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My father grew up on the desert in Southern California. He and his two brothers spent their childhoods working and playing outside in the heat. Back then there were no sunscreen and not much information available concerning the harmfulness of the sun. Fifty years later skin cancer had taken over his life. He battled it throughout my childhood and even now. Unfortunately my son has inherited the fair skin from my dad’s family. Needless to say I’m always willing to try a good sunscreen and other sun protective item.

Here at Nature For Kids I thought I’d share a recent line of clothes that we have found helpful for my son. It is Sun.Life from Lands End. We have the UPF 50 short sleeve shirt which he has worn, it seems, continuously throughout the summer so far.

I always wondered what the big thing about UPF clothing was. Doesn’t a normal shirt protect you enough from the sun? Well from what I’ve been reading up on about sun exposure, I’ve come to understand that a plain t-shirt blocks only 50% of the suns UV radiation and many of the summer apparel people wear protect even less.

From what my son says, his shirt is lightweight and comfortable too. He says, “It feels good and slippery”   Which makes it a very good alternative to say a tank top or no shirt at all. The shirt also wicks away moisture and is fast drying. It’s also antimicrobial to fight odor, something always needed for busy outdoor boys.  It has a reflective logo on the shoulder too.

From a mom’s perspective overall I think the shirt has held up really well. We’ve had it since February and washed it countless times. Since the material is 100% polyester it has gotten a few snags here and there but nothing that makes it look terrible.

I got an email the other day telling me they are on sale…$8.50 for short sleeve $12.50 for long sleeve zip and $16.99 for select pants. Just thought I’d pass on the deal.

In closing Nature For Kids wants to remind you through these fun summer days to keep those kids lubed up with sunscreen and protected from the sun with the right clothing.
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We started off by exploring the area. The kids saw several fish swimming in the pond and of course were especially interested in the belly-up ones close to the bank.  We also saw dragonflies and birds.

After exploring we talked about animals in general, their favorites and others that can become pets at home. I had the kids find rocks to make their own animal and then opened a container full of markers, buttons, yarn and countless other items to decorate their rocks with.

Then the kids each took a turn to tell us the name of their pet rock and what their pet ate. There was some creative stuff thrown out there.

Each week I will be sharing the outdoor playgroup activity we participated in. Our hope here at Nature For Kids is that it will encourage you and others to easily take the kids outside this summer. If you have any fun activity ideas to share send them to shawna@natureforkids.net.
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We started the fun event off with a magic trick! Check out the video below to see how to do it…

After the magic trick I asked the kids to point out the colors they could see outside. They listed every color in the rainbow including everything in between. Then I pointed out how the colors in nature magically change when it rains. Simply adding water can add depth and vibrancy to already beautiful colors. 

ACTIVITY: Take a cup of water and a paintbrush on a hike with you. Let the kids paint rocks, leaves and anything else in nature with water. No paint is required to make the colors change. This is especially fun for younger kids.

The remainder of the time was spent doing unstructured playtime outside. We let the kids rummage over small boulders, plan their own races, climb to the top of hills and simply get up close with nature.

Each week I will be sharing our outdoor playgroup activities. Our hope here at Nature For Kids is that it will encourage you and others to easily start your own outdoor playgroup. Also if you have any playgroup ideas of your own to share I’d be more than happy to hear about them at shawna@natureforkids.net.
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Here’s how the activity went:

First we discussed what should and shouldn’t be left in nature after our activities.

Shouldn’t: candy and gum wrappers, water bottles, drawings on rocks, toilet paper etc.

Should: Only little footprints

Second we cut out footprints that were exactly 12 inches long. (Luckily my husbands shoe worked great to stencil around…exactly 12 inches!)

Third we discussed how everything in nature varies in size. We took our footprints and found things that were 1 foot long. Then we went out and explored even more, finding things that were three feet long. The kids spent quite a while mulling up and down the hills scanning the area for different sizes of natural things. They also enjoyed measuring each other.

Fourth We talked about all the different types of shoes and how each leaves a different footprint. (During a discussion you could compare this to how each person is different in their own way) They took their footprints home to color and decorate anyway they wanted (hiking boot, soccer cleat, ballet slipper etc.) so it would be their own unique footprint.

This activity gave the kids a specific purpose in being outside and in the process their eyes came across some fun things, a caterpillar, shells and several lizards (which were too fast for me to get a picture of).

Each week I will be sharing our outdoor playgroup activities. My hope is that it will encourage you and others to easily start your own outdoor playgroup. Also if you have any playgroup ideas of your own to share I’d be more than happy to hear about them at shawna@natureforkids.net.
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1. What is your favorite family outing activity? Why?

We love fishing!!!  We also like to camp, hike, take walks at night and bike ride.  I can’t forget shed hunting.  The kids like to go out and look for antlers.  Even our tiny ones can do it.  It keeps your eyes sharp and you end up seeing lots of other things you wouldn’t notice.

(Jack and Riley shed hunting in the spring)

2. How has recreating in the outdoors benefited you and your children? 

We feel healthy and full of energy, plus we see cool things and best of all we spend time together.

3. What outdoor destination would you recommend other families to visit? 

Hiking the Arches is fun. There are hikes short enough for everyone.  We also like fishing Boulger Lake in Utah.  The drive is pretty and the lake/pond is small.   Most of the shore is fairly easy to walk on even for the itty bitties. There are great camping spots nearby.  And we always see deer, rabbits, cool birds and squirrels.

4. What advise would you give others when it comes to recreating outdoors as a family?

Don’t worry about the dirt!! Just go out and have fun and get dirty.  Campfires are so fun.  A good time for treats, story telling or talking.

(Madison, Jack and Riley looking over the Little Grand Canyon)

5. What is something new you’d like to try as a family in the outdoors? 

Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and more hiking.

Thanks Marshall family! We hope your summer is filled with tons of outdoor fun. If you would like to share your family outing adventures with Nature For Kids simply answer the above questions and email them to shawna@natureforkids.net. We’d love to hear from you.

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Wild About Nature

This blog is written by Kenton and Rebecca Whitman from Wisconsin. And they are truly wild about nature. They get right in there close to it and write about some fun experiences. There’s gobs of informative things about nature on their blog. Visit their site to catch a bit of their enthusiasm for nature.

Camping Blogger

This blog has become a favorite of mine. Although it is more directed towards adults it teaches such valuable things about camping that will directly affect kids. It’s a very clean and well set up blog and the posts aren’t too long. Roy does a lot of reviews on equipment to help you decide for or against items before you even have to purchase them. It’s a great resource.

Bring The Family

This blog goes right along with our Family Outing series. Toni is the writer and she has three boys that keep her hoppin. She writes about their family outings and gives tips and tricks on traveling and exploring with kids. This blog also has some great pictures!

Double The Adventure

Sharlene is the busy mom blogger at Double The Adventure. She encourages parents to help their kids explore the world around them. She is California based and has personally helped me set up a coast trip this summer. Thanks Sharlene! She’s a great resource for what’s fun for families in California.

I have links to all of these sites on the right under “Correlating Material” but I thought I’d bring them to your attention.

Thanks for stopping in at Nature For Kids. Later I will be sharing three more nature-focused websites from my blogging associates. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. We’re taking off for a family vacation so I’ll be back in about a week to tell you all about what we did with the kids.
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There are so many activities available that it’s difficult to decide which would be most beneficial to our kids; language lessons, music lessons, tumbling, baseball, swimming…the list goes on and on.

Fortunately one thing has been studied and proven to be priceless to children and their healthy development. It’s free outdoor playtime! It’s simply a natural thing for a child to experience and disappointingly is becoming a rarity among kids these days.

This summer Nature For Kids encourages you to make free outdoor playtime a priority. Do it on your own or join an outdoor playgroup. If there isn’t an outdoor playgroup in your area think about creating one yourself. Active Kids Club  has some great tips on how to go about doing this.

Nature For Kids will be hosting an outdoor playgroup this summer starting June 8th in Helper, Utah. It will be held every Monday from 9 to 11. The first meeting will be held 4 miles up Spring Canyon at the parking lot near the bathrooms and trailhead. Activities will be based on kids’ ages 2- 8 but others are welcome to attend. The first hour will be a structured activity that will be nature based. The second hour is open for free play. Each activity will be talked about here at Nature For Kids to help you get more ideas for the fun summer ahead.

When I say “free outdoor play” I’m sure many of you can remember the trees you climbed the forts your built or the sandcastles you created. Free outdoor play is different than organized outdoor sports such as baseball or soccer. The word “Free” reflects the agency that a child has when playing outside. They can choose what, where and when. They also can create their own games by letting their imagination drive their experience.

Free Outdoor Play has been show to:

• Calm kids down (showing significant results in those with ADHD)
• Foster creativity
• Provide recommended doses of Vitamin D
• Teach kids to love and take care of their world around them
• Strengthen immune systems
• Improve motor skills, balance and coordination

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of outdoor play Nature For Kids recommends two reads,
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder and A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity and Free Time Create a Successful Child.

Here’s hoping for a fun-filled summer at your very own outdoor playgroup. Join Nature For Kids at their Facebook location for quick updates, videos, pictures and ideas.
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Women’s Quest  provides retreats to California, Vermont, Hawaii, Colorado, Costa Rica, Mexico and even Italy. They include activities such as yoga, cycling, surfing, mountain biking and trail running. You name it they do it. And each activity is tailored especially for women, beginner to advance so every mother can enjoy it.

Have an enjoyable Mother’s Day! And here’s another post you may enjoy:

Adventure Time For Mom

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