Backpacking in Hot Days and Cool Nights

Kids cooling off in the lake while backpacking

Long summer days spent jumping into alpine lakes can still have toes feeling chilly in the tent at night. Wardrobe changes of puffy jackets, shorts, long sleeves or short sleeves, mountain days can have it all. Setting up camp, food storage and when to hike are all extra factors to sort out during the full … Read more

Keeping Dry in the Backcountry with Kids

Two children wearing ponchos while walking in the woods.

It is totally miserable to have wet feet, but we can’t always stay inside on rainy days. For one thing, you might never go outside during some seasons, depending on where you live. For another, you could be on an extended trip and get hit with bad weather. Sometimes we have to go with it. … Read more

Backpacking with Kids in Western North Carolina

Backpacking with kids in Western North Carolina is a dream! The region has vast tracts of national forest land to explore with Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest, plus it shares Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Eastern Tennessee. A long section of the world-famous Appalachian Trail also runs through the state, over 300 … Read more

Amp Up Your Family Beach Adventures

A family playing in the surf on a beach with crystal blue waters

While growing up, I lived inland in places like Wyoming and Colorado. I imagined a visit to the beach to be all sandcastles, seashells, and splashing in the waves. While it can be all those things, it wasn’t until much later when I moved to a coastal city that I realized it could be so … Read more

Gardening with Kids

Blonde girl and boy holding carrots outside

Gardening with kids can be done at any age, in any size yard (or apartment!), and requires very little equipment to start. The benefits of gardening with kids are nearly endless. They learn patience, biology, where food comes from, how to try new things, and studies have shown that gardening can even improve health! As … Read more

Caves with Kids

Girl in pink jacket and boy in blue jacket with headlamps in a cave

Caves are a unique and exciting part of nature to explore with kids. There are estimated to be more than 45,000 caves in the US with The National Park Service managing over 4,700! While no exact count exists, there are likely millions of caves worldwide. These caves are home to diverse and often fragile ecosystems … Read more