Spring And Kids

Posted by Tami

One of my favorite springtime activities is geo-caching. It is adventure wrapped in fitness while spending time with your loved ones. I’m not sure how long this phenomenon has been going on around the country but I picked it up off the internet a few years ago. It is essentially a treasure hunt but the emphasis is on the adventure rather than the treasure. Truthfully, there never is really anything too dashing in the little containers. Actually, my family has found it enjoys finding those geocaches with a sign-up sheet enclosed more than those with little trinkets, aka junk.

You’ll need a GPS device in order to track the coordinates. There are plenty of sites out there with the coordinates of already hidden treasure. Of course, you are also welcome to hide your own cache in your favorite spot. Pick a spot that is remote, yet so beautiful it begs to be seen by others. Our favorite spots always have a stream and plenty of foliage. In this electronic era, when we are always connected, it is a real pleasure to get away from society, internet, and TV and experience nature like I used to as a child. It is very important to me that my children feel the excitement of exploration even if it is just in our hometown.

We will often make a picnic to take with us as we try to pick long journeys. Of course, it is important to be safe, so take a first aid kit and plenty of water. While the hike is most of the fun, there is almost always a challenge to find the geocache first. Most of the hiders will give you excellent coordinators, yet still find a way to make it very difficult to find the treasure. Really, you have to keep a keen eye out as you do not know what the cache will look like or how small the container will be.

Hidden behind all of this fun, is an excellent work out. You end up staying active for at least half of the day without even realizing it. Best of all, your kids become enthralled with the outdoors and staying active. In a time of obesity across the country, stressing good health and exercise in such a fun way is invaluable. In summation, quality time, exercise, health, and the outdoors combine to make geocaching a wonderful springtime activity for one person or many.

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Submitted by Lea:
Spring is one of my son’s favorite times. After a long cold winter, we get back to our long morning walk (weather permitting, of course – those spring storms don’t always make it easy!), time at the playground, and fun in the backyard sandbox. Bath days are his favorite days in the spring, because those are the days that he gets to go outside and get as muddy as he wants without getting yelled at by Mom!

Last year was the first year that he was old enough to really enjoy the time outside. We purchased one of those bubble kits that can create the really big bubbles, and Dad and I drew out some gigantic ones that he could chase across the yard. We even figured out, thanks to the instructions, how to blow little bubbles inside the big bubbles with a little bubble wand and the large bubble circle. A word to anyone thinking about doing this: not all dogs are friendly to bubbles in their yard. You might want to test bubbles on your dog before launching into a full-fledged bubble blowing session. Our son was so disappointed on the first day when we had to pack up after just a few minutes because the dog went bonkers. Luckily, we found leaving her inside with a huge rawhide chew would distract her successfully for enough time to get a lot of bubbles blown!

We also did a lot of hiking last spring. At first, we took him along in the backpack carrier…there were a lot of questions coming from up above about the trees, birds, and other nature that he was seeing from that vantage point! It was a great opportunity to get him in touch with the great outdoors, and we learned a lot too. Any question that we didn’t know the answer to, we would research on the Internet when we returned home. We found an amazing site that would help identify a plant just based on the descriptive characteristics. We started taking home some of the leaves and flowers originally to help us look them up online, but we ended up saving them and making a scrapbook of them throughout the hiking season. It was a great way to look back on the summer months when winter hit.

This spring, we’re looking forward to expanding our outdoor experiences. We’ve already purchased a kiddie fishing pole, and we’re looking forward to test driving that… plus, our son finally has large enough hands for his own ball glove! Swing, batter, swing!

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Hiking with your friends or family is a great chance to get outdoors, breathe some fresh air, and get active. It’s easy to get started. Just look for a trail in a national park near you!

For your first day hike (hiking for a day or less without camping overnight), choose a safe, well-marked trail that doesn’t have too many steep climbs. Otherwise, you’ll get tired too early and won’t make it as far as you want to go. Each time you go hiking, try going a little farther and take a slightly steeper trail. Before you know it you’ll be hiking the Appalachian Trail — a 2,167-mile trail that goes all the way from Maine to Georgia!

First, you’ll need a good pair of shoes and thick socks designed for this type of activity. You can start with some sturdy sneakers with thick bottoms. When you begin to take on more difficult trails, try a pair of hiking boots, and make sure they fit! Make sure they fit! Also, get a backpack or fanny pack to carry all of your hiking supplies. Dress in layers and bring along a waterproof jacket with a hood in case you get caught in the rain. And don’t forget a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses because the higher you hike, the more dangerous the sun’s rays become. Want to read more on protecting yourself from the sun?

To keep hiking fun, you always need to be prepared to beat problems that could happen while you’re out, like finding the trail if you get lost or stuck in bad weather. Make sure you bring a map of the area you’ll be hiking in and a sturdy compass. Don’t know how to use a compass? Check this out to learn how. You’ll also need to bring plenty of water and extra food, like sports bars or trail mix, in case you have to stay out late and get hungry. The adults on your hike should bring a box of waterproof matches and an Army-style knife. A flashlight and extra batteries will help you find your way if you end up out after dark. Finally, you’ll need to bring a first aid kit, in case someone gets hurt during your hike.

Prep. Get in shape before you head out on your hike. Try walking around your neighborhood with your pack loaded with five pounds more gear than you’ll actually carry on your hike. If that goes well, plan a short hike to test your abilities on the trail.

Buddies. Take a friend and an adult along on your hike. That way you can look out for each other and you’ll have people to talk to! Also, be sure to let someone who’s not going know where you’ll be hiking and what time you’ll be back.

H2O. Carry lots of water even if you are only planning a short hike. For warm-weather hikes, bring six to eight quarts of water per day. In the cold weather or higher elevations, you can be safe with half that amount. Whenever you are near water, make sure you wet yourself down. Dampen a bandana and wipe your face, neck, and arms or wrap it around your head while you hike. Want to read more about keeping your cool?

Blisters and more. To prevent blisters, try spraying your feet with an anti-perspirant before heading out. Bring extra pairs of socks that you can change into if your feet get wet or sweaty — if they aren’t made of cotton, they’ll keep your feet drier. Once you’re on the trail, stop as soon as you feel a “hot spot” on your feet and apply special type of bandage called “moleskin” to the sore area. Also, try using a hiking stick to keep some pressure off of your legs and knees.

Buzz. Don’t get bugged by bugs. Protect yourself from bites and stings by using a bug repellant that includes DEET. Repellents that contain DEET are the most effective, but make sure you rub them on according to the directions. A good rule of thumb from the experts is that kids should use repellents with less than 10% DEET. Get your parents to help you put it on your face so you don’t get it in your mouth or eyes. And wash your hands after you apply it. Remember that stuff that smells good to you smells good to bugs too, so don’t use scented shampoos or lotions before hiking.

Weather watcher. When it’s hot, pick trails that are shaded and run near streams. If you need to hike uphill in the sun, first soak yourself down to stay cool. You can also try wearing a wet bandana around your head or neck. Also, try to stay out of cotton clothes. Keep yourself out of bad weather by checking forecasts before you hike and watching the skies once you’re out on the trail. During lightening storms, head downhill and away from the direction of the storm, and then squat down and keep your head low.

Keep it yummy. To stay healthy on your hike, you’ll need to know how to keep your food and water safe. Remember the four C’s: contain, clean, cook, and chill.

Fun Facts:

In the year 2000, 67 million people went hiking.

America’s National Parks have more that 12,000 miles of trails.

The Appalachian Trail starts in northern Georgia and continues through South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and ends in Maine at Mt. Katahdin, Baxter Peak, Baxter State Park.

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