If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (or plan to visit) and you have kids and enjoy hiking, you should have Laure Latham‘s (aka Frog Mom) book, Best Hikes with Kids, San Francisco Bay Area, in your personal library. When this book first came out last year, I checked it out from theContinue reading “Book Recommendation: Best Hikes with Kids, San Francisco Bay Area”
Category Archives: Family Nature Tips
Solo Hike, Rocky Ridge View Trail, Las Trampas, San Ramon
With summer only a couple months away, it’s time to begin training for summer hiking in the Sierras. Also, after the social and kid-oriented Easter festivities yesterday, I really needed to regroup this morning with a little alone time. I also felt the need for some exercise after the feast at my parent’s house yesterday. Continue reading “Solo Hike, Rocky Ridge View Trail, Las Trampas, San Ramon”
Solo Time
As much as I love my family and friends, sometimes I need to get out into nature for a little alone time. Today my husband suggested he take our son to a friend’s sixth birthday party, so that I could go out for a hike. Hm… birthday party with ten or more kids, spun outContinue reading “Solo Time”
Letterboxing: Getting Ready for the Hunt
Letterboxing has been around forever (well, at least, a few hundred years), but I just learned about it within the past year. Though I’ve been interested in trying it out with my son, it somehow seemed a bit overwhelming just to get started. But now I’m ready to begin. If you’re new to letterboxing, likeContinue reading “Letterboxing: Getting Ready for the Hunt”
Stop, Look, Listen, Observe
This afternoon we attended a family nature walk, a free naturalist-led event held in the Tilden Nature Area in the Berkeley hills. I couldn’t resist the event description… “Natural beauty, strange creatures and curious plants reveal themselves to those who seek such wonders.” We walked for two hours, slowly ambling along, observing the little thingsContinue reading “Stop, Look, Listen, Observe”
Five Tips for Joyful Hiking with Little Kids
As someone who leads a lot of hiking outings with little kids, today I’m going to address a question I’m frequently asked by parents…. “How do I get my child to enjoy hiking?” Listed here are what I believe to be the five most important tips: Keep it short: The first thing you must doContinue reading “Five Tips for Joyful Hiking with Little Kids”
Exploring Nature with Your Baby: 6 Tips
The sight of leaves blowing in the wind, the scent of flowers, the feel of grass, the sound of bird song… these are just a few of the wonderful outdoor sensory experiences available for any baby to enjoy. Getting outside is good for both baby and parent… the more often, the better. WhenContinue reading “Exploring Nature with Your Baby: 6 Tips”
Downtime
“Everyone needs to have some downtime in a quiet place where they’re not interrupted – even kids. Or especially kids. It’s healthy to provide your child with her own space to simply reflect, think, imagine, wonder, and be alone. Quiet time, without television, video games, or other stimulation, promotes thinking and relaxation, and it allowsContinue reading “Downtime”
Outside Play, Every Day
Getting outside every day is a necessity for me, both for my physical and emotional health. I begin to feel a little, well, off when I’ve been inside too long, and I’ve noticed my son is the same way. I can get sucked into staying in the house as easily as the next mom, lettingContinue reading “Outside Play, Every Day”
hike.wander.wonder 