We all know that it’s great to get kids outside and that nature play has a multitude of benefits, but sometimes getting out the door is difficult even if it’s just into your own backyard. If we at least have some idea of what we are going to do once we are outside, then we are one step closer. For infants, the actual activity really isn't as important as just giving your baby ne...
Originally posted August 2016.
When I decided to leave my job as a mental health professional to become a full time dad, I was scared. I was going to be responsible for the care of my 1 year old twin girls. I didn't know what to expect, but one of the biggest of my concerns was just how to spend the time productively with them. I wanted to be able to promote learning and social developme...
Originally posted June 2020.
As a community of families who love the outdoors (or who are learning to love it), it is always inspiring to hear how that love originated. Some of us grew up camping and hiking almost since birth. For others, outdoor exploration didn’t start until much later in life. Either way, most of us can credit the role models in our lives for instilling that love of...
Summer has always been my favorite time of year, with its longer days, higher temperatures, and lots of outdoor fun in the sun. One of the easiest ways to keep the kiddos cool when enjoying some hot summer fun is to incorporate water play into your outdoor time. Whether splashing in a water table, exploring a nearby creek, or relaxing by the pool, water play has numerous benefits for our growin...
In partnership with Natrapel
As parents we have a million things going through our minds at any given moment. So, when we are outside exploring, one thing we CAN get out of our mind at least is preventing bugs bites. For that there are some simple instructions that can make a big difference in making sure the buzzing and biting critters stay away from our nature fun.
Read through our tip...
Originally posted January 2018.
When we start something new, we tend to need extra help. Heck! When my family returns to something we know after an absence, we seem to forget everything we knew. So whether it's your first time hiking with kids, or you're a returning or a seasoned hiker, I bet there's a tip here you can use.
We asked our very own Hike it Baby community of...
Originally posted July 2015.
I was raised in the Southern California Mountains. I had a father who instilled a love of nature and hiking into my soul. It is a part of me. It is my therapy for recovering from a tough week. The thought of simply being out in the woods, on a mountain top, by a stream, just any beautiful spot outdoors, is what gets me going each morning. So in April of 2014, whe...
Originally posted June 2017.
I have gone hiking with my toddler since she was born, and although some aspects of hiking have gotten easier as she's gotten a bit older, some other parts have gotten more difficult. Now that my second and not-so-new baby is also growing into a toddler, I expect double the chaos and twice the joy on our family-of-four hikes this summer! If you're about t...
Originally posted May 2019.
May 15 is national Kids to Parks™ Day. Kids to Parks Day encourages children and families to get out and explore their local parks, including county, state and national parks. Two years ago, I hosted a Kids to Park hike. Having never hosted a “hike” in a park, I didn’t really know what to expect. How would I entertain the little hikers? How...
Go Take a Hike: A Three-Generation Tradition of Hiking the Sabino Canyon
By Karen Francis-McWhite
I distinctly recall a time in my childhood when the most contemptuous thing I could think of saying to another person was, “Go take a hike!” At that time, having never been on an actual hike, I am sure it was just an expression I’d heard someone spit at another person in a S...
