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CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT Fifty/Fifty. Summer is here and with it comes more sunlight! These longer days mean many of us have more time to explore nature and spend time together as a family outside. Whether you are hiking, biking, walking through your neighborhood, swimming, enjoying summer sports, or meandering tourist attractions, you know it will be hot. And with the hot weather comes the need to drink lots of water.  Unfortunately, the need to stay hydrated and the desire to run, play, and explore often do not go hand in hand with our kids. With this in mind, we have a few tips to help keep your family hydrated all summer (really all year) long! 5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Kids Hydrated in the Summer Get everyone their own water bottle. This is such an easy way to not only encourage your children to drink more water (who doesn’t love a fun water bottle?), but it also helps you monitor how much water they are drinking each day. Fifty/Fifty has a ton of really beautiful water bottles available that are not only perfect for keeping you and your family hydrated all year long but are priced well too! Pro-Tip: When adventuring with younger children, leave your child’s water bottles in the car and just carry extra water with you to share. This way, when you are done they have an easy source of water to drink on the drive home.  Make fruit-infused water. Adding a little fruit to water is sure to encourage everyone to drink more water simply because it tastes good and it's different. Berries, cucumber, mint, and citrus all taste amazing when added to water. Serve lots of high-water-content foods. Foods like watermelon, berries, citrus, and cucumbers have a lot of water in them and will help keep you and your children hydrated. Pack these foods when you go adventuring and use Fifty/Fifty’s insulated containers to keep those water-filled foods from leaking. Add a straw. This is such an easy way to encourage kids (and some adults) to drink more water. Not only do people generally drink more sips of a beverage when it comes from a straw, but straws also allow us to take larger sips than we would without them. Model drinking water all day. We know children watch our every move and want to do what we do, so use this to your advantage. Drink water from your new water bottle all day long or refill your water glass more often and drink it in front of your kids. Make sure to take water breaks when hiking or exploring and ensure your children not only drink water but see you doing it too. Model the behavior you want to see and you may see it more from your kids.  Photos by Jenn Canjar and Kim Ives What are some ways you help keep your kids hydrated? ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

We adventure with our kids to make memories, but many fear about safety on the trail. The good news is, families can minimize many risks by following some simple guidelines when hiking with kids. What are they? Here are seven tips for safety on trail with kids. 1. Share your plans with others Always tell someone where you're going and when you plan to be back. Leave a copy of the trail map and mark your route with a highlighter so others will know where you're headed. Once you're at the trail head, be sure to sign in at the trail register if there is one. 2. Bring more food and water than you need Pack more food and water than you think you'll need on your hike. Water is key, and how much you need varies with terrain, temperature and age. A general guideline to follow is 4 cups (1 liter) of water per adult for every hour of hiking; and children need 1-2 cups for every hour of hiking.  You may also want to carry a Lifestraw or water filter as a backup. Encourage children to stay hydrated by letting them carry a pack with a bladder inside. Or make sure to stop for family water breaks at certain intervals, or even add a little something flavorful to their water.  Energy bars are a great way to carry extra food without a lot of bulk. Look for bars specifically made for kids. Photo credit: Deanna Curry 3. Be prepared for big changes in weather If you’re hiking in the mountains, make sure every person in the group has at least one extra layer (like a fleece jacket) and a stocking cap. If rain is even a remote possibility, bring rain gear - a backup rain poncho can do the trick and it is light and small to carry. For young children, packing an entire set of extra clothing or several extra pairs of socks can be a lifesaver. If you're carrying your child, dress them warmer than if they were walking. Some families carry hand warmers, mittens or extra layers of long underwear as well. 4. Bring a first aid kit and know how to use it You can purchase kits from companies like Adventure Medical Kits, which provide supplies you'll need for a safe hike, or you can assemble your own at home. A few essentials that should be in every kit are Easy Access Bandages, antibacterial ointment, wound-closing tape, gauze, tweezers, an ace bandage, moleskin for blisters, ibuprofen and an antihistamine (be sure to pack these in both adult and children dosages). You should know how to use every item in your kit before you go hiking with it, so be sure to read up on some basic first aid skills, such as how to stop bleeding, how to wrap a sprain and how to remove splinters. Kids can even assemble a small kit for their own packs. Photo credit: Kristin Hinnant 5. Equip your children for safety, too Give each child their own small pack to carry. It can be a small backpack or a fanny pack, and it should have, at a minimum, an emergency whistle, a jacket or extra layer of some kind, a few snacks and water. If a child gets separated from you, they'll have at some survival gear with them. 6. Stay together Teach your kids to keep you in sight at all times, to stop at all trail junctions to wait for the rest of the group, and to stay on the trail.  Also, dress everyone in bright colors (no camouflage on hiking day!) to make it easier to see one another. Photo credit: Ali Chandra 7. Teach your kids what to do if they get lost Preparation is key to this skill. At home, in a low-pressure setting, teach them to stop, find a tree, make a nest and stay put until help arrives. Teach them how to use their emergency whistle – three sharp blasts is the universal distress signal. Remind them that the whistle is only to be used during an emergency -- and check out previous blog posts below for more tips on what to do if they're lost on trail. And last, but not least,  model safe behavior at all times. Don’t take chances. Don’t ignore posted warning signs. Show your kids what it looks like to stay on the trail. Trail safety for your kids always begins with you. Read more: 3 Trail safety tips you must know Losing a child on a trail: preparing your child Losing a child on the trail: a parent's guide 11 Tips for safety on trail Have safety tips you'd like to share with other families? Leave a comment below! This post is sponsored by Adventure Medical Kits, “Providing innovative, high quality first aid and preparedness products for work, home, and your next adventure.” Hike it Baby received compensation in exchange for writing this blog post. All opinions are our own. This article is written for informational purposes only, hike at your own risk. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

OutGrown Executive Director Jessica Carillo Alatorre has been a part of Hike it Baby since 2014 where she met Shanti Hodges, the founder of Hike it Baby on her first hike. She is inspired by the passion and commitment of the volunteers who drive OutGrown along with the mission that has created the kind of community she wants her girls to be a part of. She is committed to building a future where the outdoors is a safe, accessible space for all families to enjoy, regardless of their race, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, orientation, or religion. Jessica is proud to be raising a generation to love the outdoors.    When I became a parent, I had recently moved to Portland and didn’t know many people. Of the few people I did know, none had kids. My partner and I had left a very close knit group of friends in the Bay area and I was unsure about how I was going to get through this transition into parenthood without close friends or a sense of community. I knew I wanted to be an active parent, going to the library, walking to the park, and generally exploring and enjoying the place where we lived with my baby. I even convinced my partner we should get a dog so that I would have someone to walk with the baby and me while my partner worked. PS - don’t try having a new puppy and your first baby at the same time, it’s not a great mix! I tried to join a few meetup groups, but was told I couldn’t join until I had my baby. I tried some prenatal yoga and swim classes, but found it challenging to make connections. It seemed like the only option I had was joining my new moms group hosted by the hospital once I gave birth. I did that and met some nice women. One of them shared about a group called Hike it Baby that was for parents who wanted to get outside with their babies. I joined the group’s Facebook page and watched it from afar for a bit before I worked up the courage to go out. I finally joined a real life event when they posted a new parents hike, making it feel more approachable for my healing postpartum body and inexperience with my baby carrier. Boy, do they make those things complicated, especially when you factor in the sleep deprivation of new parenthood!  On the hike, we were greeted by several nice people, we stopped together for a rest, and we sat around in the nature center after, chatting and connecting more while we nursed our babies and had some snacks. It was very informal, but it suited me to be able to warm up and connect without the formality of specific discussion themes or baby care focus I found at my new moms group. As I joined more events, I began to see familiar faces and form connections with people. Through those opportunities, I was able to form new friendships. I started to exchange contact information and get more outgoing in my attempts to be social. I also built confidence in getting out with my daughter. Instead of bringing the whole diaper bag with me, I learned I could leave a stocked diaper bag in the car and just bring some water, wipes, a diaper, and a snack for the actual hike. I learned which carrier I liked best and how to get it on myself with my baby in it safely. It was a huge game changer when I learned how to nurse my daughter while she was in the carrier. I didn’t have to feed her in the car before or after outings or errands, I could do it while walking and shopping. It was SO liberating!   Today, the women who I connected with on those first hikes are still my closest friends nearly 9 years later. We don’t need the excuse of an organized event to get us together. We just reach out and invite each other to mom dates, play dates, birthday parties, camp trips, and more. We have a solid community that we can rely on if we need help. We can count on each other to watch over the kids as they roam in more independent play groups at gatherings, trusting that we all know each other and will keep our collective brood in good care. Finding this kind of positive community and support as a parent has been integral in my own personal development, mental and physical wellness, and general self confidence. Being able to spend time outside with my baby has also been integral. The habits and lessons learned from spending time outside and making friends that encourage more of the same have drastically impacted both myself and my children in a number of physical, behavioral, and spiritual ways. My elder daughter hiked 9 miles on her own two feet at 7 years old like it was just something we do. My younger daughter has always been the family motivator, asking from a very young age for regular “hikeababies” (walks outside). It has also connected us all more deeply to the care and importance of the land, plants, and animals around us and the planet we all share. Both my children are avid defenders of the natural world, pointing out harm and encouraging those around them to make better choices to help protect our planet. Outside time is how we find peace as a family, calming tempers, distracting us from annoyances and worries, and releasing pent up energy.  I want to give those kinds of experiences to every new parent and child who comes into this world.  As I have navigated through the challenges of motherhood, I have often wondered what it would be like for my family without the experiences and opportunities I have had thanks to my Hike it Baby community. I think both my life and my children would be very different and likely not for the better. We live in a world where the impact of social support, holistic wellness, and the importance of time outside for our positive human development is not given enough recognition or priority. More and more people are spending more and more of their time inside, in front of screens and away from the natural world we are a part of. There are significant disparities among who feels comfortable, equipped, and like they belong in the outdoors. These disparities are often similarly reflected across the social determinants of health, across health outcomes for mothers and children, and across other key factors that indicate if we are thriving as individuals. As a community of people, we are becoming more divided and polarized. We see an increase in violence and extremism. We see more impacts from our behavior on our climate, bringing in more extreme weather and an alarming increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters that destroy our homes and lives. The more we disconnect from our planet and the people around us, the more harm we experience. Without those connections to each other and to nature, our future generations are at a significant risk both individually and collectively.  We can have positive, long lasting  impacts across all of these areas with just a few small shifts. What starts as tiny baby steps become leaps and bounds of positive difference as a family grows and children mature.    From the seeds of Hike it Baby, we are expanding on what we’ve learned, letting it root deeply into our community led approach and establishing what we have identified as three core programs necessary for a strong trunk of success in supporting families in getting outside. Hike it Baby will continue to offer a community led approach to outdoor activities and events. Doing so allows individual families to host the type of outings and events that work for them while inviting others in their community to join them, which is a key element in building a community that gets outside together. Bring it Outside will work to address the barriers marginalized families face in getting outside, providing gear, workshops, and a multi-lingual, culturally relevant approach to offer more holistic and targeted support for those who don’t feel welcome, safe, prepared, or otherwise like they belong outside with their families. We believe lowering barriers for those who face the most challenges lowers barriers for all of us, helping to build toward a future where everyone sees themselves as able, confident, and excited to get outside in whatever ways they enjoy most. Turn the Blues Green introduces nature to new parents as soon as they have their babies. Resources and activities will be offered that demonstrate the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside for both the parent and the infant, inviting and encouraging parents to step outside as soon as a baby is born to help reduce the impacts of postpartum depression, the baby blues, and the increased stress, anxiety, and fear that all parents struggle with as they navigate this new transition. We believe that inviting families to play outside together is a powerful way to build community and foster a life-long love of nature. We believe that every child deserves to grow up outside, to be OutGrown. We hope you will join us and help us continue to bring it outside! ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

Winters can be hard on trails. Many will need both cleanup and maintenance come springtime. You can contact your local or state park system to see if they have anything planned, or you can plan your own trail cleanup hike with your Hike it Baby branch! Hike it Baby offers lots of information on organizing a trail cleanup, and safety is a consideration when participating in a trail cleanup. Some of these things may seem like common sense, but it’s always nice to double check your preparedness whenever you try something new (or for the first time in a while). 5 Tips for Trail Cleanup Safety 1. Bring proper cleanup supplies Certain supplies will come in handy during a trail cleanup. This would include gloves, trash grabbers and bags. It’s a good idea to have the littles carry the trash bag instead of picking up trash. They may not know what they should and shouldn’t touch. 2. Work in pairs or groups Sticking together and staying in communication with the organizer are very important. Make sure you have a charged cell phone or walkie-talkie with you. A compass could also come in handy if you're off the beaten path. Make sure someone knows exactly what area your group will be working in. Check in often with the organizer and stay close to your partner or group. Or, if you're hosting the hike, help the group stay together and communicate the meet up locations and times. 3. Bring your normal safety supplies All normal hiking injuries can occur on a trail cleanup. In fact, after winter, the trail will likely be in worse shape than usual, so be prepared. Make sure you pack your typical first aid kit, plus plenty of water and snacks. 4. Give the kiddos simple tasks The concept of trail cleanup is super important to share with our kids beginning at a young age as it teaches them to be stewards for our trails and parks. It’s even better to reinforce as they get older. That being said, not every trail cleanup is organized with young children in mind. If attending a hike organized by another group or parks department, speak to the cleanup organizer before deciding whether or not you will bring young children. Make sure there will be tasks suitable for their age and ability. With supervision and proper gloves and grabbers, tiny people are great at holding trash bags, spying trash, and they love to use trash grabbers! Older kids can also be great to pair with younger kids. If hosting your own hike, make sure you communicate what supplies to bring and provide safety tips during Welcome Circle. 5. Use caution Don't ever touch anything sharp or lift anything too heavy. While you will typically feel totally awesome after participating in a trail cleanup, you might not if you cut yourself and get an infection. After winter, there could be trees or large branches across the trail. Don’t try to be the hero and lift something too heavy on your own. Even professional bodybuilders use a spotter to lift. Bring a notepad with you and document anything you can’t handle. Then give this list to the trail cleanup organizer so that the proper crew can address it. (Or, if you're hosting, contact the parks department with the information.) For toddlers and little kids, have them spot the trash ("I spy!") instead of picking it up. This will ensure they aren't picking up anything dangerous or unsanitary. What are your safety tips for trail cleanup? Have a question about safety while participating in a trail cleanup? Leave a comment or a question below! Read More: 11 Tips for Safety on Trail 3 Trail Safety Tips You Must Know Photos by Vong Hamilton. Hike it Baby hikes are hosted by volunteers who have no professional training and are not experts to guide families on hikes. They are people who want to raise a generation to love the outdoors and they accomplish this by facilitating outings for all to join. Our tips are gathered from collective experience. As with any physical activity, please be sure to check with your healthcare provider and other experts when hiking with your children. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

While National Park Week is celebrated in April, why not celebrate our National Parks all year long with books! Try reading one of these books and get inspired to take a future trip! All Aboard! National Parks by Kevin & Haily Meyers This wildlife primer is a great way to introduce the youngest of children to the national parks! Children begin their journey by boarding a train and travel the country by visiting some of the most amazing parks. They'll meet an animal common to each park as they pass through by train. Bright colors, whimsical illustrations and landforms of the parks will capture the attention of the youngest of readers. A collection of animal prints is also featured in the book. Mule Train Mail by Craig Brown Meet Anthony. He may look like a cowboy, but Anthony is actually a postman. Working with his team of mules, Anthony makes the mile-long trek down the South Rim of the Grand Canyon delivering mail, groceries, water and more to the people of Supai, a village at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Anthony and the mules endure steep trails and even rain to make sure the villagers get their mail and other necessary supplies. Detailed, colorful illustrations show readers what the Grand Canyon looks like from all angles, not just from the top. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this book will go to the Havasupai Head Start program, which helps children in Supai develop early reading skills. Your Guide to the National Parks by Michael Joseph Oswald With so many national parks to explore, it may be helpful to sit down with a book and explore all of your options before planning your trip. Your Guide to the National Parks contains more than 450 photographs and plenty of kid-friendly activities. If you're looking to visit more than one park, Oswald includes 11 suggestions for multi-park road trips that include sites of interest as you venture from one park to the next. Lodging information and hiking trails are also included, making this book a perfect companion as you hit the road to explore America's treasures. For more information, including maps of the parks, visit www.stoneroadpress.com. National Parks Guide U.S.A. by National Geographic Kids Are your summer travel plans taking you to a national park this year? If so, grab a copy of National Parks Guide U.S.A., the kids’ companion to National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the U.S. In this guide, you’ll be able to read about the different regions of the country and the national parks that find their homes in each region. Within each region, there is a guide for the specific national parks where readers will find pictures, history and websites. The individual sections also provide ranger tips, where to find the best views, checklists for what to do and maps showing some of the sites you don’t want to miss! Readers will also be able to discover what plant and animal life to expect in each of the parks. This guidebook would be especially helpful in getting older children excited for a trip to a national park, and it will have them helping plan trips for the future too! Hike it Baby now has a Goodreads Group! Join today and add books to our bookshelf! Looking for more member reviews? Search our blog for other Book Review posts!  Submit your review here for a chance to be included in an upcoming blog post!  ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

Created in partnership with  You may have heard about the Leave No Trace movement, but what does it mean to “Leave No Trace”? Is that even possible when you have kids in tow? The answer is yes, sort of. The mission of Leave No Trace is to educate and inspire everyone to protect the outdoors by teaching people to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. It isn’t about leaving zero trace; it’s about reducing our environmental impacts whenever and however possible. That may seem like a daunting task when you are attempting to wrangle a toddler on a trail, but we are here to help! We have listed each principle below along with some tips and tricks for following them when you have little ones in tow. Photo by Jessica Human Principle 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare – Know Before You Go Getting lost on the trail or getting caught in a storm while hiking can be a stressful experience. Add in a few little ones to the equation and things can get downright harrowing. While these experiences aren’t always avoidable (like an unexpected rainstorm), a little planning ahead can help you avoid most of these stressful experiences. Here are some tips to involve your kiddos in this step: Have your kids check the weather forecast with you and help them decide what clothing they should wear. Look at a trail map with your kiddos (a paper map, an online map, or a phone app) and decide together which route you want to take. If they are old enough, let them pick out their own snacks to bring along. Older kiddos can pack their own adventure pack to take along with things like a snack, water, and adventure tools (like a journal and a pocket microscope). Principle 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces – Stay on the Trail Keeping kiddos on the trail can be challenging. They are natural explorers and want to investigate every little thing they discover. However, exploring off trail can lead to trampled vegetation, increased erosion, and damaged animal habitats. A durable surface includes established trails and campsites along with areas with rock, sand, gravel, snow, and dry grass. If you need to go off trail (like for potty breaks that just can’t wait), seek out these durable surfaces whenever possible, and walk lightly avoiding as much vegetation as possible. Here are some tips for keeping kiddos on the trail and decreasing your impact on the trail. Take a potty break as soon as you get to the trail to reduce the number of off-trail excursions. Play silly games with kiddos with the main goal of staying on the trail. For example, you can pretend that the vegetation on either side of the trail is lava, and they have to stay as close to the center of the trail as possible to avoid the heat. You can also play the “ninja” (sometimes referred to as “secret spy”) game where kids have to step as lightly and quietly as possible and disturb as little as they can to avoid “detection”. Have a conversation with your kids about what happens when a lot of people go off trail. Point out signs of erosion and destroyed vegetation along the trail. Photo by Jessica Human Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly – Pack it in, Pack it Out Kids are messy creatures. Aside from their affinity for mud puddles, there are also spilled snacks and the occasional diaper explosion. It’s a good thing to remember that anything that wasn’t found in nature (like the mud) should be packed out. This includes spilled snacks. It may seem harmless, but those snacks usually end up in the stomachs of wildlife. This can lead to illness (I doubt any animals have fishy crackers as part of their natural diet) and increased dependency on humans. Once animals depend more on humans, they lose their fear of humans, which can be dangerous for both them and us. Here are some tips for disposing of waste properly with kiddos in tow. Always have a bag on hand to collect your trash (and any other trash you may find) along the way. This could be as simple as a plastic grocery bag or a specific reusable trash bag. Anytime you stop for a snack or meal break, have everyone use their “owl eyes” to find any trash left behind before you head back out. Principle 4: Leave What You Find This is another tricky principle to follow with little ones. Especially if you have a rock collector like I do! While taking natural objects, picking flowers, carving on trees, etc. may seem harmless, it can damage the ecosystem, especially when a lot of people are doing it. Rocks, sticks, flowers, and even pine cones serve as shelter and food sources for a variety of organisms. If the plant you pick happens to be invasive to the area, you could be inadvertently spreading the species as you transport it. That being said, you don’t want to stifle the curiosity of a budding geologist or botanist. Here are some tips and alternatives for keeping your nature collector happy while leaving nature in nature (or at least most of it): Use “do” language to help little ones understand how to interact with nature. Use statements like “let’s be nice with the flowers” or “touch softly”. Encourage your kiddos to use their senses to experience the object IN nature. For example, let them take a few minutes to feel, see, and even smell the object. You can talk about it and then have them replace the object where they found it. Take along some paper and crayons to they can do some leaf or bark rubbings. Have them draw a picture or take a photo of the object. When all else fails, allow them to choose one or two favorite nature finds to take home and replace the rest where they found them. Photo by Jessica Human Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts  Improperly tended campfires are one of the leading unnatural causes of wildfires. If you are camping be sure you know the local regulations on fire and seek out established fire rings when possible. If you need to gather wood, use dead and downed wood that is no larger than the diameter of your wrist and can be broken easily by hand. When leaving, douse the fire with water until it’s cool to the touch. A better alternative would be to use a camp stove for heat and cooking, or a simple lantern for light. Here are a few tips for minimizing campfire impacts with kiddos: Keep flammable objects far away and out of reach from curious hands, and don’t allow kids to play with sticks near the fire. Have children help collect firewood. You can make it a game to see who can be the first to find 5 pieces of dry, downed firewood no larger than the diameter of their wrist. Photo by Deanna Curry   Principle 6: Respect Wildlife Observing animals in the wild is fascinating for both adults and kids alike. Whether you see a deer dash across the trail ahead of you or a woodpecker busily searching for food, there’s just something awe-inspiring about watching wildlife. To keep having these encounters safely, we need to teach our little ones how to respect wildlife. That means keeping a safe distance, never feeding wild animals, and storing food and odorous objects securely while camping. Here are some tips for teaching our kiddos to respect the animals they encounter on their outdoor adventures and to keep the wildlife wild. To help young ones understand what it means to keep a “safe distance”, have them stand with an arm raised to shoulder height with their thumb pointing up. Then have them look at the animal with one eye closed and try to cover it with their thumb. If they are a safe distance away, their thumb should completely block sight of the animal. Remind your kids that insects are wildlife too, and we need to be careful not to harm them. We can admire an intricate spider web or a long line of ants without destroying what we find. Bring along some adventure items such as binoculars and a magnifying glass so that kiddos can observe wildlife safely. Contrary to popular belief, bird feeders can follow the Leave No Trace Principles IF they follow the Audubon Society Guidelines. These include avoiding seed mixtures and cleaning the bird feeders at least every season. If you want to attract a variety of bird species, it is best to have different bird feeders at different heights with different types of seed/food in each of them. Principle 7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors Respecting other people you meet on the trail helps ensure that nature can be enjoyed by all. Modeling and encouraging behaviors such as staying to the right on the trail to let others pass or taking breaks on durable surfaces away from the trail goes a long way to preserving the experience for other visitors. Other good practices include avoiding talking on cell phones or making excessively loud noises while on the trail (when possible). Here are a few tips we use to encourage being kind to others on the trail: If your kids are like mine, they like to pretend to be wild animals when they are on the trail (particularly howling wolves). This can get extremely noisy, so I started challenging them to be quieter animals, such as a bunny or squirrel, or pretend that they are sneaking around like a cheetah. Practice “moving to the right” with your kids while on the trail or on a neighborhood walk. When you practice ahead of time, it can avoid confusion when you ask them to move to the right to let other people or cyclists pass on the trail.   It is important to note that these principles are GUIDELINES, not strict rules. As parents, we know that it is extremely unlikely that we will be perfect at following these principles all the time, and that’s okay! The point is not to strive for perfection all the time. It’s to decrease our impact on the environment whenever and wherever possible and to teach our children to do the same. The tips above can help your family make fewer environmental impacts. You can also check out these other fun resources from Leave No Trace to help your kiddos understand the impact their actions can make on the environment:   Fun Resources from our friends at : Learn the Leave No Trace Hand Motions to help kiddos remember the 7 principles. Check out the Leave No Trace and Bigfoot Activity Booklet for some fun, education activities for older kids. This Trash Timeline Game can be played with kids (and adults) of all ages. Here is a free Online Awareness Course for parents and caregivers who want to learn more about Leave No Trace.   How do you practice the Leave No Trace Principles with your family? Let us know in the comments below!   ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

With the hot weather approaching, camping in summer can be a challenge when you're trying to keep cool while also trying to enjoy everything the hot temps have to offer. Of course, how you’re camping is a big factor in how you can prepare for this. Some families primarily use campers, while others use a tent in campgrounds they can easily drive to. These folks aren’t limited on space or weight. However, many families also hike into their campsites and need to be conscious of how much they’re carrying with them because the heat can add some frustrating layers to the camping experience. Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong way to do any of this, but we hope these tips will help you plan ahead and enjoy camping in summer with your family – regardless of those higher temperatures.     Cleanliness is relative Remember, the first rule of camping in summer is that cleanliness is relative. While it’s worthwhile to pack some lightweight PJs or an extra set of clean wicking clothes to sleep in, your kids may be dirtier than normal after a long day of play. If they’re used to a bath or shower before bed, it may be harder to follow your normal routine. However, try to integrate something small from your nightly routine to offer a bit of distraction, such as reading. If cleanliness at bedtime is important to you, remember that kids, clothes and sheets wash well. And if you’re car camping, your campsite may have showers that you can take advantage of. But if it doesn’t, or you don’t feel like making the trek there, just don’t stress about it. Hand sanitizer and wet wipes can go a long way! Embrace the dirt! You’ll be dirty, kids will be dirty, just get hands clean enough for safe food consumption and roll with it. –Gaila, Ames, Iowa The uninvited guests: ticks and bugs If you’re camping somewhere that ticks are prevalent, make sure you check everyone for ticks during the day and especially at night before bed. Citronella coils and butane-based repellents can also be fantastic insect deterrents that you can use safely at night near your campsite. Mosquito netting may be super beneficial depending on whether or not you’re sleeping with any windows open. For strategies on bug protection, check out this blog on Tips and Tricks for Applying Insect Repellent or read about what the CDC has to say about Tick: Prevention, Removal, and Symptom Checker. How to handle eating while camping in summer Keep it simple! Cooking over open flames in the summer increases your exposure to heat, so reserve your hot meals for dinner when temperatures drop a bit. Sandwiches are great camping options for just about any meal or snack, and the same goes for breakfast foods like cereal bars, oatmeal and ready-made waffles or pancakes. To save time on food preparation, you can prep meals in advance and freeze them. It will help keep the non-freezable items in your cooler cold; plus, it gives you some great ready-to-heat meals. More popular options include bringing a cast iron pot to make meals over the fire and cooking up foil pack “hobo” dinners in the coals. Read this blog for ideas on easy kid-friendly camping recipes. If you have a little who eats in a high chair, check out portable options that fold up small and are easy to assemble. They often can stand on their own or attach to a picnic table to contain your little one! Disclaimer: If you’re camping in bear country, you’ll need to follow a special set of rules for food – from preparation to storage to consumption, and everything in between. Your local ranger stations can be a huge benefit, so make sure you chat with them and get instructions. Sleeping in the heat with little ones If there is one thing we know about sleeping as adults, it’s that it can be hard to come by when our sleeping space is too hot. The same is true for our kids, so you may need to plan ahead for how you’re going to get them to sleep. After all, the sounds are different, and sleeping in a different bed may affect your kids more than you realize. So how do you help your little ones to sleep? "While less clothes may seem better, it makes for a lot of uncomfortable sweat,” says Katie of the Butte County, California, Hike it Baby branch. Think of thin, breathable fabrics for everyone. Wicking athletic shirts can be fantastic for night use as well as during the day for camping in summer. Fans can be great too. Even if you’re not in a camper with electrical hookups, small battery-operated handheld fans can create a nice, needed breeze day or night. Melissa of the Sydney, Australia, branch also suggests placing a wet cloth in front of the fan to create DIY air conditioning. Summer temps can be especially challenging for those midday naps, so you’ll definitely want to take advantage of any opportunity to cool down. If you prefer to sleep separately from your little one, portable cribs can be great! And if you’re car camping and have room, bring them! They can be used for naptime during the day and bedtime at night. Pro tip: portable cribs are worth bringing even if you don’t use them for sleeping. Pop a mosquito netting over the top and you have a great bug-free zone for littles. Or, if you need shade, add a crib sheet to the top to create a shaded play area!   Consider the camp site If your area offers it, choose a site near a body of water. They can be a great opportunity to rinse off dirt and mud and cool down, whether during the day or before bedtime to help little bodies relax and rest. However, keep in mind that you may want to prevent your little ones from having easy of access to it. This is particularly true if you have stealthy little ones who can open tents and go for excursions while their exhausted parents sleep. We all know how fast our little adventurers can move, so you may want to select a site that’s a short walk from a lake or river instead of having waterfront access. If it’s the main source of water where you’re camping, check out this post on treating water for consumption. Taking care of business One of the biggest challenges we face as parents is potty training. More specifically, potty training in new and different situations and locations. So potty training while camping in summer offers some unique challenges for little people who are still learning where they can – and can’t – go, especially at night when the closest potty may be a trek away. So, while teaching them how to go in the woods is an important lesson, it’s not always practical. Lyndsey of the Monadnock Region, NH, branch recommends using an “OXO Travel Potty on top of a bucket lined with a heavy duty trash bag with kitty litter” for a great campsite potty. And she adds that this setup can work well for parents who may not want to leave their little ones alone in the camp while they go potty. Keeping kids occupied during downtimes Camping is all about the experience, and toys aren’t 100% necessary. After all, we’re enjoying time together outdoors as we support our kids in their explorations. With that said, there are some great campsite-friendly toys that can keep little hands busy while you’re setting up or tearing down camp, preparing food or putting a sibling down to sleep. Because, as we all know, nap time is an important strategy for preventing meltdowns at camp or on the trail. A handful of toys can be helpful in terms of sheer containment while also adding to the sense of discovery. Think about bringing simple toys that align with the camping experience. Magnifying glasses for seeing worms, spiders, snails or other small creatures can be a lot of fun. And in the case of thunderstorms and you have to head inside the tent, books and cards can be a great backup plan! Bring dirt toys: buckets and shovels that they can play with around the campsite. –Juliana, Fairbanks, AK How to get organized for camping in summer So now you’ve got all these great suggestions and hacks, but how do you get them all organized? After all, organization is your best bet for making the most of your time at the campsite, including setting up tents and other sleeping arrangements quickly so you can spend more time playing. In a perfect world, you can have an extra set of camping gear that you pack in totes. If you can set aside sheets, blankets, cookware, lanterns, etc., in storage containers in the garage, an extra closet or the basement or crawlspace, it makes it much easier and quicker to pack your vehicle. Similarly, this makes it easy to prepare for bedtime, so you’re not hunting for that fan or set of lightweight PJs while your family is getting ready to hit the sack. I keep our inclement weather gear in [plastic stacking drawers] at all times. I have another drawer for small incidentals like matches, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. There’s a drawer devoted to diapering, which I try to keep fully stocked with diapers and wipes for each kid. I pack our clothes into another drawer and it helps keep us a bit more organized and space efficient than using backpacks for everyone. –Nicole, Mountain Home, ID Remember the most important part of camping The number one most important part of camping in summer with your family is to have fun. Sleeping in the heat may be hard to come by some nights, whether from the excitement or the actual temperatures, but pack your coffee and enjoy the giggles and new experiences. It's all about the experience. Don't stress. –Carrie, Boulder, CO The reality we’ve all learned along the way is that it’s best to have a plan, and then to be flexible. After all, there will be some contingency that crops up that you don’t plan for. It will all work out; you’re creating memories with your family that everyone will cherish. Does your family also camp and have a few tips and tricks for camping in summer? Please share in the comments below; we'd love to hear about more hacks.   Read more: The ultimate guide to camping with kids Pros and cons: car camping vs tent camping What to look for in a kid-friendly camping site Photos by Deanna Curry ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.” ― David Brower Summer is here. With that, the chance to make goals and opt to improve yourself and your family in some way.  Let’s collectively come together and choose to create an outdoor legacy for our children. That’s right. Let’s pass on some variation of going outside and enjoying nature. Let’s be the river and slowly carve out an appreciation and love of the great outdoors for our children. What is an Outdoor Legacy? Simply put, an outdoor legacy is an impression you instill in your children about the outdoors. It is the long lasting impact your actions surrounding the outdoors have on your children. It is how your children will approach the outdoors when they reach adulthood. Leaving this outdoor legacy behind doesn’t happen overnight. It is something you will continue to foster and develop throughout your child’s life. Even after your children are adults and long gone from your home, you can still actively engage your children in outdoor adventures that feed into the outdoor legacy you want to leave behind. Why Create an Outdoor Legacy? According to a 2004 study, 90% of adults participating in outdoor activities were first introduced to them between the ages of 5 and 18. In other words, exposing your children to the great outdoors during their childhood will likely result in their continued enjoyment of nature as adults. That's why at OutGrown we offer support and resources for families with babies to get outside. Knowing the earlier the exposure to nature, the higher the probability a child will connect with the outdoors and the benefits of time outside. And when only a mere 18% of adults and children spend time outside once a week and a solid 54% of individuals who currently do not participate in outdoor recreation are content to remain indoors, it is important to consider the impact we, as parents, have on our children in regards to getting outside. How to Create an Outdoor Legacy for Your Children Don’t worry, creating this outdoor legacy is not difficult and not nearly as daunting as it may seem. It is absolutely something you can ease into and still leave a beautiful and lasting outdoor legacy with your children. Here are some simple ways you can begin. Set an outdoor expectation for your family Invite your entire family to help you create an expectation for getting outside each week. Start off with an attainable goal that you can all hold yourselves accountable to and then once you consistently meet that goal, reevaluate it. And if you are like me, and set lofty goals, it is absolutely okay to lower your expectations of yourself and your family. Adjust the expectation to meet your family’s abilities. Getting outside is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. Don’t lose sight of that. Create outdoor focused traditions Outdoor traditions are another way that you can get your family outside and create lasting memories together. Here are just a few ideas, but there are so many traditions out there to choose from. Join Hike it Baby on New Year's Day for a First Day Hike Go for a hike in your holiday jammies and join the Holiday Jammies Hike Challenge (hosted by me on Instagram - @familyinwanderland Dress up in costumes and go for a hike, maybe add it in as part of your Halloween traditions. Give back to nature! Create a tradition of picking up trash once a month in a local park  Add an outdoor adventure into an already existing family gathering. Maybe start a tradition of going camping, fishing, or for a hike every year for your birthday. Walking or running a 5K as a family. If you don’t already, consider creating the tradition of an annual camping trip. You can absolutely rent a cabin or an RV, no need to sleep on the ground if that isn’t your cup of tea. But, the idea is to foster a love of the outdoors and camping absolutely allows you to soak in a ton of nature. Maybe your parents have an outdoor themed tradition you can renew. Something you remember doing as a child, but no longer do regularly? Bring it back and put your family’s own spin on it. Need more inspiration, try this post on outdoor holiday traditions. Take indoor activities outdoors Another way to spend more time outside and help pass on a love for the outdoors and create positive nature-related memories is to take your indoor activities outside. These are just a couple of examples, but just about anything can be done outdoors. Family read aloud in the backyard. Serve a meal outside picnic-style. Do homework on a blanket or outdoor table. Take indoor toys (legos, dress-up clothes, dinosaurs, etc.) outside for playtime. Make it fun and keep trying! Don’t forget to make it fun! Mix it up and do different activities outside. Host tea parties or themed hikes for some additional fun. And remember to keep trying. Often when we set goals for ourselves and our families, we tend to feel bad when those goals are not achieved. And if you are like me, when we feel bad, we start to get frustrated when our loved ones are not as into an adventure or activity as we want them to be. Don’t worry. If your last outdoor adventure was an epic failure (I’ve been there so many times), you can always try again another day. Repeatedly taking your children outside and continuing to share how to protect nature with them shows them it is important. They probably won’t remember the time they screamed at the top of their lungs for an entire quarter-mile on a busy trail or when they complained about all the roots on the trail. But, they will remember the general feeling that being outside gave them. They will remember the memories you create together and the amazing adventures and things they see. So be like a river and create the path for outdoor enjoyment for your children to follow. Create memories and develop skills. Create an outdoor legacy for your children. Some additional reading on this topic: 10 Ways to Get Your Kids Out of the House When Life Gets Busy 10 Tips to Raise the Next Generation of Adventurers in a High-Tech World How One Family Makes Getting Outdoors a Priority Learning in Nature: Programs that Promote Love for Nature ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

Created in partnership with   One of the things I love most about summer is the picnics. There’s something special about relaxing at a park on a warm afternoon after exploring the sights and trails nearby. It’s easily one of my favorite family outings! Over the years I’ve learned that adding fun and easy touches to a picnic can add excitement to your adventure. It also tends to have the side benefit of motivating my kiddos to keep moving down the trail to make it to the post-hike goodies.  As you work towards your 10 Park Challenge this month, consider these easy, fun ideas to increase the playfulness of your family picnic. Charcuterie Board, Picnic Style If your family is like mine and prefers to graze on a variety of goodies during outings, the kid-friendly charcuterie box is a great option! You can re-use those old veggie or fruit trays from your last barbeque or even use a clean tackle box and fill it with all your family’s favorites. For us, we prefer fruits (like blueberries and grapes), veggies (especially peppers and carrots), lunch meat, cheese, crackers, nuts, etc. My kids love to help choose which foods fit and fill the tray before we head to the park. Freeze it If you’re heading out for a fun adventure on a hot day, take along some frozen treats to enjoy such as frozen grapes, frozen yogurt tubes, frozen fruit pouches, etc. Even if they thaw out before you dig in, they are sure to provide a cold, refreshing treat on a toasty summer day. Animal Themed Foods One of my favorite snacks as a kid was “ants on a log”. It was simply peanut butter on a celery stick with raisins on top. I thought it was the coolest thing, and my parents were sneaking in veggies without me fighting it. I now make this snack for my own boys, and my older son will pre-make a batch and stick them in a container for our trips to the trail or the park. We top them with raisins, blueberries, and even chocolate chips for a sweet treat. Another fun animal-themed snack is butterfly baggies. Simply fill a snack bag with one or two snacks, cinch the middle with a pipe cleaner, and add a googly-eyed clothespin to finish them off. Simple and fun for kiddos to enjoy and play with during a picnic. Cookie Cutters – Not Just for Cookies You know those cookie cutters you tend to store for 11 months out of the year and pull out just for holidays? You now have an excuse to dig them out of storage and use them to make fun sandwich shapes. Our favorites are the star and evergreen tree on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We also use the mini-cookie cutters on fruits and veggies such as cucumber slices and watermelon. They make for a fun surprise and encourage kiddos to eat more fruits and veggies (who can resist a heart-shaped slice of cucumber?). Food Art Encourage your kids to “play with their food” to create fun pictures. Whether it’s cut-up fruits and vegetables, crackers, cheese sticks, etc., you may be surprised at what their creative minds come up with! Simply use a napkin or plate as a canvas, provide some examples if needed, and watch them smile and laugh. The best part? Clean-up is easy and nutritious. Skewer it I remember one barbeque we attended where they provided some fun fruit and veggie skewers as an appetizer. My picky older son thought they were the coolest thing and ended up eating more fruits and veggies in one sitting than he ever had before (some of which he refused to eat when offered at home). I asked him what he loved about them, and he replied “Mom, they’re on a stick!” as if it was the most obvious answer. Ever since then, I will often bring fruit and veggie skewers on outings. I usually cut the sticks in half, pile on a pattern of fruits and veggies such as strawberries, peppers, cucumbers, and grapes, and put them in a bag to enjoy at the park. Chase the Rainbow My family loves “Rainbow Picnics”. We head to the fridge (or grocery store) and pick out foods from every color of the rainbow to take along with us. Once we settle down with our picnic, we create a rainbow with our food before chowing down on our colorful goodies. Here are some options we enjoy for each color: Red – Strawberries, red peppers, grape tomatoes, watermelon, salami Orange – Carrots, orange slices, orange peppers, cheese Yellow – Yellow peppers, pineapple, banana Green – Green grapes, Kiwi, Sugar snap peas, cucumber Blue – Blueberries Purple – Purple grapes, cherries, purple peppers Don’t Forget the Drinks One of my favorite things as a kid was adding fresh fruit to homemade lemonade. We would make the lemonade the night before and bring it to the park along with an assortment of fresh fruit (such as strawberries, limes, and watermelon). You could also make some decaf sun tea or even just a special bottled drink from the grocery store. Looking for an adult beverage without the side effects? I love to bring along some non-alcoholic brews to enjoy during a picnic, especially following a hike. My favorites are the Upside Dawn and Free Wave brews from Athletic Brewing Company. They’re refreshing without compromising my mental state. As a bonus, this company donates 2% of sales to protecting and restoring local trails like the ones we frequently visit. Pick Your Own Fruit One of my favorite things about our time in Washington State was blackberry season. We would go for a hike and snack on the blackberries growing all along the sides of the trails. Now that we are in Virginia, we have enjoyed mulberries and the occasional wild strawberry. Just be sure you know EXACTLY what the fruit is before noshing on them to prevent consuming inedible varieties. Common fruit varieties that ripen in the summer include blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Have the Kiddos Choose My oldest tends to be a picky eater. When we pack a picnic, I let him choose which fruit, veggie, and sandwich he brings, and we pick a special “picnic treat” at the grocery store. For older kiddos, you can have them make and/or pack the picnic cuisine themselves (with some guidelines if needed). This can add to the excitement since they get to surprise you with what they chose for the family.   We want to see what goodies you bring along on your next picnic! That’s why Hike it Baby has partnered with Athletic Brewing for a #showusyoursnacks social media challenge this month. When you are out visiting parks and enjoying your outdoor time this month, be sure to snap a photo or reel of how you and your family likes to enjoy snacks on the go! Be sure to tag @hikeitbaby @athleticbrewing #10parkchallenge #showusyoursnacks and 3 friends you think will participate in the challenge, and you will be entered to win a stocked cooler backpack from Athletic Brewing Company! (Be sure to make your settings public so we can see your posts and reels!). What playful ideas will you come up with?  ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

When 5-year-old Ansel was born, he came two months early and was just over 3 lbs. We were nervous because he was so small, but we were also eager to get out of the house. We waited until he was about 4 months old to head outside. For our first outing, we went to Yosemite National Park and got him his first mile hike in. We played it pretty easy that first time and hiked to Mirror Lake and back. We had such a great time that we decided we wanted to continue visiting the park throughout the seasons. We had never gone out there in November and it was such a different environment with all of the fall colors, so we made a commitment to visit once in the spring, summer and fall. We also wanted to do a Father’s Day backpacking trip every year, so in June when Ansel was 10 months old, we did our first backpacking and camping trip with him. We knew what we needed for ourselves but we had to figure out what we needed for him. He was only crawling so we knew he wouldn’t wander away. We were just more worried about sleeping at night and if that would work out with a baby. But it went well! We didn’t have any surprises and he really loved it and loved crawling around on the rocks and exploring everything. Since becoming parents, we’ve had to scale back some of our adventures. Even now we haven’t gotten back up to the mileage we would get on a backpacking trip; and if Ansel is walking, we go pretty slow. We do smaller adventures, but they're still big in terms of fun and they still scratch that itch to get out and explore. Part of what I like about backpacking is going off trail and finding some hidden spot I can still do that is 2-3 miles. It’s more work to find a place with a special spot when you aren’t going as far but it can still be done. Ansel pays a lot of attention to the local area that I would have otherwise walked by. The best part about exploring nature with a child is watching the joys of continual discovery that he has. You can see that in other places but in the outdoors, it happens so much more. To Ansel, every stick is exciting. This one is a sword and that one is a motorcycle. They are all sticks, but they are still so exciting. And he can sit by a stream and throw rocks in it for an hour. Outside time is one of the things that we have focused on with Ansel since he was young and helping him feel comfortable in the outdoors … the outdoors is a big piece of what we love. And now with little brother Tycho joining the family, I know things will be more complicated and difficult than before, but that's not going to stop us.  We've already got our fall Yosemite trip lined up, but I bet this kiddo is going to get his first mile in before that. What epic adventures has your family experienced? Let us know in the comments below! Photos courtesy of Ryan Idryo. Read more: How one family makes getting outdoors a priority Nature babies: why having young kids in nature is so important for their health Often in the OutGrown community, the question is asked what “adventurous” means when you are a parent. And the answer is different for all of us. For some, it’s climbing a mountain with a frame carrier fully loaded or doing a huge backpacking overnighter with a new little. For others, it’s ditching the stroller for the first time and trying a dirt trail, or just letting the kids spend leisure time climbing rocks and jumping in puddles. There are so many levels of “adventure” when you have little kids, and we wanted to share stories of families who have redefined adventure on their terms. We hope it inspires you to get out and have adventures YOUR way too. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

  What is the summer solstice Summer is here! That means long days, short nights and rising temperatures to enjoy. For those of us with kids, it means early sunrises, late sunsets and a lot of “but the sun is out!” arguments for waking us up early or staying up late. The summer solstice marks the first day of summer and falls on June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere this year. It has been celebrated for centuries and is associated with everything from the start of the new year in ancient Greece to the feminine “yin” force in ancient China. Monuments such as Stonehenge and The Great Pyramids of Khufu and Khafre are thought to have been constructed in alignment with the sun’s position on the summer solstice. So what is so special about this date and time that makes it the solstice? Let’s look at the science behind it. On the summer solstice (also called midsummer in some cultures), one of the earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt (23.44 degrees) toward the sun. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this occurs on June 21 and marks the longest day and the shortest night of the year. In fact, countries and territories north of the Arctic Circle (such as Alaska) witness what is called the “midnight sun” and the sun is visible for a full 24 hours. While we consider this day the start of summer in the United States, other cultures consider it closer to the middle of summer. Regardless of which way you look at it, this is a day worth celebrating! Here are some activities, crafts and book recommendations to help your family celebrate the longest day (and shortest night) of the year. Activities  Sunrise or sunset hike — Take the family on an early-morning hike to greet the sun on the longest day of the year. Don’t want to wake up that early? Try a sunset hike instead, and stay to watch the starlit sky come to life on the shortest night of the year. Welcome the sun with yoga — Lead your family through a few rounds of sun salutations to give thanks for the blessings the sun brings us. You can follow it up with a few poses depicting some of those blessings, such as tree pose and flower pose. Discover more family-friendly yoga poses in this article. Spend time with the flora — Without the sun, plants couldn’t exist, which in turn means that animals couldn’t exist. What better way to show your gratitude for the sunlight than by spending time in the garden or visiting a farm to give thanks for the bounty that is made possible by the sun. Create a summer nature table — Putting together an area where kids can place items that remind them of summer is a wonderful way to kick off the season! The area can be as small as a plate with a few items or as large as a table with numerous summer projects displayed. From seashells collected at the beach and postcards from a vacation, to summer crafts and potted flowers, any items that remind your family of the endless fun of summer will work! Get S’More Out of Summer — Kick off summer the right way by picking up a copy of L.L.Bean’s “Guide to Getting S’More Out of Summer.” This guide not only helps you plan out your family summer adventures, but also provides checklists of fun activities for the whole family, fill-in-the blank prompts so you won’t forget a thing and fun stickers to add to the motivation of enjoying summer. And you can win cool prizes for participating. Post your photos on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtags #SmoreOutofSummer and #LLBeanContest2019 (must include both hashtags). Click here for more information on the contest. Craft ideas Make a flower crown — Celebrate the season with a bright and sunny flower crown. If dandelions are plentiful in your yard this time of year, here is an easy tutorial for a dandelion crown using no extra materials. Then you can harvest the dandelion greens to make a yummy salad! Looking to save the flowers and leave no trace, or you don’t have dandelions in your yard? Here is a tutorial that uses fake flowers to create a gorgeous summer crown. Create a sundial — Teach the kiddos how ancient humans determined the time of day by using the shadow cast by the position of the sun. This easy craft can make a great addition to your garden or outdoor play area. Construct a sun suncatcher — Capture the beauty of sunlight with a sun-shaped suncatcher! This craft is sure to brighten your day even when the weather turns gloomy. More sun crafts — Celebrate the longest period of sunlight with a sun-themed craft. Here are a plethora of easy options to try with your kids. Summer books to read As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” These beautifully illustrated books help children of all ages understand what happens as spring turns to summer — starting with the longest day of the year. BIRTH– 3 YEARS Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Ye — Follow a spunky little girl as she finds ways to entertain herself and stay cool on a hot summer day. From catching butterflies to searching for frogs, the author focuses on appreciating the small but special details that define the summer season. Summer Is Here by Heidi Pross Gray — Read along as the author covers some of the best highlights of summer, from picking blueberries to diving into water on a hot day. Amazing watercolor illustrations and rhythmic, whimsical text lead the reader on a summer adventure in this book. I See Summer by Charles Ghigna — Pea pods, cucumbers and strawberries provide plenty of opportunities for counting in the garden! This brilliantly illustrated, summer-themed book gives readers an opportunity to search and learn with hidden numbers on every page. 4 YEARS AND UP The Longest Day – Celebrating the Summer Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer — This book takes readers on a journey through the history and science behind the summer solstice, with a focus on summer celebrations from various cultures around the world. The author also uses kid-friendly language to describe the science behind summer phenomena, such as the growth of a butterfly and the longer day length. And then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner — Lyrical text is used to describe the sights, smells, sounds and favorite outdoor activities of summer. The book is accompanied by cheerful illustrations depicting the joys of summer and is enough to get anyone excited for the warmest season of the year! Under Alaska’s Midnight Sun by Deb Vanasse — See summer through the eyes of an Alaskan girl as she enjoys the “midnight sun” of her region. With beautiful illustrations, follow along as she dances, watches wildlife and stays up late with the sun that doesn’t set. How does your family celebrate the summer solstice?  Let us know in the comments below! Read more: Celebrating the changing seasons: the spring equinox 10 Ways to enjoy the last days of summer Swinging into summer: 7 tips for having a positive impact on nature Photos by Stephanie Jacobson, Whitney J. Fox Photogrpahy (courtesy of L.L.Bean.) and Arika Bauer. This post is sponsored by L.L.Bean.

Have you heard about the 10 Minute Walk Initiative?! No? Well, if you think that increasing access to parks and green spaces can lead to better overall physical and mental health, especially during a health crisis, or that your overall quality of life would improve with close access to green space, then you’re already on board with this new program. Photo by Monique Vargas 10 Minute Walk Initiative The 10 Minute Walk Initiative aims to “...ensure that everyone in your city has safe, easy access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home by 2050.” That’s not just their mission for already more green-friendly places in the nation like California or Colorado, that’s their promise for the WHOLE COUNTRY. Check out their website to see if your mayor and your city are taking part and if you don’t see their name, do what I did and sign up to stay on top of how to get involved. Maybe you can even convince your mayor to take part. If you’re reading this you are already part of the growing Hike it Baby community and you know that a cornerstone of their mission is to Leave No Family Behind. If you’re changing a diaper, feeding your kid, having a meltdown (you or your kid!), if you can’t do the whole hike or if it’s your first hike we won’t leave you behind! This extends to race, sexual orientation, gender, disabilities, and language. This is of course still our mission but we have realized that many families are being left behind by default because they do not have access. This is unacceptable. We need to do better and that’s why Hike it Baby wholeheartedly supports the 10 Minute Walk Initiative. To ensure no family is left behind, we have to make sure that all families have easy access to safe parks and green spaces. OutGrown works to be the most effective hub of tools, information, and community inspiring all families with babies and young children to get outside and connect with nature. Learn more about OutGrown's mission and how you can get involved. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.