Finding outdoor activities for the kids is more crucial than its ever been. Parents are struggling. At least, I know I am. School is closed, both boys are home, as are me and my husband. We are still allowed to go out, but our goal is not to drive anywhere, and to stay on our…
Why I want to be bike ready, not bikini ready.
As I slogged up the hills on my first mountain bike ride of the season, sweating, panting, and seriously in doubt about whether I would make it home again, I reflected on how out of shape I was. Spring had most definitely sprung in Boise, and it was already in the 50’s at 9 in…
water table clean-up and fun in one!
If like us, spring has caught you unaware, you may be looking around your yard, wishing you had stored the outdoors toys better. Never fear, I have an easy clean-up hack that will keep your kids busy and entertained, and allow you to bring out the toys to play with today. We had a fun,…
Snap It Outdoor: Patience
I’m pretty tired, after a long trip back from Scotland. When it comes to traveling with kids and making sure they get enough outdoor time while doing it, I’ll write on that later. For now, I’m going to cheat and just copy an Instagram post I put up today. If you follow me there, no…
Spring Forward: 5 Tips to Help Kids with Daylight Savings Time
One of the very first blog posts I wrote when I set up Outdoors Mama was about Daylight Savings Time ending; it’s got lots of great hints if you want to check it out here. When we fall into the depths of winter, the time change can be rough, but we’re in a new season,…
International Polar Bear Day is here!
Did you know it’s International Polar Bear Day today? If you’re like me, you often find out about these special days when it’s too late to prepare! Last year I wrote a blog post about it, which you can find here, with lots of ideas for crafts you can make last minute, plus a Thermostat…
Snap It Outdoors: Failure
Red is a perfectionist. He is cleverer than clever, and that means his brain is a bit of a runaway train. The reality rarely matches the amazing visual he’d created in his head, and that can lead to anger and frustration when projects don’t pan out as he had planned them. On the chairlift this…
Make an easy DIY bird feeder with your kids
With a sudden cold snap, we woke to snow on the ground. It’s been a warmer winter than we’ve been used o the last few years, and the boys were excited at the extra dusting on the ground. It didn’t take long to notice what was missing, though. The sound of the birds in our…
Why we love the Boise foothills – and why we’re not going there right now.
I just finished an article for the Boise Valley Economic Partnership about our foothills and the advantages of living and working in a city with such great trails so accessible to all. If you want to see my enthusiasm for our local trails (which the boys and I can walk to from our house), check…
Do you have a family outdoor resolution this year?
Now that I’m an adult, I can also connect it to my understanding that hard things are worth doing. You don’t get that view without slogging it to the top, and you don’t get that deep connection with the world and people around you without spending the time immersed in that experience. Which means sharing the stunning and the mundane, the scary and the exhilarating.