable and will last awhile (but still not too expensive).  I like these Pentax binoculars.  We wrote a post a few years back on teaching a kid how to use binoculars.
• Whittling tools  Hours of fun, and with the added danger of a trip to the emergency room!  Just kidding… sort of.  Buy a thumb guard, or put a leather glove on the hand holding the carving wood to reduce the chance of injury.  If you want to splurge, get a beginner’s set of wood-carving tools.  Otherwise set them free with a pocket knife (there are many good pocket knives for young outdoorsmen, but I will forever be partial to Old Timer’s because it was my first).  A good beginner project is a marshmallow roasting stick.  Also fun are flutes.  You can also buy blocks of wood for beginners, or give your novice a bar of ivory soap and see what emerges. (more…)

We always advocated that being outside is its own reward; that kids can be entertained with a minimum of ‘toys’ while in Nature’s Playground.  And while we still stand by that, it’s also true that a few simple props can greatly enhance any camping trip–especially ones that last a few days.

Here’s a list of our favorite camping gadgets.  If your kids are especially short on attentiveness, space these out over a few days for even greater enjoyment.

• Binoculars  Whether it’s to view the night sky or the moon, magnify a spider (turn your binoculars upside down), or check out the birds in the trees above camp, binoculars are a great addition to any bag of camping goodies.  With adult supervision, any pair will work or you can buy your kids their own pair fairly inexpensively.  Look for ones with low magnification, wide field of view, not too heavy or consider a pair specific to kids.  I’ve been drooling over these made by Bresser.  They ship from Germany.  For older kids, invest in a pair that is durable and will last awhile (but still not too expensive).  I like these Pentax binoculars.  We wrote a post a few years back on teaching a kid how to use binoculars.
• Whittling tools  Hours of fun, and with the added danger of a trip to the emergency room!  Just kidding… sort of.  Buy a thumb guard, or put a leather glove on the hand holding the carving wood to reduce the chance of injury.  If you want to splurge, get a beginner’s set of wood-carving tools.  Otherwise set them free with a pocket knife (there are many good pocket knives for young outdoorsmen, but I will forever be partial to Old Timer’s because it was my first).  A good beginner project is a marshmallow roasting stick.  Also fun are flutes.  You can also buy blocks of wood for beginners, or give your novice a bar of ivory soap and see what emerges.
• Shovel and pail  There is no end to the uses for a shovel and pail.  For a pail, the simple brightly colored ones you find at the dollar store will suffice.  But swap out the plastic shovel that comes with it for something more durable.  Transport frogs, haul water, fill with dirt, wear it on your head, sit on it–pails are good for so many things.  Add a shovel and the possibilities are infinite.
• Plant press  We covered how to make your own plant press in a different post.  You can also buy them from some outdoor’s stores.  Press flowers, leaves, or Christmas ornaments for December.  Bring along some field guides for flowers in the area.  Props like plant presses teach your children to really pay attention to the world beneath their feet.
• Black-lighting supplies  When the sun has gone down, string up a white sheet between two trees and put a UV-emitting light in front of it.  Within 20 minutes you’ll have amazing moths and beetles flocking to you.  Catch them for an insect collection, or look at them with a microscope or magnifying glass and let them go.  If they’re moving too fast, put them in a plastic container or jar and set them in the cooler for ten minutes.  The bug won’t die, but will be sluggish enough for easy viewing until it warms up again (usually about ten minutes).
• Bubbles  Make your own heavy duty solution in camp or buy a bottle of the usual stuff on the way out of town.  Either way, bubbles are an easy way to pass hours of time.   And with pipe cleaners, yarn, and straws, kids can make their own bubble wands in camp.

• Kite  If camping in an area with few trees (i.e. much of the desert southwest), kites are fun for adults and children alike.  Splurge for a fancy acrobatic one, or make one out of whatever is on hand.  Kites can turn a miserably windy day in camp into a wonderful afternoon in the wind.
• Disposable camera  Buy a few cheap disposable cameras from the grocery store and hand them out to your kids.  Let them take pictures of camp for the weekend.  If they lose the camera, it only cost you a few dollars, and if they waste all the film taking pictures of their nostrils, well… it only cost you a few dollars.  And sometimes you’ll get a great and unexpected shot to memorialize the trip.
• Slingshot  Lindsey brought one of these on a trip to the desert a year ago.  ‘Nuff said.
• Fishing poles  Does it matter if they catch anything?  Not really.  The fun is in the act of fishing.  There is some innate enjoyment most humans seem to find in tossing bait into a body of water and waiting to see what notices.  Most department stores now carry kid-sized fishing rods for pretty cheap.
• Portable microscope or magnifying glass  Dissecting microscopes are great for viewing the smaller of nature’s creatures.  No slides or cover slips required.  If you get a fairly inexpensive one, it’s easy to set up on the picnic table for viewing all camping-trip long.  Or purchase a nicer one and pack it carefully!  We once caught a Jerusalem cricket that was munching on its latest prey.  Under the scope it was both horrifying and fascinating.  I couldn’t look away, and I couldn’t help but be thankful I was human and not a small bug.  If you can’t get your hands on a microscope, bring along a decent magnifying glass.  Note that some dissecting scopes need to be plugged in in order for the stage to be illuminated.  You can just use a flash-light of course, or come prepared with an adapter for the car.
• Geologic hammer and loupe  And safety glasses or sunglasses.  Pounding on rocks until they crack is still one of my husband’s favorite activities.  You never know what you’ll find inside.  Crystals, fossils, geodes, or just pretty swirls or bits of sparkle.  A true geologists hammer is as cheap as a fishing rod and just as fun, and they come in many sizes.  Teach your kid to keep their hands away from the rock on which they intend to pound, and make sure (INSIST)  that they (and everyone near them) covers their eyeballs.  Bring along a loupe (an extra fancy magnifying glass) to look at the crystals up close, or throw them under the dissecting microscope.
• Drawing supplies  A blank piece of paper and some brand new drawing supplies can inspire even the most reluctant artist in nature.  Sketch the scent from camp with black and white pencils.   Trace the outline of a leaf and fill in the details with colored pencils.  Watercolor by dipping your brush in a body of REAL water.  Try your hand at oil painting the trees in camp (heck, bring an easel and channel your inner Monet!)  Paint a piece of wood or a rock from camp with poster paints.  Emphasize artistic license and abstraction so that nobody gets frustrated when their painting doesn’t look like quite like the real thing.
• Pellet gun  With adult supervision (depending on the age), marksmanship contests with a pellet gun can be very fun.  Pellet guns are light  nough for even young campers, and are a great way to teach gun safety with little danger of someone getting hurt.  Set up a paper plate in a bush with a good back-drop, and bring some markers to keep track of who fired where.  For added fun, set up some animal crackers on a distant hill and go ‘big game’ hunting.  Teach your kids about the difference between shooting squirrels for fun and shooting a deer for meat while you’re at it.
• Frisbees and soft balls  The fun is obvious. When I am catching a frisbee or throwing a baseball in the summer, I always find myself wondering why I don’t do it every night all summer long.  Once a child has the hand-eye coordination to catch and throw an object, games of toss hold another 20 years of appeal, at least.
• Nets and a viewing cage  Fish nets and insect nets can provide hours of entertainment to the young naturalist who isn’t so in to plants.  Whether it’s catching tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, lizards, crabs, or bugs, nets force the shyer of nature’s creatures to get up-close and personal.  Bring a basin for aquatic creatures, or a plastic cage for terrestrial catches.  This is a great way to teach children how to respect small creatures. Check out our post on catching aquatic macroinvertebrates for more tips.

Which of your favorite camping props did we miss?

It is so close to springtime here.  The grass is mostly green.  The Fox Sparrows are back in front of the house.  Robins are perusing the lawn for tasty grubs.  The Red-tailed Hawks that live in the Cottonwood just down the road are searching the fields for voles again.  Mud Season has just about passed and I don’t have to wipe the dogs’ feet every time they come in the house.  Flowers will be unfurling their splendid banners any day now!

They may already be blooming where you are… and if you aren’t sure, there are a number of excellent websites that can keep you up to date on the blooms occurring in your neck of the woods.  Here are my favorites, arranged by region (this list is hardly comprehensive, but is a start).  There are more ‘reports’, and they are more frequently updated, in the west and southwest.  This is not because people in those regions are more in love with flowers, it is because the start and peak of the wildflower season is less predictable and ‘flashes’ more in the desert.  If you don’t keep your eye on it, you’ll miss out completely!  In the east, rainfall is less variable from year to year and flowers are more constant.  As such, the types of wildflower websites I chose for each area differ–in the east they are more likely to be lists, or ideas for good places to go.  In the southwest, they are more like “This Just In” news bulletins.

Browse the links, look at the flowers, and be inspired to take a walk outside this weekend looking at nature’s short-lived gems!  Depending on where you are, bring a plant press, and keep some memories for later.

NORTHEAST/MIDWEST

• The AdirondackAlmanack has bloom dates for wildflowers in that area, as well as lots of other fascinating information about this range of mountains.
• Franconia Notch in New Hampshire features a lupine festival in June, but there are many other wildflowers blooming there in the spring/summer.  In fact, the Appalachian Mountain Club put together a nice list of the ten best wildflower hikes in the White Mountains (note the list was compiled in 2008–still accurate, but dates listed are not for this year!).
• In lower Michigan is the only wildflower sanctuary run by the Forest Service.  They put out an interpretive brochure for the place (Loda Lake) complete with bloom dates for all of the flowers.  Michigan national forests also feature several other wildflower viewing areas in the Huron-Manastee National Forest.
• Pennsylvania has a website with pictures of wildflowers along many trails, including when they bloom.  Hit the ‘browse’ button for the list of trails.
• Also if you live in the east, make sure to check if there is a Rhododendron festival in your area (or coastal west)–not to be missed!

EAST

• The national park service keeps careful tabs on when the cherry trees will bloom in Washington D.C. each spring.  In a good year, this is truly a sight to behold!  This year it was last week (though probably still pretty nice to look at…)
• The Great Smoky Mountains have wonderful wildflower displays in the spring.  While not as ground-carpeting as what you might see in the desert southwest, the diversity is incredible, and includes many fragrant trees (something you don’t see much in the west at all!)
• The Blueridge parkway puts out a wildflower report every week or two in the spring (not yet this year), and a fall colors report in the autumn.  Type in wildflower report in the search box to see the most recent reports.  Shenandoah National Park features a wildflower weekend every year too, highlighting those things blooming in the area.

SOUTHEAST

•  The Southern Appalachian hiking club has compiled a list of flowers blooming in the Southern Appalachians, complete with date seen and trail.
• While not specific in terms of where to see wildflowers, the Southeastern Flora is a nice comprehensive resource for identifying a flower in that region once you’ve found it.  There is also this nice flora of southern states (it is a large pdf file!).  And lastly there is this website with pictures of wildflowers throughout the southeast… no specific information on where to find them, but a good resource for identification.
• Florida Hikes has a wonderful list of hikes all over Florida, and each hike description includes a list of plants blooming there and when.  The Florida Wildflower Foundation features a ‘What’s in Bloom‘ page that even has an interactive map!
• For Louisiana, Lutherans online runs a website with information on what is blooming in the south each year.  It is a little difficult to follow, but the information is helpful!
• Tennessee (should this be southeast?  I can’t decide…)  has a wonderful website showing what is in bloom along many trails, complete with pictures for each week.  Even more hikes can be found here.
• Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina also maintains a bloom calendar for their beautiful state park, as does Asheville.

ROCKY MOUNTAINS

• The grasslands of Wyoming have excellent wildflower viewing in June and July.  You can call the visitor’s center to find out what is in bloom before you go, but they don’t (as far as I can tell) put anything online yet.  Sheridan Wyoming’s website lists some daytrips that include wildflower viewing.  And the National Forest has a nice list of places to view wildflowers all along the Rockies.
• Yellowstone National Park puts out a very comprehensive list of the wildflowers that bloom in the park and when.
• Glacier National Park has wonderful flower displays for a very short period in the summer.  This website lists what they consider the best hikes for seeing these flowers.  (Also recommended is the Garden Wall).
• In Colorado, Crested Butte is the Wildflower Capital of the state, and they celebrate with a week-long festival in the beginning of July.  The Colorado website features a list of scenic drives that are resplendant with flowers in June and July, and also five hikes.
• And Rocky Mountain National Park has a list of the flowers that bloom there, with some indication of when you might find them.

TEXAS

• I mentioned it above under identification, but the Lady Bird Johnson website also feature updates on flowers blooming in Texas (especially central), with ‘forecasts’ each spring based on winter rainfall.
• Wildflower Sightings allows people mainly in Texas to write in with their most recent information about wildflower blooms.  It doesn’t include a ton of information, but does include at least a smattering of updates that may be helpful in the spring.
• The DesertUSA website includes some of Texas also… see my description of it under Southwest, which is the main focus of the website.
• The Texas Department of Transportation also features a wildflower update page–believe it or not some of the best displays in desert environments is along roadways, because of all the extra water that runs off the pavement instead of sinking into the soil!

NORTHWEST

•  The Oregon Wildflowers website allows you to log your own report on what you saw, or look through trip reports for a given area.  You have to know what you’re looking for here as there is no ‘browse’ feature, but the website is nonetheless helpful if you already have a rough itinerary in mind.
• Currently Blooming Wildflowers or Washington and Oregon is a comprehensive website with links to many regions (focused mainly along the Columbia River) in the northwest.  Many of the links are for last year because flowers aren’t yet going strongly in this region yet… but check back soon!
• Some of the national parks in Oregon and Washington include on their websites wildflower updates.  Here is the wildflower report for Mt. Rainier.

SOUTHWEST

• I live in the desert southwest, and have been doing research on flowers in the southwest for many many years now.  The DesertUSA website is an excellent resource for finding out what is blooming in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and California.  It is updated constantly in the spring, and has helped me find blooms on many occasions.  Highly recommended.  Peruse the rest of the website for interesting information on all things desert.
• Arizona state parks also have a ‘ranger cam‘ which shows how areas are looking each week, and the desert botanical gardens maintains links to all state parks and their blooms each spring from March through April.
• There is also a website for the Sonoran desert in Arizona, updated religiously in the spring.

CALIFORNIA

•  The DesertUSA website I mentioned for the southwest is also quite good for central to southern California.  These areas of California have the potential for some of the most spectacular (in my opinion) wildflower blooms in the whole country.
• Many California state parks and national monuments/parks include updates in the spring about what is in bloom each week.  Look up the state park you’d like to visit for a checklist and update…  Here are a few of the most popular parks and monuments:  Anza Borrego State Park (also Here), Death Valley National Park (the update is in a tab on the left), Joshua Tree National Monument, and the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve.  This website is a good place to start for a list of all state parks in California, and links to their webpages.
• Another excellent site is the Theodore Payne website, which includes weekly downloadable (.pdf or .doc) updates for the entire spring wildflower season all over California
• Also check out the pages run by the BLM, which often feature excellent information for areas of wildflowers a little less well-known.

ALASKA

• There are very few wildflower schedules or reports of Alaska.  Considering the plethora of gorgeous blooms much of the state gets each year, this is too bad.  I did find Reny’s wildflowers, and if you filter for Alaska, you can see what is common in some regions.
• Also, GORP has a top ten list of wildflower viewing areas in the U.S., and talks about a couple of beautiful areas for flowers to check out in Alaska.

And here are my favorite websites for wildflower identification (and all things wildflower-y)

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center  Someday I want to go here.  In the meantime, the website is wonderful.  Covering topics as far ranging as photography and wildflower cultivation, this foundation is one of the best sources of flower information in the U.S.  They have a very nice identification guide (under explore plants) and often give updates on what is blooming in central texas.

The PLANTS database  Run by the USDA, the PLANTS database is the most complete record of plant records in the United States.  It includes common names, scientific names, old scientific names, all varieties, titles of books that talk about that plant, and distributional information… for EVERY SINGLE PLANT.  There are pictures, and within the last few years they added state by state checklists that you can download.  Truly a remarkable website.

Flickr  The Flickr community has put together a collection of pictures of wildflowers of North America.  While identification may be difficult using just a picture, many of the images are very very nice and include notes from botanists about identification.  If you think you know what a flower is, searching for matching images here might help validate your guesses.  Or just browse the beautiful images for the heckuvit.

Celebrating Wildflowers The forest service runs this website, which includes activities and links to all things wildflower throughout the U.S.  While not too specific in terms of regional identification, it does provide links to websites that are very useful.

The National Parks Traveler has an article on wildflower viewing in national parks that might hit some areas that I missed.

Did I miss a favorite online reference of yours?  Please share it for our readers!

I recently moved down the street from a lake. A bonafide honset-to-goodness lake. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting into stand up paddleboarding (SUP). Preferable with my kids. So I knew just just the person to go to for advise. Danielle and her husband own Sweetwater Paddle Sports in Southwest Florida and run a SupMommys group, a class where Moms AND their kids come to learn the ways of the paddleboard.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom Danielle. Can’t wait to try this out.

How did you get into Stand Up Paddleboarding?  

I grew up in Naples, Fl (on the beach), then lived in the Virgin Islands with my husband for a few years. Being on the water has always been a part of who I am.

Three years ago my husband and I got the urge to try stand up paddleboarding since surfing is rare on the southwest coast of Fl. After a few times out on a board my husband and I decided we wanted to open our own stand up paddleboard shop, Sweetwater Paddle Sports. We’ve been open for 2 years, have been crazy busy and are now expanding!

What made you decide to start your SupMommys group? 

I had full access to stand up paddleboards after we opened the shop, so I wanted to take advantage of the lifestyle and teach my kids at a young age. I soon realized how hard it was to bring 3 kids under the age of 4, beach toys, beach equipment, a small lunch box and the paddleboards to the beach.

Knowing that our shop delivers boards, I asked my husband if he could deliver them to the beach for me.  It made my beach trip a little easier. I fell in love with being able to paddleboard with all 3 kids on the front of my board and one day I invited my close girlfriends and their young kids to a playdate to the beach with paddleboards. They all loved it and the kids loved it.

After that I thought about all of the other moms I knew who would love this sport. Like me, these moms do everything with their kids (no babysitters). I wanted them to have a good experience, rather than a stressful one, so I thought of the SupMommys class. A class where I bring everything down to the beach: an umbrella, toys, a treasure map with buried treasure for the kids, and my husband delivers the boards and possibly life jackets.  The mom just have to bring snacks, water and anything else she may need.

What kinds of things do you do in your classes?

The SupMommys class is done 2 ways.

1. For large groups classes we bring more help and set up 3 stations.

Station1 – The Beach Station: Kids (no more than 6, all wearing life jackets) come to this supervised station to play with beach toys while their moms are at Station 2.

Station 2 – SUP Basics: The moms get to go out on the paddleboards with an instructor learning the basics of stand up paddleboarding.

Station 3 – SUP with Kids: Kids go out on paddleboards with their moms in the water next to them, helping them get a feel for being on the board. There’s an instructor in the group showing the moms the best spot on the board to put their child, and we even teach the kids who are willing how to paddle by themselves.

After everyone has completed the stations we all go out together, moms and kids on boards together.

2. One-on-one “lifestyle” classes.

One mom and 1-2 of her kids, and me and my kid(s) go out together. I start with a beach intro and I instruct the basic motions. Then we move into the water with the kids on the board and the mom in the water holding the board. This lets the kids get a feel for the board. Then we jump right into learning how to paddle with kids on the board.  It’s really for those moms who want to be able get their own board and make it their lifestyle to paddle as a family. If someone is looking for lessons to paddleboard before they bring their kids on the board I usually have them take a lesson through our shop.

So the Moms actually have their kids ON their board with them. Is that safe? 

Yes, I encourage moms to bring their kids on the board with them. That way they can find their balance. For me I have all 3 of my girls on the board so I have to stand further back on the board. As for safety, I am not certified in any way except CPR so I make sure during class that all children are wearing lifejackets even if they’re good swimmers. We never paddle out far during class, no farther than being able to touch when the kids are on the board.  What the family does after the class on their own time is up to them and their comfort zone.

How many kids can you fit on one board?

I love paddleboarding with one kid.  Two kids is a great number to put on the board.  Three is a bit heavy, but I can’t leave one behind!  I have done it with four but just to see if it was do-able. It is but not fun if you plan to paddle far.

At what age would you recommend starting to do this with your kids?

Our SupMommys class is geared for kids ages 2-6. Once they’re around 7 they can actually start using kid paddleboards. Most of what I teach is based on experience. I started my youngest at 18 months and she was very calm on the board. However, my girls are used to the beach, water, and being around paddleboards. From my experience, 18 months is a bit too young for most kids.  Two years old is a better age to start.

What advice would you give Moms who want to start doing this with their kids?

• Bring a bucket, some sand , shells and maybe a small beach stick or shovel on the board  for the kids to play with.  My girls love to bring out children size fishing nets and pretend they are catching fish.
• Always bring snacks and tons of water, even out on the board as long as you don’t litter 🙂 
• Try to teach your kids about the ocean/lake while they are out there with you. Talk to them about keeping our beaches /lakes clean and why it is important. – – Look for sea life or lake life. 
• My girls love being able to stand up in between my legs and paddle by themselves.
• If you are planning a day with just you and your kids, pack light! Snacks, a few toys, water, bring a drycase or ziplock bag you can put your keys/phone in and wear a small back pack.
• Mornings are best where we live. Winds are calmer and water is usually flat in the mornings. 9am-11am is a good time block
• You don’t need a certain brand of a board, however look for boards that are 11-12ft long, 32″-33″wide and something with a deck pad (soft for sitting on and better grip)

Anything special we need to know about the technique behind doing this WITH your child on the board?

There is a sweetspot on a paddleboard (a good guide is the handle in the center), this is where you start and find your center of the board. If you’re too far forward your nose (the front of the board) will be in the water. If you’re too far back of the sweet spot on the back of your board will be in the water.

When you start putting kids on the board you need to think about their weight and where they are sitting on the board. It’s best for first timers to start off kneeling on the board with their kids closer to them in the center of the board. If your kid(s) want to sit more towards the front then you move towards the back until your board is flat in the water. Meaning the front isn’t underwater and the back isn’t under water. Same logic goes for standing on the board.

As for using the paddle. One hand goes on top gripping the handle, the other hand is about shoulder width apart down on the paddle. Both arms are straight as you paddle but when you have kids you need to be aware of their sweet little heads as you are switching sides. Before you venture too far, it is important to know how to hold the paddle, turn the board, and be stable on the board, without feeling like you are stiff on the board.  Use these basic instructions and mold them into what you as a mom feel comfortable doing with the kids on board.

Also, it’s important that parents know water safety: currents, wind conditions etc. You don’t ever want to bring your kids on the board with you if it is too rough or windy. Safety first. Remember if it’s windy and you go downwind first you are going to have to paddle extra hard going back against the wind!

Starting today we here at Outsidemom have joined

Frankly, we’re thrilled, and have already begun the initiation (i.e. Lindsey is on a field trip all day, and I’m headed outside for spring cleaning just as soon as I hit the Publish button!).

So what is Screen Free Week?  In our own words, it is a week to remember that not all of life revolves around the many digital gadgets in our lives: phones, tvs, computers, dvd players, video games, etc.  It is a time to ween ourselves, even if just a little bit, from hours spent sedentary and vegetative with something that engages a little more of our brains and bodies.  I love that screen free week is in the spring, when being outside is so thrilling anyway.  It makes setting my apps and programs and tv schedule aside that much easier.  So what will we be doing during screen free week?  Who knows…

But here are some possibilities!

1)  An overnight camping trip and the first weenie roast of 2013.  Our bags were packed for this months ago…

2)  Flying a kite.  Is there anything better?

3)  Watching for spring wildflowers, maybe pressing a few, or telling scientists what’s blooming in the empty field nearby.

4)  Pulling out the summer water toys and the kiddie pool.

5)  Checking out the wildlife in the pond behind our house.

6)  Putting up some new birdfeeders.

7)  Practicing our biking skills… and maybe hooking up the old trailer bike.

8)  Going on a hike… one that the kids plan, with a map for their little hands.

9)  Taking a trip to the library and reading in the backyard (here’s our favorites for beginner, intermediate, and advanced readers).

10)  And, though it isn’t ambitious or life-changing, I’m dropping Jeopardy for an extra half an hour in the backyard throwing the tennis ball for my doggies.  The red-winged blackbirds are back, the sun is the perfect warmth about then, and the doggies love me so much more just for being outside with them.  I sit in my husband’s luxury camp chair with some cold lemonade and am truly content.  At 9.5 months pregnant, this activity appeals to me more than anything else these days.

A final thought or two… it is easy for adults to see the inherent value of stepping away from the screen.  Children have a harder time figuring out why you’re punishing them by taking away their precious time with their favorite video games.  Make it a celebration, and make the incentives for not being in front of the screen as great as the screen itself.  Cut back on their time slowly–ten minutes a day and by the end of the week that’ll be an hour!  Invest in a few new outdoor kid gadgets–some new toys that can only be used outside.  Whatever you do, don’t use screen time as a reward (i.e.,” if you go outside for an hour, I’ll let you play on the computer for 15 minutes“).  Keep the two ideas separate.  Also, keep it simple.  The backyard, a tree in the park, the zoo are all fine outdoor options.  You don’t have to drive across the state to a campground to enjoy screen free week.

And finally, when they cry and beg and make your life miserable for having pulled the plug, remember the reasons you’re doing this.  Screen-free time is one of the healthiest things you can do for your children.  It shows them what you really value, it lowers their risk for a number of diseases (both now and when they’re adults) linked to obesity, and it teaches them how the world actually works and engages parts of their brain that screen-time simply can’t reach.  (Here’s some extra articles about the television and brain development if you’re interested.)

See you next Monday!

As I mentioned last week, it sorta felt like we were short on adults for our camping trip last week. I had a feeling this would be the case so I tried to think up really easy meals.

As I walked past a boboli crust display in the grocery store I got an idea… Turned out it was actually a pretty good idea.  Pizza while camping is totally a lazy man sort of meal.   Also turns out Olivia had a few more lazy-man pizza ideas to add.

All these recipes are similar in that they involve your basic pizza toppings. They differ in that there are 4 different ways you can make the crust depending on how much time you want to put into it.

First some thoughts on a few key toppings. (more…)

I forgot how hard it is to camp with an semi-mobile infant. They crawl around camp picking up dirt and rocks and sticking it in their mouth. They make attempts to eat rabbit poop and are fascinated by cacti, drop offs and sharp natural objects. I swear Viv’s got to be well on her way to developing a gizzard after last weeks camping trip.

None-the-less we had a great trip last week. We spent  a few days at our vacation home in Southern Utah (aka my parents house) then headed even further south for a little (aka a lot) sun on the Nevada/Arizona boarder. Spring fever is in full swing around here now.

I’ll let the photos do the talking. Happy almost spring everyone.

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I’ve had writers block before, but nothing like this.

I’ve mentioned Jen on this blog before. I’ve never physically met her, but from the moment I started following her blog I knew she was someone I’d love to be neighbors with. I had to be content to just follow her blog periodically, keep tabs on her families biking adventures, and occasionally shoot her an email when I needed biking advice.

Jen and her family have been living, playing, and working in Mexico for the last few months. They’ve been having fabulous adventures with their kids. Biking, surfing, relaxing and enjoying being together.

All this came to a screeching halt two weeks ago. Her youngest boy is gone. Forever. And I feel like I’ve lost one of my own. The online world is a weird one. Strange how you can let yourself be so vested in the life of someone else. What do you say to a Mom who’s lost their child? I could hardly bring myself to speak the news out loud to my husband.

Jen, Randy, and Kalden, my heart aches for you. It aches for Axel. It aches for the life that won’t be lived. It aches for the horror that exists in our world. I know that the way I feel is 0.000001% of how Axel’s family feels right now, and that makes my heart ache even more. And it is desperately looking for solace somewhere. I find it by hanging onto the conviction that there is more happiness, and peace, and love in this world than hatred and grief. (more…)

Since March is typically famous for it’s windy days, I’ve been brainstorming new and exciting things for my kids to do when I throw them outside in a windstorm. Some of these ideas we’ve tried, others I greatly look forward to trying.

Build a storm proof hut
We do this activity quite often. Challenge your kids to go out and make a structure that will not blow away in the wind. Our favorite wind hut prop is our plastic swimming pool. It’s always very exciting when we fail and the pool goes flying across the yard.

Make wind chimes
Get a stick and dangle all sorts of noise making objects from the stick. Nails, jar lids, shells, beads, silverware, tin cans, bells etc. Hang them up in the wind and listen to the beautiful music you’ve created.

Conduct experiments
Get some of your clothes out of the washing machine, hang some outside and some in the house. Which one dries faster?  Make paper airplanes and fly them both outside and inside. Do they fly the same? The possibilities are endless here. (more…)

We’ve talked before on the blog about feeding children while backpacking. But today we have a new perspective from someone who’s dealt a lot with feeding a wide range of appetites in the backcountry. This is a guest post from Lauren Caselli, a Manhattan desk-jockey-turned-wilderness-junkie and former guide for Alpengirl Camp. 

Backpacking with kids and teens can be a rewarding experience. They think that every sweeping mountain vista is super rad, they have good energy, and they are surprisingly strong enough to carry most of their own weight.

But at the end of the day, when they’ve hiked miles with heavy packs in all kinds of weather, they’re still kids. They still get tired and cranky. And they definitely still hate spinach.

So what’s an outdoor mom to do when she’s got picky eaters in her tent?

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned as a guide for an all-girls adventure summer camp to keep even the pickiest of pack-carriers happy, and gives enough variety for everyone to go home and still appreciate pasta. (more…)

I forgot how hard it is to camp with an semi-mobile infant. They crawl around camp picking up dirt and rocks and sticking it in their mouth. They make attempts to eat rabbit poop and are fascinated by cacti, drop offs and sharp natural objects. I swear Viv’s got to be well on her way to developing a gizzard after last weeks camping trip.

None-the-less we had a great trip last week. We spent  a few days at our vacation home in Southern Utah (aka my parents house) then headed even further south for a little (aka a lot) sun on the Nevada/Arizona boarder. Spring fever is in full swing around here now.

I’ll let the photos do the talking. Happy almost spring everyone.

Since March is typically famous for it’s windy days, I’ve been brainstorming new and exciting things for my kids to do when I throw them outside in a windstorm. Some of these ideas we’ve tried, others I greatly look forward to trying.

Build a storm proof hut
We do this activity quite often. Challenge your kids to go out and make a structure that will not blow away in the wind. Our favorite wind hut prop is our plastic swimming pool. It’s always very exciting when we fail and the pool goes flying across the yard.

Make wind chimes
Get a stick and dangle all sorts of noise making objects from the stick. Nails, jar lids, shells, beads, silverware, tin cans, bells etc. Hang them up in the wind and listen to the beautiful music you’ve created.

Conduct experiments
Get some of your clothes out of the washing machine, hang some outside and some in the house. Which one dries faster?  Make paper airplanes and fly them both outside and inside. Do they fly the same? The possibilities are endless here.

Make parchutes for toys
Get out some little toy figures, stuffed animals, cars or even rocks. Make them little parachutes and see if they set sail. Might want to also tie a string to the toy in case this works a little too well.

Make a kite
Making kites is easy. We’ve made them out of paper bags and garbage bags. There are more kite tutorials on the web than their are ostriches on the planet.

Make a boat with a sail
If you live by the water try to make a boat and put a sail on it. Might just work? I particularly like the idea for a plastic bottle boat.  Olivia’s husband did this on the pond behind the house a lot as a kid.  One year he had a contest with his siblings; the person who’s boat made it across the pond first got to name their new goats.  His sister won and named them Frank and Cindy, after their parents.

Try to fly
Within reason of course. Try getting on a skateboard with an umbrella. Jump on the trampoline with an old sheet. Lean into a strong wind with a trench coat on.  Spend some time feeling the power behind a stormy day.

Blow Bubbles
Blow GIANT bubbles.

Take a hike
Taking your kids for a hike in all sorts of weather has its advantages.  It throws them off their game a bit.  Adds some excitement and unpredictability which is good for them.  Hiding from the wind, looking for those natural places that the wind misses, is always fun.  Stop for a bit and build a natural shelter.  Look for other animals hiding from the breeze.  Sing into the wind from a high place–you’ll be amazed how a gust can steal it right from your lungs.  Wind means change and always makes me anxious; teach them to embrace that crazy feeling the wind stirs up in your soul.

Make a wind sock
Here are some instructions for a wind sock complete with a weather vane. If you’re like us you have plenty of lonely socks lying around.

Make windy day observations
Once again, appeal to your child’s inner scientist. Have your kids sit outside and listen to the sounds,  let them sit by the window and write down or draw observations. Tie different items to a clothesline outside and see how each one acts different in the wind.

Make a pinwheel
Here are some pinwheel instructions. I’d suggest quadrupling this recipe and making it out of more durable materials to create a giant outdoor pinwheel. I’m still trying to decide what to make this out of. Suggestions?

What else can be done outdoors on a windy day?

Thaleia wrote to us the other week with the following excellent question:

Do you know of any sane pregnant women who tent camp with 3 children ages 3/9/10? Just wanting to find out :). What gear is a must have for comfort?

While we can’t relate directly to this situation, not yet having nine or ten year olds, we can definitely relate to camping, camping with kids, and camping while pregnant!  Between the two of us, these are our suggestions:

1)  Do not sacrifice comfort.  Pack heavy.  Now is not the time for lightweight backpacking or extreme camping.  Pregnant women have a hard enough time being comfortable at home, let alone in the boonies, or in a campground where the only place to sit is a picnic bench or the ground.

• An extra thick sleeping pad is essential.  If you’ve just won the lottery, or have a rich uncle to help, get a Paco Pad–the luxurious sleeping pads used by river runners who seldom worry about bulk and weight.  Slightly cheaper but also nice is a Big Agnes pad–also bulky, but they combine air chambers with insulation for extra padding… they may even have ones now with padding especially for women with hips.  And if you don’t want to spend that kind of dough either, consider a plain old air mattress.  You may even find  that an air mattress is more comfortable than your bed, depending on the relative squishiness of both!  Three notes:  it will never ever ever fold up as small as when you bought it, and don’t let the dog even sniff at it or it will develop a hole, and finally read the note below about mummy bags–air mattresses can suck the heat out of you!.  Also nice is one of those egg-carton foam pads if you can get your hands on one… or put all three together and sleep like a Princess. (more…)

Just after Ari started back to school this last January, his teacher handed out a piece of paper outlining this year’s school wide science fair project.  I’ve talked before about what a wonderful and lasting effect the science fair had on my own life so I was excited to finally have the chance to share that joy with my own school-aged kid.

Olivia talked a few weeks ago about helping a fifth grader with his science project.  Just to help any mom’s who may still be grappling with their own fears of science, here’s another story–how Ari and I put together his project.

The real problem we (I) had was coming up with a question worth answering.  When I originally broached the subject, my ever-so-typical boy threw out the idea of farts, and testing what foods made him the fartiest.  I’ll be honest–I thought it was a pretty cool project, but I wasn’t so sure his teachers would feel as I did.  So we decided to do that one at home, and think of something else to take to school.

It took three weeks to come up with a new idea; I kept waiting for that spur-of-the-moment question; I kept listening for Ari to muse over some aspect of his daily life.  Finally, as Ari was helping me wrap a birthday gift for Joe, that special moment happened.  We were trying to wrap a box with a brown paper bag, and discovered that the tape we were using was horrible at holding it together.  I think it took us about 18 pieces. At some point Ari said “I wonder if we have any stickier tape we could use.” (more…)

It is finally warming up here.  I should be elated, but I find that warmth has turned the snow to mud.  Except for right by the front door–our main entry way is always shaded, and continues to be a slippery death trap.  The house feels cramped and boring after this cold winter.  Even the dog seems lethargic.

I have been in need of color and something creative to do, so this morning I tried ice art.  I saw something similar to this online a few weeks ago somewhere–I can’t for the life of me find the page again, but a quick search pulled up dozens of other moms and teachers who’ve done the same thing.  And I found this cool video of salt melting ice in slow motion.  Some recommend using liquid water colors which can enhance the melting, but I used just plain old food coloring.

(more…)

Ari (my kindergartener) brought National Geographic’s Little Kids First Big Book of Space home from the library last week. Not sure what I’m more impressed with, his book selecting skills, or the actual book? I’ve read this book a few times now. My kids love it. I love it. We’re buying it.

My boys, especially my oldest, have always had an interest in all things space related; but I find that I have a hard time explaining all things space related.

The universe is so big and amazing and complex that it’s hard to put into 3-5 year old terms. This book takes a bunch of interesting factoids combined with beautiful illustrations and lays it out perfectly.

We learned about all the planets (including dwarf planets), the asteroid belt, comets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, the future of space exploration, etc. I was most excited to learn that we have space craft set to land on a few different planets in the next five years. 

I also learned that I want to take an astronomy class.

This book is well worth the trip to the library, or the book store, or amazon.com…

National Geographic also makes a few other books in the ‘Little Kids First Book Of’ series. They have one about Animals, Why and Dinosaurs.

I’m also in the process of searching for more space related books for kids. If you know of any, leave a comment.

I first learned about Jamie Whitmore when I had to call her to arrange some travel plans so that the company I was working for could create this video. At the time I had no idea what her story was, it wasn’t until I watched the final film that I thought, “wow, this Mom is amazing!”

Jamie was once the most decorated off-road triathlete of all time. But when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, her doctors told her that she would probably never be able to mountain bike again. Or have kids. She did both. And she’s racing again.

Such an inspiring Mom. I had to share this video.

We’ve talked on this site before about making the perfect granola bar.  (We are still looking for good recipes, by the way!)  While these aren’t technically granola bars, they are pretty darned good!  My mom has been making these ‘bread sticks’ for years.  They’re wonderfully filling and so easy to make, but (even better), they’re also incredibly versatile.

What you’ll need:

1)  5 cups of various flours:  white flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, flax seed, millet, whatever suits your fancy.  The whole wheat makes them denser, the flax seed gave it a slightly nutty taste (which I liked).  Try your own combination and see what you like best!  This weekend we made them with 2 cups each of white and whole-wheat flour, 1 cup of oats, and a few tablespoons of flax seed. (more…)

Just after Ari started back to school this last January, his teacher handed out a piece of paper outlining this year’s school wide science fair project.  I’ve talked before about what a wonderful and lasting effect the science fair had on my own life so I was excited to finally have the chance to share that joy with my own school-aged kid.

Olivia talked a few weeks ago about helping a fifth grader with his science project.  Just to help any mom’s who may still be grappling with their own fears of science, here’s another story–how Ari and I put together his project.

The real problem we (I) had was coming up with a question worth answering.  When I originally broached the subject, my ever-so-typical boy threw out the idea of farts, and testing what foods made him the fartiest.  I’ll be honest–I thought it was a pretty cool project, but I wasn’t so sure his teachers would feel as I did.  So we decided to do that one at home, and think of something else to take to school.

It took three weeks to come up with a new idea; I kept waiting for that spur-of-the-moment question; I kept listening for Ari to muse over some aspect of his daily life.  Finally, as Ari was helping me wrap a birthday gift for Joe, that special moment happened.  We were trying to wrap a box with a brown paper bag, and discovered that the tape we were using was horrible at holding it together.  I think it took us about 18 pieces. At some point Ari said “I wonder if we have any stickier tape we could use.”

Choirs of angels sang hallelujah over our heads.  A ray of light descended on our hunched forms as we wrapped the gift.  It had happened.  The “I Wonder” statement had been spoken, and we had our project…. because as you know, a good “I wonder” statement can always be turned into a good science fair project.

Since Ari’s only in kindergarten I wanted his project to have a real life application. I wanted him to see how the scientific method worked in everyday life before we hit up any hard science. Trying to find a stickier tape to wrap future birthday presents was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Plus it was a simple enough concept that Ari was able to design the project all by himself with only minimal instruction from me. Also very important.

Here’s what he came up with:

Problem:
I want to know what tape is the stickiest.

Hypothesis:
Duct Tape is the stickiest.

Experiment:
Step 1: Gather tape.
Step 2: Stick it to stuff.
Step 3: Pull tape off.
Step 4: Fill out data sheet (seen below).
Step 5: Add up points. (I had him add them himself on the abacus).
Step 6: Highest number wins.

Conclusion:
I was right. Duct Tape is the stickiest. 

Note Ari’s unique way of interpreting his data. Winner = Smily face and star. Looser = Frowny face and black rain cloud. Middle = Neutral face and a guy scratching his head.

This was simple enough that it was almost all Ari.  I guided him with little questions:  what kind of tape should we test?  How should we test it?  How do we measure the stickiness of a tape.  I didn’t know the answers to these questions before hand and we very literally brainstormed together about how we were going to carry out our project.

I have to say, I really do think Ari learned a lot from this little experiment, and we had a blast doing it! My only regret is that the science fair is right smack dab in the middle of winter here, which makes thinking of outside projects a little harder. If I had my way, the science fair would happen in the summer when your kids are home and looking for something to do. We just might be that overachieving family who has their project done before the school year even starts next year.

It is finally warming up here.  I should be elated, but I find that warmth has turned the snow to mud.  Except for right by the front door–our main entry way is always shaded, and continues to be a slippery death trap.  The house feels cramped and boring after this cold winter.  Even the dog seems lethargic.

I have been in need of color and something creative to do, so this morning I tried ice art.  I saw something similar to this online a few weeks ago somewhere–I can’t for the life of me find the page again, but a quick search pulled up dozens of other moms and teachers who’ve done the same thing.  And I found this cool video of salt melting ice in slow motion.  Some recommend using liquid water colors which can enhance the melting, but I used just plain old food coloring.

This is an easy activity for ages 4 to 12, and there is much room for personal touches and creative exploration.  You’ll need some rock salt (I tried other kinds too–rock salt is definitely best), food coloring, water, and water-holding containers.  It will also come in handy to have a tray (rimmed baking sheet) to contain the melting ice water and the water or food coloring–throwing an old towel onto your work surface might also be a good idea.  I also used paper towels to guide the colored drops, which was fun.  You can do this indoors or out–I did it outside because I needed the sunlight, but this is hardly required.

What’s great about this little activity is the perfect overlap of creativity and art with questioning and ‘scientific’ discovery.  With a little encouragement from you, all sorts of questions can be asked and explored, even while beautiful art is created.  Why does ice melt?  Does the salt make the ice melt faster?  Why?  Do we use salt to melt ice anywhere else in our lives?  Does one kind of salt work better than another?

To begin, freeze water in several differently shaped vessels the day before… this would be a great extension to the frozen water balloons if you want.  Tall cups, muffin tins, tupperwares of different sizes, and any number of other containers would work as well.  I recommend taller containers so that the salt and food coloring can make their way down a long path.  I used muffin tins, but wished I’d done it in a drinking glass.

Once the water is frozen, remove your block of ice from its container and drop some rock salt on the top.  You can experiment with spreading them around, putting a few pieces all together, or whatever else suits your fancy.  Now walk away for a half an hour (if you can)

The salt will slowly works its way into your block of ice, creating channels and cracks, and beautiful fissures.  If you want, you can add a little more salt as the first bit dissolves.  Or turn your ice block over and put some on the other side as well.  You can use regular salt too–the effect is very different as you get lots of very small channels, but it is just as interesting.

When you can’t wait any longer, add drops of food coloring to the holes that the salt has created and watch it works its way into all of the nooks and crannies created by the salt.  The process is beautiful and fluid.  You can watch the colors work their way through the ice.  Hold your creation up the the light for a beautiful sun-catcher.  Mix two colors together.  Use an eyedropper just because they’re fun.

And if your blocks get wet enough as the salt melts the ice you can refreeze them together by pressing the wet surfaces to each other and letting them sit for a little bit.

Need even more excitement?  Get a chisel and small hammer and crack open your creations when you’re done (sunglasses or other eye protection would be a good idea here).  Stick them on a snow man, or the snow fort in the backyard for decoration.  Most of all, have fun!

The last time I gave handmade gifts to my friends for Christmas I was 11. I hand painted them all little wooden rabbits.

Twenty plus years later I decided it was high time I made another batch of handmade gifts. I first came up with this idea because I wanted to make something ‘bikeish’ for my much missed mountain biking buddy in Reno. After making a bracelet for her I loved it so much I made more. Who knew  you could make something so ascetically pleasing out of  an old bike chain and some utility cord.

Here are the supplies you will need: (more…)

This post is part of a photo series on unstructured moments. For more photos in this series click here.

Isn’t there some saying about drinking lemonade when life throws lemons at you? Frankly, it is so cold and snowy here, I don’t think there are any lemons to be found. We are instead stuck trying to make icees out of ice. Snowmen out of snow. Fun out of cold, and wet, and slightly uncomfortable. We are stuck trying to dream up things to do outside in the snow. And guess what? We’ve found some!!!

Introducing Ten Awesome Ways You May Not Have Thought Of To Entertain the Kids in the Backyard When There Are 15 Inches (0r even 2) of Snow On The Ground! (more…)

Claire sent me the following question (via ask outsidemom). I have a lot of thoughts on this, but would also love to hear from other Chariot owners who could offer some insight on her questions.

I’m thinking about buying a Chariot, primarily because I’d love to ski this winter and I’d like to be able to get some cycling in once my son is big enough. I’d love to hear some detailed reviews, tips, experiences from other women who use a Chariot too. I’d love to hear what skiing is like with it – hills, response to snow conditions, reaction of kiddos… And what using a bike trailer is like too – can you hear your kiddo, how does it handle with a road bike, tips for keeping kiddo safe and happy.

-Claire

A few weeks ago I had a Chaco shoe giveaway on my blog and asked people to enter by telling me: “What is the one outdoor baby/child item you wouldn’t want to live without.” The item that claimed the first prize? The Chariot.

First of all I just have to say that we own the Cougar 2, and own the bike trailer kit, the jogging kit, the infant sling, baby supporter and we made our own skis. We currently have 3 kids ages 6, 3, and 7 months. Here are my thoughts on the Chariot: (more…)

There is an added bonus to walking in the winter that you might not think of at first–the animals that use that same trail as you every day are no longer invisible.  They leave undeniable proof of their presence.

On a winter walk once, my kids and I found a set of dog-like tracks and followed them.  They meandered into a clearing, and there we found a mess of bird tracks, some wing marks in the snow, lots more dog tracks… and a dead magpie torn to pieces  We tried to piece together a couple different theories that could explain what could have happened based on just the tracks.  And we left with a few good stories.

Not only is tracking fun, but it gets you outdoors in the winter, when finding things to do outside with your kids can be a daunting task. Even if you never get around to actually identifying any of the tracks, just knowing that you’ve come across the path of a wild creature is pretty thrilling.

It’s bonafide detective work, and what kids isn’t going to love that? (more…)

I didn’t’ grow up in a place where it snowed, but luckily my Grandparents lived in an icy wonderland. Every winter we’d make the trek to their house at least once, tie plastic bags around our feet and head out into the snow. Every trip was accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate and a ‘snow cone’. I remember the snow cones being this amazing delicacy that only my Grandma could make.

A few years ago I asked her for her secret recipe. Her reply: 1 heap of snow and a handfull of sugar. That’s it? I tried it one year. It wasn’t as delectable as it had been to my childhood self.

So I came up with a few of my own recipes. I make these à la carte style. I have a big bowl of snow and all the toppings lined up and let my kids pick out whatever they want me to mix in. (more…)

My next door neighbor is my best friend in town.  We meet up several times a week for popsicles, hot chocolate, or chit chat about what’s been going on in our lives.  His name is Elias and he’s 11.

Did I mention I don’t get out much?

It doesn’t matter, he’s as entertaining as any adult, and full of jokes and wild ideas.  You should hear his plans for the shed in his back yard… it involves a two-story swimming pool, a fire pit, and tiles made out of natural sandstone.  He’s a whiz at doing math in his head (but not questions about time).  He loves electronics, making up stories, and mapping out routes in his head.  Elias has Asperger’s Syndrome.

I won’t even pretend to know what this means from Elias’ point of view, or what it’s like to be his mother.  He and I have a different sort of relationship… but I do know this: he struggles in school and gets picked on a lot.  So much so that he now hates school.  I don’t have to pretend that this makes me sad. (more…)

About a week ago I came down with a terrible case of bronchitis.  Every pregnant lady I know tells me that you get sicker when you’re pregnant.  I concur.  I haven’t been that miserable in a decade, at least.  What’s worse is all the cold medicines you’ve been saving since your last bout with a cold are useless.  Robitussin?  According to the FDA:  pregnant women should only take it if the benefits outweigh the risks… and by the way we have no idea what the risks are.  Tylenol?  Sure.  In small doses and do not under any circumstances exceed the maximum dose.  Which means if your fever starts coming back around hour 3.5, you are just going to have to suffer until hour six to eight before you can get some relief again.  Nyquil?  No.  Sorry.

Sigh.

As I lay in misery on the couch, wrapped in ten blankets and wheezing, I researched home remedies (and called my mother)–natural ways to combat the cold symptoms that were leaving me in agony.  Here’s what I came up with… what’s your favorite natural remedy? (more…)

I didn’t’ grow up in a place where it snowed, but luckily my Grandparents lived in an icy wonderland. Every winter we’d make the trek to their house at least once, tie plastic bags around our feet and head out into the snow. Every trip was accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate and a ‘snow cone’. I remember the snow cones being this amazing delicacy that only my Grandma could make.

A few years ago I asked her for her secret recipe. Her reply: 1 heap of snow and a handfull of sugar. That’s it? I tried it one year. It wasn’t as delectable as it had been to my childhood self.

So I came up with a few of my own recipes. I make these à la carte style. I have a big bowl of snow and all the toppings lined up and let my kids pick out whatever they want me to mix in.

Note: With the first four recipes you’ll need a large bowl or cup for mixing. 2 heaping cups of snow may sound like a lot, but when it’s all mixed up it will really only yield about a 1/2 cup. Also keep in mind that these proportions are just a ballpark figure, it always varies depending on how dense your snow is.

Raspberries n’ Cream
2 heaping cups of fresh snow
1 T sweet and condensed milk
1 T raspberry apple juice concentrate.

Chocolate Frosty
2 heaping cups of fresh snow
1 T sweet and condensed milk
1/2 t of ovaltine

Vanilla
2 heaping cups of fresh snow
1 T sweet and condensed milk
1/8 t of vanilla

Root Beer Float
2 heaping cups of fresh snow
1 T sweet and condensed milk
1 T of root beer

Snow Cone Syrup
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid, any flavor

Place the sugar and water in a pan, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the Kool-Aid. Cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator our outside until chilled. Pour over snow.

What are your favorite snow treat recipes?

Because we will be off celebrating the holidays with our families this next week, we leave you with a list of our top 12 blog posts of 2012. Some were chosen because they were so popular with our readers, others because they were our favorites. I’m also sharing a few photos that really helped define this past year for us.

Thanks for supporting outsidemom.com. Thanks for sharing, commenting and being so great! We hope you all have a happy and outdoor filled holiday season.

See you next year!

1. Ideas for outdoor dates with little kids

2. Going solo in the great outdoors… with kids

3. What do your children think you value?

4. DIY: Convert your bike trailer to ski trailer

5. Kids love plumbing

6. And then there were 3: Road bumps in the life of an outdoor family

7. Helping your child choose a science fair project

8. My camping style:  no fees, no toilets, no people

9. Rock climbing: Therapy for kids with ADHD

10. Giant slingshots:  Angry birds for the real world

11. The incredible haystack

12. Packing for a camping trip: Your ultimate guide

A few months ago I joined in with a few other Chaco Ambassadors to make this ‘day in the life of a Chaconian‘ video. I took the stance of a Chaconian Mom. A little ‘me time’ a little ‘play time’ and some outdoor adventure. The stuff that makes for a great day.

We’ve started a tradition of having our kids make a new Christmas tree ornament every year. I like having our tree decorated with meaningful bits of child craftiness from Christmas gone by.

This year I was searching the web for ornaments ideas that we could make, and that also had the following characteristics: 1. kid friendly (as in they would enjoy making them), 2. would allow the ability (i.e. surface area) to write our names and the year on the ornament, and 3. something that might also get us outside in order to collect our ornament making supplies.

I found several options, so I thought I would share.

1. Peanut Snowmen. You can buy these on Etsy, but it would also be fun to make something like this. 2. Twiggy Christmas Trees. Check out the site for instructions, I think these are the ones we will do this year. 3. Driftwood Ornaments. Drift wood is cool all by itself, wish I lived near some. Also, check out that site for more holiday decorations with driftwood, the post is pretty cool. 4. Snowflake Ornament. Not really any instructions here, but a cool idea to make your little something like this. 5. Hanging Ornaments. I really like these! I was thinking it would be cool to use small red sandstone pebbles and tiny pieces of ‘sea glass’  you can find on the beach at Lake Tahoe. 6. Clay Leaf Prints. My kids would really like this one, and that website is really cool!!. 7. Hanging sea shells. We’ve gathers a lot of these over time, their all sitting in a jar, this would make them more useful. 8. Tree Cookie Ornaments. This site give you instructions on how to make these, or, just cut some tree cookies and let your kids draw on them? 9. Hanging Acorns. There is just something so simple and pretty about this ornament. I just really like it, and they would be fun to gather.

And don’t forget to use that Queen Anne’s Lace you collected last summer…

A few months ago I joined in with a few other Chaco Ambassadors to make this ‘day in the life of a Chaconian‘ video. I took the stance of a Chaconian Mom. A little ‘me time’ a little ‘play time’ and some outdoor adventure. The stuff that makes for a great day.

We’ve started a tradition of having our kids make a new Christmas tree ornament every year. I like having our tree decorated with meaningful bits of child craftiness from Christmas gone by.

This year I was searching the web for ornaments ideas that we could make, and that also had the following characteristics: 1. kid friendly (as in they would enjoy making them), 2. would allow the ability (i.e. surface area) to write our names and the year on the ornament, and 3. something that might also get us outside in order to collect our ornament making supplies.

I found several options, so I thought I would share.

1. Peanut Snowmen. You can buy these on Etsy, but it would also be fun to make something like this. 2. Twiggy Christmas Trees. Check out the site for instructions, I think these are the ones we will do this year. 3. Driftwood Ornaments. Drift wood is cool all by itself, wish I lived near some. Also, check out that site for more holiday decorations with driftwood, the post is pretty cool. 4. Snowflake Ornament. Not really any instructions here, but a cool idea to make your little something like this. 5. Hanging Ornaments. I really like these! I was thinking it would be cool to use small red sandstone pebbles and tiny pieces of ‘sea glass’  you can find on the beach at Lake Tahoe. 6. Clay Leaf Prints. My kids would really like this one, and that website is really cool!!. 7. Hanging sea shells. We’ve gathers a lot of these over time, their all sitting in a jar, this would make them more useful. 8. Tree Cookie Ornaments. This site give you instructions on how to make these, or, just cut some tree cookies and let your kids draw on them? 9. Hanging Acorns. There is just something so simple and pretty about this ornament. I just really like it, and they would be fun to gather.

And don’t forget to use that Queen Anne’s Lace you collected last summer…