Growing up in a world of adventure.
Did you set a new years goal or intention to get outside more with your family? Chances are, walking with your kids is part of that new habit you are trying to set! To make what could seem like chore or a drag a little more fun and exciting, my kids and I compiled a list of fun things to do on a walk! These activities and items will keep the adventure moving, add learning elements, and infuse so much joy, that you’ll barely notice those steps ticking away, and the miles adding up.
How do you get your kids to walk such far distances? This is one of the questions we get asked the most! We mention to friends the hikes we go on, and the places we walk to, and they are often very surprised at the mileage our kids can cover.
It obviously didn’t happen over night, but the answer is easy: Routine and Consistency. The number one reason that our kids can walk far distances is because it’s something that we’ve weaved into the fabric of our family. Walking is the main way we get exercise. It’s how we spend time together as a family. We walk to get to where we need to go, we walk for fun, and we walk to stay healthy. We walk to ensure that we have plenty of time OUTSIDE.
When we went to sleep last Friday night, there was a light dusting of snow on the ground. When we woke up, over half a foot had fallen! And snow was still coming down. Here in Seattle, that’s a big deal.
Of course the kids wanted to go sledding, so we turned our usual Saturday morning walk into a snowy adventure. The sledding combined with all the other activities we smashed into our schedule amounted to a pretty fantastic day.
With this year of homeschool, I’ve noticed that some of the routines I had when the kids were much younger (and home more often) are back! One of those routines? Built-in Adventures.
Built-in Adventures are when we incorporate something fun and enjoyable, usually outdoors, into an errand (post office, grocery shopping, etc). We feel good about being productive, but also satisfy our fun, adventurous spirits.
Just as a few snow flurries were starting to fly late last week, I decided it was time for a car wash. Whether or not getting a car wash before a snowstorm was a good decision is debatable. However, my car did need a good wash. Plus, the coupon I had for a free wash was burning a hole in my pocket!
A car wash for my kids is an adventure in and of it self! As I thought it over though, I also realized that this outing could be even more than a fun urban hike in a nearby neighborhood. Some aspects of the kids homeschool studies/assignments could be incorporated in the adventure! Win-win-win.
Do you miss visiting museums? How about really diving deep into learning hands-on about history, culture, science or experiencing amazing art? At least for us, there is definitely a feeling of lack in our lives as the world takes a break to stay safe.
After almost a year of most indoor institutions being shutdown due to COVID-19, it’s nostalgic for us to think back. Remember when we could pop in and out of spaces without much of a second thought? One of the ways we are bridging the gap as we wait for our city to open up is outdoor art!
Needing an adventure out of the house (and our immediate neighborhood), and not wanted to venture too far, my family, and I hopped in a car on a recent weekend to explore Westcrest Park in Southwest Seattle.
Westcrest Park is part of Seattle Parks and Recreation, but is quite close to the White Center neighborhood, located between West Seattle and Burien. We meandered around the trails, visited the large dog park, and the kids enjoyed themselves immensely on the playground.
My kids and I went on a self-guided walking tour in Seattle’s Central Distrct/Area (part 1) of parks and facilities named in honor of African Americans in our community (and beyond)!
Every holiday season on the first Friday in December, we head to Downtown Seattle for all of the Christmas fun. This year like always, the kids and I hopped on the bus, and met Slaed at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel to start the adventure. Now that the kids are older, they know what to expect, and get so excited about all the happenings.
We have an activity advent calendar, so this tradition is of course included amongst things like visiting Santa, donating books and toys, decorating, and gift giving.
Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work. -William Arthur Ward
As a mom, outdoor adventurer, and frequent traveler, I’m on my feet a heck of a lot. Since walking is more than just exercise and leisure, but a form of transportation most days, I can’t mess around with footwear. In the fall, winter, and even spring (spring lasts from March to July in Seattle!), I need boots that will protect my feet from the elements, provide comfort, hold up, and even help me look a little put together!
Over the years I have tested several different brands and styles of women’s winter boots, and I have compiled my favorites here in a round-up. Of course, different boots serve different purposes. You’ll see in each description what conditions and situations each pair works best in.
Know that for each of the the winter boots featured here, many miles have been walked, so I consider the testing fairly rigorous! Miles logged include hiking on trails, long city walks, snowy treks, rainy visits to the playground, and everything in between.
Also keep in mind that we live in Seattle, so my frame of reference is going to be centered around, “What’s going to keep my feet dry?”.
Hooray for a Seattle Snow Day (or two. or three…or 6 actually)! Yes, this month here in Seattle, we were hit with several inches of snow. Snow is a rare occurrence in the emerald city, and with our hills, it can have a huge impact bringing “business as usual” to halt!
Along with the rest of Western Washington, we said goodbye to the Viaduct this past Saturday. The Alaska Way Viaduct, Seattle’s elevated highway that runs through downtown has gorgeous views of the waterfront, Pike Place Market, and surrounding cityscape.
As nature enthusiasts, we seek out experiences where we can enjoy the outdoors as a family. We also particularly love it when we can combine learning about the flora and fauna of an area with a little bit of culture. When planning our recent trip to Kauai (visited November 2018), we learned about Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens and Sculpture Park through The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook.
Knowing about the beauty and history of the garden and property, we knew it was just the type of outing our active family would enjoy. Yes, of course there were many plans of pool enjoyment and beach adventures. However, it’s nice to balance out the water side fun with unique opportunities to learn about the island on a deeper level.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it’s advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PoweringAdventure #CollectiveBias
Looking to add a some oomph to your outdoor adventures? Are your kids (or even you!) a little reluctant to venture outdoors? Technology can be a great bridge between the comfort of home, and the unknown or hesitation of getting outside.
Bergen recently received 2 sets of walkie talkies as gifts, and we have found that (when powered amply) they really add a lot of fun and excitement to our hikes and other outdoor adventures. As we’ve brought them along, various games, uses, and benefits, along with a few operating tips, have emerged.
While one game (see below) naturally came out during our “research”, you’ll see that generally we just found a lot of practical and even educational uses for the walkie talkies.
[Read more…]Not that we ever need an excuse to head out on an outdoor adventure, but with Slaed out of town on a recent weekend, I knew that the kids and I could not sit idle. When solo-parenting, I find it’s a lot more fun and manageable to get out and be active rather than dwell on my lack of partnership!
Gold Creek Pond has been on our list of places to visit for several years now. As the kids and I headed down I-90, I must admit that I second guessed myself several times. It was pouring rain. Blinding, hard to see the car in front of me, worried about driving too fast and too close to other cars, RAIN. Where was the friendly, misty Seattle area rain that we are used to?
I started going over alternatives in my head, and how I was going to break it to the kids that we wouldn’t actually be making it to this hiking spot. And as those alternatives churned in mind, I just kept driving. I talked myself through the overwhelm, and convinced myself not to abandon our plans. Eventually those intermittent downpours subsided and we found ourselves at the trail head! I’m so glad that I didn’t chicken out.
Here you’ll see some quick highlights of our visit, and hopefully you’ll see why we think Gold Creek Pond is such a great outdoor destination for kids!
We visited on the first day of October, so the fall colors were not out in their full glory, but the peeks that we saw were gorgeous! I imagine at by mid October, the oranges, reds, and yellows are out in their full glory.
We’re all for simple and intentional around here when it comes to holidays. In an effort to spend more time connecting and having fun, preferably outside and/or adventuring, we opt for easy, not fussy.
For Halloween, with ideas in mind, we often hit up our local consignment stores and thrift shops, and browse our neighborhood parenting network for costumes. Last year for Georgia’s costume, we did things a little differently though.
We live in Seattle. Chances are, we’re going to be presented with some precipitation on Halloween. At the very least, even if it doesn’t rain, there will be some left over puddles from when it did a day or two before. So rather than have to put rain gear over her costume for trick or treating, we turned her rain gear into a costume!
It’s finally sandal season here in Seattle, and we are celebrating! Our travels to the Caribbean this spring allowed us to get a jump start in testing the fun kids sandals from M.A.P. shoes, so I’m looking forward to sharing our thoughts. We also hope it might help you make your decisions as you prepare for an adventurous summer season!
You may have read our review of the M.A.P. Footwear sneakers last fall. We also appreciated their cozy boots to keep Georgia’s toes warm this past winter. We are big fans of the brand! In addition to trying out the Emmons Fisherman Sandals (for Bergen) and the Niagara T Fisherman Sandals (for Georgia) during our vacation on St. John, we’ve also put them to the test this spring. Activities have included biking, hiking, scootering, beach play, and of course just typical day to day life of errand running and family hustle and bustle.
Lake Sammamish State Park, located in Issaquah, Washington has so much for families to enjoy. We recently visited the park with a mission to check out their new playground, which opened last fall (October 2016). The playground, designed for kids ages 2-12, mirrors the area’s nature features and historical attributes. The kids and I were impressed to say the least! Along with some of the usual playground offerings, we found a mushroom house, climbable salmon making their way into the lake, and a coal mine to explore.
While our kids are active and spend a lot of time outdoors, they are not always on the hiking trail climbing mountains. Consequently, a hiking shoe is overkill for our everyday adventures, but some sneakers aren’t quite rugged enough for our rough and tough kids.
Thanks to M.A.P footwear though, we’ve found a great in between shoe! Bergen has been testing the Troy sneakers from M.A.P. (Motion. Adventure. Play.) Footwear this past summer and early fall. Overall we are pleased with the fit, support, and durability of the shoes.
To give you an idea of our testing process, here are a few details:
Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair.
-Susan Polis Schutz
Summer is here, and well underway, so I thought I’d better get cracking with our summer scavenger hunt before this lovely season gets away from us! Here I’ve compiled 12 items that we think are particularly special to or can almost only be found in summer. You won’t necessarily be able to find all 12 in one session unless you did some careful planning, but the idea is appreciate all the season has to offer.
Summer in the Seattle area is the best! We are savoring the warmer temperatures and clear blue skies, and loving that it hasn’t been too terribly hot. I hope you are enjoying yourselves in your neck of the woods, and if not, I hope you are able to travel or adventure somewhere new to get some relief!
Of course we love adventure. Of course we love travel. And of course we love getting out for a hike. With two little kids though, who both still nap, and prefer to do so in their own beds at home, we can’t always venture too far. Since Bergen was a wee toddler, I’ve researched, investigated, and explored kid friendly hikes near Seattle (in or at least with in an hour’s drive of the city).
What’s considered “kid friendly”?
Here you’ll find 14 of our favorite kid friendly hikes in or near Seattle. It is in no way an exhausted list, and I hope to add to it in the future. Make sure to click on the hike’s title for either a more detailed trip report from our site or another trusted resource like the Washington Trails Association (WTA).
Everyone knows that babies and young toddlers are messy eaters, but I think we’ve got one of the messiest little toddlers around! Every meal at home requires a full wipe down of the child, table and high chair, plus all the sweeping, sometimes even mopping. Pulling all the chairs out from the table is required just to get to the majority of the mess. And after all that, the dog always manages to find some bits and morsels that still remain.
If we’re not traveling somewhere for the weekend, chances are we’re still finding time to get out and explore even if it’s “in our own backyard”. One of the ways we do that is by visiting other neighborhoods around Seattle. We may not go far, but these mini-adventures nourish our wandering spirits. Georgetown is one of our go-to places when we are looking for a change of pace.
Georgetown is located about 10 minutes south of downtown Seattle, and is know for its grittiness, quirkiness, and all around creative vibe. The neighborhood now boasts several breweries, lots of family friendly eateries, and so many fun and unique shopping/browsing experiences from a trailer park mall to a handful of antique shops and galleries. Keep reading to find out some of our favorites!
I recently learned that Seattle and Western Washington actually have the longest spring season in the nation. Lucky us! We’ve been celebrating since late February with daffodils blooming, cherry blossoms popping, and warmer temperatures (plus rain of course), and will most likely see spring-like weather into the beginning of July.
With all this time to enjoy what the season has to offer, we’ve been busy compiling a list of things that we feel make it special and unique. Here you’ll find our spring scavenger hunt! We hope it helps you enjoy all the outstanding qualities of spring in your neck of the woods, and if the lovely spring weather hasn’t quite arrived where you live, we hope it gets there soon!
It’s the first day of spring, but Bergen and I just ticked one last thing off of our winter bucket list: A Conifer Cone Search! It ended up being quite spontaneous. We were out on one of our usual walks as a family through the Washington Park Arboretum. Along the way, Bergen was paying particular attention to all the conifer cones (aka: pine cones) on the ground and under trees.
