Nature
Play. Sit. Be. In Nature.
This Page is in the Midst of Becoming!!!
Information for the Novice -
an invitation of sorts
Trying New Things
Gives Children Confidence and
a Sense of Mastery
In Your Own Backyard . . .
Some Initial Thoughts About Playing Together as a Family -
Some of us may need to learn how to play. Be it in nature. Or our Living Room. Or anywhere. Not all of us are keen on playing for a whole host of reasons. But, honestly, it is very good for you. And an appreciation for playing might grow over time. It's worth gently pursuing. More on learning the art of play.
Nature Apps and Why They Matter
Neighborhood Games to Organize
Where to Go?
Where to go? Obviously there are myriad (a countless number, but once upon a time it meant 10,000) voices of expertise. Sorting through them all can be overwhelming to some of us. Watch out for monetized sites. Lots of folk trying to make a business out of giving advice (that might not be their own).
A very helpful search: "first time family (event) in (area you live or where you will be)."
For Example: "first time family outdoor rock climbing in Springfield, MO"
This specific search is very helpful for getting nearby, right-fit (to the extent that that is possible) places for the inner-adventurer that you might not yet know you (and your family) are or are soon to be. The above MO search will send you to Zenith Climbing Center (indoors) and the Ozarks :)
Outdoor Ideas for family discovery and/or lessons:
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More Stuff and/or More Training |
Away From Home . . .
Easier Access Outdoor Activities
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Camping, Hiking and Backpacking
(for Beginners or Hoping-to-be Beginners
aka Where to Start When You Have No Idea)
Basic Car Camping |
Day Hikes |
Backpacking Overnight |
Thru-Hikes or Several Weeks |
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U. S. Forest Pass and
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Basic Car Camping
♡Ideas to start with. 101 by Outdoor Families
Day Hikes
♡ Start simple. Mommy Hiker's 7 Simple Tips to Get your Kids Excited About Hiking. )
♡Washington Trail Association list of essentials for hiking.
♡WTA Tips for Hiking with Kids with many helpful links in the article
♡This list of 10 Tips to Make the Adventure Fun recommends picking a rotating leader and stresses the Power of Positive Words and encouragement. (I have also read about assigning everyone a special role. I believe it was Chief . . . I.e. Chief Encourager, Chief Discoverer, etc. These are rotated as well.)
Simple thoughts to help you, perhaps, try something new.
Backpacking Overnight
♡ Outdoor Families Online. And their 101 Series articles. Current, practical, where-to-start information. Family Backpacking 101.
♡Some introductory ideas about backpacking with children.
Thru-Hikes or Adventures that Take Several Weeks
Thru-Hike: hiking a long-distance trail end-to-end within one season.
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Homeschooling gladly facilitates |
♡John Muir Trail (211 miles). Info regarding 200 mile-ish hikes. The Lee Family's Vlog (JMT, 2017). To be clear, JMT is an incredibly beautiful hike.
The three true thru-hikes in the U.S. are the Appalachian Trail, The Continentail Divide Trail, and The Pacific Crest Trail. All are over 2,000 miles. One is over 3,000 miles.
♡Appalachian Trail (A.T. is over 2,000 miles long). OK not many families do this - but this one did . It only took them about 175 days with 15 of those days involving no hiking at all. They provide a whole lot of information to help you should you decide to pursue such.
♡A book that might inspire you
♡A six-week self-guided class on Thru-hiking for $199.00. Just in case . . .
¤ The desire to realize unique journeys and projects is a place where some homeschoolers begin and others, at times, arrive.
Meals that are Applicable to all the Above
Simple suggestions to help get your foot out the door ...
♡Backpacking meals - A beautifully thorough and helpful site for any of us who might not know how to put food together for a backpacking trip.
♡Camping meal ideas using real food that are simple and straightforward.
♡A variety of make ahead camping meals.
♡Backpacking Meals. A Fork in the Trail. And Another... Two cookbooks that address dietary differences and provide printable "at camp" instructions that you can take with you.
National Land Passes - National Forests and Parks, grasslands, and other federal lands charge a fee for usage. You can purchase single-day passes, multi-day passes or even annual passes for the specific forest or park you are visiting. However, you can also purchase an Interagency Annual Pass that covers the parks and forests of the entire nation.
Free Days in 2018: (not all Concession operated sites honor these days)
- 1/15 Dr. King Day
- 2/19 President's Day
- 6/19 National Get Outdoors Day
- 9/22 National Public Lands Day
- 11/11 and 11/12 Veterans Day
Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade Pass. With this path a 4th grader/10 yr old and up to three 16 and over persons, and any amount of persons under 15 years old, have free entrance to National Parks and Forests for a full year.
Interagency Annual Pass. U.S. Forest Service. $80.00.
Wilderness Permits - Wilderness permits are only needed for over nights in certain wilderness areas. Day hikes do not need one.
Information on obtaining Backcountry Permits for backpacking in some of the most desirable locations of federal land in the U.S.A.
Mountain Biking
Two introductory articles. An overview. Some more information.
Rock Climbing and Bouldering
Reflections on why climbing is the perfect activity for kids.
Skiing and Snowboarding
Frisbee Golf/Ultimate Frisbee
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