Entries filed under 'kids'

Need Ideas for Getting Kids Outside? The Kids' Outdoor Adventure Book Offers 448 of Them

What would it take to convince your kids that the outdoors is at least as cool as the TV, the family game console or mom and dad’s tablet? A new book, "The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow Up," serves up lots of fun ideas for parents' consideration. ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on May 8, 2013 9:45 AM & Tagged family adventures, kids and outdoor recreation | permalink | Comments



Savvy Mom Dishes Advice in 'The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids'

Taking the kids camping? Need some tips for optimizing the fun factor? A new addition to the REI bookshelf might help: The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids by Helen Olsson. Olsson, a mother of 3 based in Boulder, Colo., and former executive editor at Skiing magazine, is a widely published freelance writer whose 2009's New York Times article on llama-trekking with her kids served as the inspiration for this book. Olsson serves up 10 chapters divided into 4 sections: • Getting Started ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on July 16, 2012 4:31 PM & Tagged Helen Olsson, book, camping, camping with kids and kids | permalink | Comments



Volleyball Coach Jim McLaughlin and Family Rediscover Camping in Their Own Backyard

The Great American Backyard Campout, coming up on June 23, was created for people like Jim McLaughlin. McLaughlin, one of America's elite volleyball coaches who will begin his 12th season at the University of Washington in August, once conceded to me that he had not been camping for years. Make that decades. Since McLaughlin last went camping, he has won 2 national collegiate championships (with the USC men's team in 1990; with the Washington women in 2005), gotten married and become the father ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on June 15, 2012 12:27 PM & Tagged Jim McLaughlin, Margaret McLaughlin, Washington, camping, great american backyard campout, kids and volleyball | permalink | Comments



Elite at Age 11; How Can Parents Help Kids Discover Their Personal Outdoor Passion?

Do you have an outdoor prodigy in your family? A recent New York Times article showcases the impressive bouldering skills of 11-year-old Ashima Shiraishi, the daughter of Japanese transplants who settled in New York City. Ashima, who weighs 63 pounds, has already tackled complex bouldering challenges that, the article reports, "have already placed her among the elite in the sport." Maybe you have an accomplished young outdoor athlete—climber, cyclist, paddler, runner, snowboarder or skier—in ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on May 16, 2012 4:03 PM & Tagged Bouldering, Climbing, Outdoors, REI Expert Advice and kids | permalink | Comments



Do Your Kids Think National Parks Are Cool?

Would a visit to a national park get your kids fired up? An article this week in USA Today says public land managers are trying to figure out ways to make parks and wilderness areas more attractive to younger visitors. But is the appeal of digital media continuing to cause young people to tune out of outdoor-based adventures? It's a long-running discussion, one popularized by author Richard Louv and his best-seller Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. One ...

Posted by T.D. Wood on April 6, 2012 5:48 PM & Tagged kids and national parks | permalink | Comments