Welcome to the June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor fun
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared their stories and tips for playing outside with kids. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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We love to go hiking. We hike in the rain, we hike in the sun, we have even inadvertently hiked in the snow on a sunny July afternoon (who knew that there would still be snow on the mountains in July? Not me. If I’d known I would have worn something other than sandals). We love to go hiking so much that Tom and I accidentally gave each other nearly identical pocket guides to local hikes as Christmas presents last year. We really do love to go hiking.

Now that we have two young kids, our hikes have changed. We don’t hike as far, or for as long. We hike at a preschooler’s pace, and one of us is carrying a toddler in the Ergo. But we still make it out to the trails every couple of weeks or so, and we still love it just as much.

Hiking puts me in touch with nature in a basic, fundamental way. Like, if I got lost here, would I know how to find something to eat? Are there any animals on this mountain or in this valley that might eat me if given the chance? Can we get back before the sun goes down? Do I have enough water or snacks for four people? We hike mostly in areas that are just outside the city, but in Vancouver it is still possible to encounter a black bear or cougar just outside the city, so these thoughts have some basis in reality. That’s a good thing, I think. It’s sort of like looking up at a sky full of stars in the open countryside at night. It puts my small human life into a broader perspective.

Hiking is also a great way to teach children about the natural world. There is so much to discover on even the easiest trail around a lake or through some trees. We spotted a Pileated Woodpecker once, hammering away on a dead tree, and we silently stood and watched him until he flew away. When my daughter finds a small hole at the base of a tree she exclaims, “Who lives here, I wonder?” We discover lots of things to learn about on hikes – sap running down the side of a tree, barnacles feeding in a tide pool, honeysuckle flowers to lick the nectar from.

There is something magical and calming about standing in the old-growth pacific rainforest, and these rare patches of ancient trees are my favourite places on earth. They make me feel centered and whole, refreshed and renewed. I hope that my children will be able to find solace in wild spaces during their adult lives too, and that they will have learned enough about the natural world to be able to know how to navigate a trail, watch for wildlife, plan to be back before sunset and wear the appropriate footwear. Which, by the way, is not sandals in the slippery, half-melted July snow.
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Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
- Garden Treats — Asha at Mom Costume has once again been bitten by the gardening bug — and this time her baby’s tagging along for some fresh air and dirt exploration. (@titbagsandsnoot)
- Outdoor Free Roam — Mamapoekie at Authentic Parenting follows her daughter’s lead whenever they go outside. (@mamapoekie)
- Summer fun in Austin with a toddler — Jessica at This Is Worthwhile is brainstorming ways to beat the heat in Texas. (@tisworthwhile)
- summer fun… — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children is looking forward to spending the summer outside with her children the way she used to spend summers with her mother.
- Outdoor Fun for Pre-Walkers — Maman A Droit has figured out ways to let her pre-walker enjoy the outdoors. (@MamanADroit)
- Summer Homeschool Fun at Camp Review — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now discusses how Camp Review motivated and captivated her homeschooling family. (@DebChitwood)
- Digging, Tree Climbing and Puddle Jumping — Laura at Laura’s Blog bemoans the loss of her girls’ climbing tree but knows they’ll find something else just as naturally tempting.
- The Sweet Smells of Summer — Erin at A Beatnik’s Beat on Life is looking forward to the many smells of summer she and her daughters enjoy and identify. (@babybeatnik)
- June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor Fun — Sybil at Musings of a Milk Maker is a confirmed couch potato who can’t help but be inspired by the outdoor opportunities Seattle offers her family. (@sybilryan)
- Take a Hike — Michelle at The Parent Vortex connects with her family and the Earth on frequent hikes in their Pacific wilderness. (@TheParentVortex)
- Following Paul — Julie at Simple Life gives her kids unstructured time to dig in the dirt and pick mulberries. (@homemakerjulie)
- Instilling a Love of the Outdoors in Your Baby/Toddler — Tessasdad at Stay At Home Dad in Lansing offers a photo book of tips for helping your little ones enjoy the outdoors. (@tessasdad)
- Camping, baby! — Jen at Grow With Graces has easy tips for tent camping with a little one. (@growwithgraces)
- Think Outside the Easel for Summertime Fun — Acacia at Be Present Mama finds several ways to bring art fun to the outdoors.
- Outdoor Learning in our Urban Environment — Andrea at Ella-Bean & Co. has found ways to get grass between her daughter’s toes, even in the city.
- Outdoor Education — Alison at BluebirdMama offers parents tips and resources for making each outdoor excursion a learning experience. (@childbearing)
- Turning Inside Out — Christie of Childhood 101 finds kids get a kick out of taking indoor toys outside. (@Childhood101)
- Watching Peas Sprout — Deb at [email protected] combines fun with purpose in this educational outdoor activity. (@ScienceMum)
- How To Create a Pirate Treasure Hunt & Other Easy Outdoor Pirate Activities (June Carnival of Natural Parenting) — Dionna at Code Name: Mama has pirate-themed play ideas for ye scurvy landlubbers. (@CodeNameMama)
- What We Do — Luschka at Diary of a First Child has managed to expose her 8-month-old to a wide variety of outdoor fun, even with the notoriously dreary UK weather. (@diaryfirstchild)
- Summer Fun — Darcel at The Mahogany Way finds her family’s visits to the beach refreshing in so many ways. (@MahoganyWayMama)
- Playing outside without a backyard — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes doesn’t let the lack of a backyard stop her family from enjoying the outdoors. There are plenty of things to do outside of your yard! (@sheryljesin)
- Having Fun Outdoors, Playset Free — Guavalicious at They Are So Cute When They Are Sleeping has resisted a backyard playset in favor of the regular backyard. (@guavalicious)
- Moon Gazing with your Toddler — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries is keeping her toddler up at night, but it’s for a good reason: to share the wonders of the night sky! (@babydust)
- the great outdoors — The grumbles at grumbles and grunts wonders whether her urban child can experience the same free-range childhood she enjoyed. (@thegrumbles)
- Let’s Take It Outside! — NavelgazingBajan at Navelgazing is looking for ideas: how can she spend time with her pre-walker outside this summer? (@BlkWmnDoBF)
- A home by the sea: June Carnival of Natural Parenting: Outdoor fun — Lauren at Hobo Mama is living her dream of a home near the beach, and taking full advantage of it. (@Hobo_Mama)
- An Outside Girl — Zoey at Good Goog moved her family to (almost) the middle of nowhere so that her outdoor-loving girl could have more grass and less concrete. (@zoeyspeak)
- Neighborhood Nature — Kelly at Kelly Naturally has learned to connect with the nature she has instead of mourning the nature she misses. (@kellynaturally)
- Building Lovely Memories of Swimming, Spiders and Gravestones — Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch and her family are simply outdoorsy people. (@kitchenwitch)
- “Buh-Bye” Season — Danielle at born.in.japan must leave laundry behind and follow her son’s call to the outdoors. (@borninjp)
- Backyard Camping — Becoming Mamas took her family camping very close to home! (@becomingmamas)
- The Color of Dreams — Seeking Mother at Woman Seeking Mother makes gardening magical by teaching her son that each flower is a faery. (@seekingmother)
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Your area sounds absolutely breathtaking. We used to hike frequently when we lived in New Mexico, which is about opposite of what you are describing here. Still, I loved hiking in the dry heat, the sand, the scrub brush, and the scorpions. We are rather limited living in our large urban area, but there are certain spots that have been set aside in the city that we should take advantage of – I do love to hike!
.-= Dionna @ Code Name: Mama´s last blog ..How To Create a Pirate Treasure Hunt & Other Easy Outdoor Pirate Activities (June Carnival of Natural Parenting) =-.
We love hiking too! We also carry our toddler in the Ergo, but I usually make that my husband’s job :)
.-= Holly´s last blog ..Gates Foundation gives $1.5 billion for women’s health =-.
We moved from Vancouver 2 years ago and while we’re still on the BC coast, our trees are just not like those in your photos. You’ve made me a little homesick for the North Shore, especially the fact that you can live in a great cosmopolitan city and still escape to the woods in 20 minutes. Lovely. I hope those big trees will still be there for your kids to take their kids to in the future.
.-= BluebirdMama´s last blog ..Outdoor Education =-.
Sounds like fun! We haven’t been hiking since we climbed on Mt. Rainier about a month before I got pregnant. Your post makes me want to try a hike with baby now!
.-= Maman A Droit´s last blog ..Ways to Have Outdoor Fun with a Pre-Walker =-.
Your hikes sound fabulous! We actually haven’t gone hiking at all with our 2.5 yr old son. I think we need to start! He can still fit in the Ergo, at least for the next little while.
omg, this carnival is making me want to visit the pacific northwest! I’ve been to every state in the US except Oregon, Washington and Maine. I think I”m missing out on some beautiful hikes. My husband and I love to hike. One of my life goals is to do the Grand Canyon. Beautiful pics!
.-= Paige @ Baby Dust Diaries´s last blog ..Moon Gazing with your Toddler: Science, Nature, and a touch of Folklore =-.
In my pre-child life I used to love going hiking – although I often didn’t get the chance once I was living in the city. But I love the idea of finding some local tracks and taking the munchkin.
.-= Zoey @ Good Goog´s last blog ..06/365 Deer in the Headlights =-.
I love your point that being in nature, really wild nature, reminds us we’re not all that big in the grand scheme of things. I love how you illustrate that with the pictures of you guys against those huuuuge old trees. Lovely!
.-= Lauren @ Hobo Mama´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Happy third birthday =-.
I wish we had some better hiking trails around here. There are 2 in my area and both of them are really over-run because people rarely use them. Well, I lie- people use them, but it’s typically high schoolers looking for a place to party, which makes for the kind of scenery I’m not really too interested in showing my kids. “Look honey – it’s the semi-rare joint roach.” No…. not so much.
I’ve been thinking of trying to find some hiking trails around where my mom lives in Tulsa though. We visit her a lot during the summer and it would be great to find some fun stuff to do other than hang out in her apartment. I loved hiking as a kid and would love to share it with my own.
.-= Erin W. / Beatnik Momma´s last blog ..The Sweet Smells of Summer =-.
Lovely pictures! One of the reasons I am working on being healthier and getting fit is—- I’d *love* to go hiking with my kids!!!
<3
.-= Joni Rae´s last blog ..Got Milk? Part One: What does a new momma need to know? =-.
I can so relate to “Now that we have two young kids, our hikes have changed. We don’t hike as far, or for as long. We hike at a preschooler’s pace …” When my son (now 4-1/2) was born, I had to totally change my perspective on hiking – mainly no more long, fast-paced destination-oriented hikes. I didn’t quit hiking, however, and I’m glad you didn’t either. My son really enjoys hiking, and it sounds as if your children do, too. Great!
Hi Mitchell.
Your kids look adorable, and they seem to be having so much fun. I love the pictures, and your area looks so serene and beautiful. Since we moved to Canada we haven’t really gone hiking yet. Your article has hyped us!