Jackie Semmens

Jackie is a coffee-lover, writer and a mom of three young children living in Helena, MT. She thought that hiking might help tame her children’s wild spirits, and co-leads a Hike it Baby branch. All that hiking only made her crew wilder, but in a good way. Before kids she enjoyed reading, knitting and baking, but now she enjoys making it to bedtime.

Fun on Windy Days with Kids

Fun on Windy Days with Kids

Having Fun on Windy Days with Kids Rain, sleet, snow, heat – with the right gear, we can deal with it all. But there’s one kind of weather that seems to trip most of us up. Wind. It stings your face, leaves your kids unsteady on their feet, and blows dust and pollen all around. … Read more

How to go Geocaching with Kids

Geocaching with Kids My favorite thing to do is go hiking with my kids. But if I’m being honest, it’s not always my kids’ favorite thing to do with me. If forced to choose between playing at a playground and trudging up a mountain, they’re not really sure why anyone would “go on a boring … Read more

Socially Distanced Outside Winter Activities

Socially distanced outside winter activities Important Note: At Tales of a Mountain Mama, we can’t tell you if it is safe to socialize outside where you live right now. The CDC and your local health department are the best sources of information for how to stay safe during this time. TMM encourages everyone to wear … Read more

Wild Math Second Grade Review

Mid-spring, I started using Wild Math (check out our original review of the program as a whole here! and a review of fourth grade Wild Math here) for my kindergartener and first grader. We weren’t homeschoolers (well, we weren’t before the pandemic) and it became clear that sitting at the table begging my sons to … Read more

Best Sustainable Gifts for Outdoor Families

Stuff, stuff, stuff. If you’re like me, holidays and birthdays can me an influx of STUFF that you now have to find a place for. Pre-kids, I liked to live lightly. And while I’ve given up on the idea of being a minimalist with three kids, the absolute last thing we need is more stuff … Read more

How Far Can Kids Hike?

how far can kids hike

If you’re new to hiking with your kids, you may be wondering the simple question: How far can kids hike? The answer, of course, depends on many factors – their age, their overall athlelticism, the elevation, the weather, which episode of Daniel Tiger they watched that morning, whether you packed the red water bottle or … Read more