Nature Based Scavenger Hunts, your new hiking friend

Daylight Saving and spring are officially here, and in most places, the snow is quickly being replaced with spring showers (even though we’re still digging out of the snow in Wisconsin!). With the promise of longer daylight, the days are filled with more possibility. “Where are you? Hello? Come out, come out wherever you are!” I spend most mornings pacing my living room and kitchen repeating these words as I mock-look for my 2-year-old son. When I do find him, he jumps from his hiding spot and yells, “Hide!” This doesn’t mean I should hide; this is just an announcement that he is hiding. Rainy-day activities … outside The only thing my son loves more than hiding is looking for hidden treasures like stuffed animals, Q-tips, balls and especially our pet cat (although, the feeling is not mutual!). So with spring here, I thought: Why not take this party outside with a scavenger hunt? It’s the perfect activity for the outdoors! Toddlers are so curious, it's easy to put together a great list of items to search for, such as clouds, birds, green leaves, bugs, sticks and flowers. Scavenger hunts are also easy to adapt for older kids by adding variations like how many clouds there are in the sky, what kind of birds do we spot in trees, or how many colors of different bugs and flowers can we find. The weather can be unpredictable in spring, but don’t let that scare you. One of the first tell-tale signs of spring is puddles and mud - which are great for jumping in! And with a great pair of rain boots or rain jacket from Joules, there’s no limit to the fun both kiddos and adults can have. With the right rain gear, you can explore mud and rain together. Don’t forget to make a mud pie, a signature spring cuisine and, of course, do some mud painting! Puddle jumping is an especially big hit with toddlers because it opens a whole new door of exploration. Watch how the water changes from flat to rippled, or name the things you see in the reflection. Hike it Baby 30 Challenge If you need extra motivation to get out of the house, sign up for the Hike it Baby 30 Challenge (HiB30) and spend 30 minutes outside 3 times a week, or hike 30 miles in 30 days. And to further encourage more spring fun and take the challenge up a notch, Hike it Baby has partnered with Joules for the new HiB30 Take it Outside Challenge, which offers a great spring scavenger hunt bucket list to help get families out of the house and into the outdoors. You could even make a game of the scavenger hunt by searching for a certain amount of items on the list, like how many puddles can you jump in? Count how many different colored birds can you find? How many different colored flowers can you find? And really, the sky's the limit (pun intended!). Also, remember the Leave No Trace principles to preserve nature; instead, opt for photos and add a bit of fun for the kiddos by letting them take pictures of the items they find. We would love to hear what’s on your scavenger hunt list. Share with us in the comments below … and feel free to share those mud pie recipes. Here’s to spring! Read more: Celebrating the changing seasons: the spring equinox Spring in the garden - Activity ideas for kids Spring-themed hike ideas Photos by Stephanie Jacobson and Michelle Pearl Gee. Feature photo by Kim Ives. This post is sponsored by Joules.

Fall is in full swing, which means we’ve kissed the freedom of summer goodbye once again and our children have returned to school. For my family, this is the first year that both of our kids are in school full-time. In the past, the majority of our time hiking consisted of me and my younger son hiking or snowshoeing during school hours. We hiked together 2-3 times on weekdays while my husband was at work and my older son was at school. We typically squeezed in one or two family hikes on the weekends (when it wasn’t ski season, of course). Now that both of our kiddos are in school, I am finding it more difficult to get out on hikes. Many days, after school, we have homework, sports and tired little guys who are still getting adjusted to their new schedule. It might not be easy, but finding time to hike is important for our family and we need to find creative ways to get our hike on. Here are the top 5 ways for families of school-aged kids to find time for hiking 1. Evening dinner picnic hikes We all know the promise of snacks can get the littles moving. But what about the promise of a delicious and fun dinner picnic to get your bigger kids going? Pack up an easy-to-serve dinner and head to a spot with a super cool view. At the top, set up your picnic and enjoy dinner together as a family. Hang out for a while and play for some extra family bonding time. When you’ve all had your fill of food and fun, hike on back to where you started. What’s better than a hike to get the digestion process kicked into gear. 2. Hike home from school or the bus stop You can park a farther distance from school and walk to school or the bus stop, and again walk home with your kids. I do this quite often. We even pass a hiking trail to our local waterfall on the way from school to our house. I’ll usually let my kids play on the school playground for about a half hour before we head home. Oftentimes, we’ll stop and look at various plants on the way home and take detours onto different trails. We usually get home just in time for me to start making dinner. If you live too far from school to walk the entire way home, consider parking a manageable distance from the school and walking that bit together. In addition to walking home from school, our town also promotes Walking Wednesday. On Wednesday mornings, the principal and teachers from school meet at the gazebo in the town green and walk the students up to the elementary school. It’s great to start the day with a hike! 3. Friday Night Hikes (and campfire, of course) Plan a hike for after dark on a Friday night. Because there is no school the next day, you can stay out a bit later. Make sure it is a safe area to hike in at night and bring all necessary and precautionary supplies. Invite your kids’ friends and their parents. Bring flashlights and supplies for making a campfire. A book on identifying star constellations might be fun, too. Don’t forget the S’mores! 4. Plan long day hikes on the weekend If getting out for a hike after school isn’t going to work for your family, try planning a longer day hike on the weekend. You may not be able to fit in short hikes on weekdays, but you can make up that time and those miles by planning a longer hike on the weekend. While the weather is still nice, maybe even plan an overnight hiking/camping trip. Fall can provide some of the best conditions and scenery for this type of outing. 5. Partner with your kids’ school See if your kids’ school might be interested in incorporating hiking into the curriculum. You may be able to collaborate with the Gym/Health department by presenting the health and wellness benefits of hiking. Another option is reaching out to the Science department and suggesting nature walks where natural science topics from the classroom are explored outside. If your kids' school already has a program like this in place, volunteer to help out. You can get some hike time in with your kids and their classmates during school hours! Bonus: If you homeschool, hike during traditional school hours! For many, homeschooling offers the flexibility to schedule your day in a way that best suits your family. How wonderful would it be to schedule in some hike time? While sending our kids off to school for 7-8 hours a day limits our available daylight hours with them, there are still multiple creative ways to getting hiking on your family’s agenda. How do you keep your school-aged children hiking through the school year? For more ideas on hiking with school-aged kids, join our HiB Big Kids Facebook group! Read more: Hiking with older kids: How to continue the adventures Hiking with older children Photos by Jessica Human.