Heading up the hill in anticipation for the Freestyle Aerial World Cup in Deer Valley, UT

(Photo courtesy of Kidproject.org)

Send in your pics to have your Adventure Tyke featured in the Adventure Tykes Photo of the Week. Email your pics to melissa(at)adventuretykes.com

I’m on a bit of a hiatus until the opening of our gallery, March 4th. I’ll be posting sporadically as time permits.

Until then here are a handful of some of my favorite posts from the past:

Safety Precautions: http://wp.me/pNfdk-5z

My Adventurous Ways Have Changed: http://wp.me/pNfdk-AC

What Age Can I Take My Tyke Hiking: http://wp.me/pNfdk-z6

Successful Camping: http://wp.me/pNfdk-h1

I Wonder…: http://wp.me/pNfdk-V0

I talk a lot about getting outside, playing outdoors and getting out in nature, but it isn’t always that easy. For some, stepping out the door isn’t necessarily stepping into nature. Especially, if you are an urban dweller. If you live in the city surrounded by big buildings, asphalt and concrete nature may be more than a few steps away.

Here are some ways to get in touch with nature no matter where you live:

Find a state park

J-Man in Grand Teton NP at 3 months old

Cruise around a nearby lake or pond

Locate a wildlife refuge

Find a botanical gardens

Visit a wetland or nature preserve

Find a local bike/walking path

Seek out a creek or river

Head to the local beach

Visit the city park

Find a nearby hiking trail

You’re bound to find something on this list that is close to home. Good luck and get outside!

What’s your favorite local spot to visit to get in touch with nature?

A good coat is an essential winter item for your tyke. This outer layer is what keeps your tyke protected from the elements. You want your tyke to stay dry, warm and allow their skin and clothes to breath.

J-Man has had the opportunity to wear The North Face Toddler Insulated 30X coat in black thanks to Appalachian Outdoors.

Waiting with excitement for the Christmas Parade

This coat has so many great features and keeps J-Man comfortable in the cold.

1.  It has a topographic design on the front that makes it stylin and fun. It’s made with a durable waterproof and breathable polyester shell and lined with red nylon. The seams are fully sealed so no rain, snow, sleet is getting in.

2. It has a fixed hood, so J-Man always has something to protect his head and it has come in handy on cold windy days when I think he needs added protection with a winter hat.

3. There are velcro cuffs on the sleeves to help keep in warmth and glove clips so you’re never scrounging around for missing gloves. (We have yet to use the glove clips since we haven’t had the opportunity to wear them.)

4. The zipper is easy to use and has a velcro flap that covers it which provides extra protection and warmth.

5. You can utilize the system map on the interior of the coat that outlines the coat features and there is an ID label inside.

6. My favorite feature of the coat is the EZ Grow cuffs at the sleeves. You can let out a specific seam in the cuffs and the sleeves ‘grow’ 2 more inches. Aren’t the sleeves one of the first things tykes grow out of? This allows your tyke to wear the coat much longer. Appears to be a great idea. We have not let out the seams, yet, so I’m not sure how simple it is or the look once it’s done. I will let ya know when J-Mans arms get too long.

Dinner picnic at Balanced Rock in Arches National Park

What don’t I like about the coat? So far only one thing…it doesn’t have a loop on the inside to hang it on a hook. It’s a small detail that would be very convenient and make life a bit easier with J-Man’s coat rack.

This coat comes in two colors: Black and Deep Water Blue.

It can be purchased at Altrec, Gander Mountain and Zappos.

What favorite coat does your tyke wear in the winter?

Thanks to Appalachian Outdoors for providing the gift card to purchase this coat.

On Tuesday I provided ideas for healthy trail snacks for your tykes and yourselves. One of the snacks I mentioned was trail mix or GORP (good old raisins and peanuts). What I love about this snack is that it’s super simple to make and it can be custom made to you and your tykes likings.

Here is what we put in our GORP. I call it GORP even though it has much more than peanuts and raisins. I just like the name.

Granola cereal

Dried cranberries or cherries

Yogurt covered raisins

Cashews ( I don’t like peanuts)

Reese’s Pieces

Sometimes I will add chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, dried apricots or almonds.

Store it in a plastic bag or container and you are good to go. It lasts for a long time so you can make a bunch and then portion it out.

Get creative and mix it up!

Do you make your own trail mix or GORP? What kind of yummy goodies do you put in it? Do you have a fancy name for it?

Photo courtesy of Adventure Trio

We met the Adventure Trio this past summer during a break at a rest stop along the Oregon coast. This Adventure Tyke is 9 and has been riding since he was 5. They have inspired us and shown us that it will be possible to travel with J-man on 2 wheels when he gets older. We can’t wait! Thanks Adventure Trio!!

Send  in your pics to have your Adventure Tyke featured in the Adventure Tykes Photo of the Week. Email your pics to melissa(at)adventuretykes.com

When hiking with your tykes it is important to keep them fueled with healthy snacks that will sustain their energy levels for the duration of the hike. You don’t want your snacks to be heavy and bulky or require you to pack out a lot of trash.

I have put together a list of easy trail snacks with minimal waste for your tykes and yourselves.

Cuties (clementines)

String Cheese

Granola Bars (we’ve been making our own)

Apples already sliced with Justin’s or Artisana butters

Pepperoni and cheese

Trail Mix or Gorp (we make our own)

Pb & J

Boiled eggs

Bananas

Raspberries, Blackberries or Blueberries

Dried Fruit/Fruit Leather

Hydration is very important so always bring enough water.

I know we are missing other great snacks we haven’t thought of yet and we are always looking for more.

What am I missing? What snacks do you take on the trail?

Affiliate links are provided in the review to help us continue to bring out the adventurers in all of us and most importantly our tykes.  

What keeps you from adventuring with your tyke, venturing out on your first backpacking trip together, camping for the first time together or even taking those first steps on a trail with your tyke?

We all have trepidations about stepping outside of our comfort zone, trying something for the first time or trying something that we are totally unfamiliar with. I’m much more cautious and analyze things more since having J-man but we still go on adventures.

I’m here to say, JUST DO IT! And after you do, you will be asking yourself, why did it take me so long? Why didn’t we do this before?

You will have fun. You will have created a lasting memory with your tyke. You will have done your bodies good by getting outside. You will have set the foundation to do it over and over and over again.

So what are you waiting for?

DO IT!

J-Man 3 months old, Yellowstone National Park

Here are a few posts from our adventures with J-Man…

J-Man’s first 14,000ft summit

Glacier National Park Adventure

Oregon Adventure

Death Valley

What adventure are you hesitant to take with your tyke? Was there one you were hesitant about and did it anyways? What was the outcome?

Keeping your tykes head and feet warm are just as important as the rest of their body. Having appropriate hats and socks that wick away moisture, are breathable and provide comfort will help your tyke stay warm and comfortable outdoors.

J-Man has been wearing hats since he came home from the hospital. Being a premie and all, I wanted to make sure he never got cold, so wearing a hat is no big deal to him. Other tykes, though, may fight wearing a hat.

Here are two hats from Smartwool that J-man had the opportunity to wear.

Let me just say that J-man has a slightly large head so not all hats fit him. Thank goodness the Smartwool hats come in different sizes.

The first hat J-Man wore hiking was the Wintersport Stripe Hat in size S/M and it fit perfectly. Sometimes with hats J-Man has a tendency to push them up off his forehead or away from his ears but with this one it stayed in place and he never touched it.

 

It’s made of soft merino wool and kept J-Man’s head toasty warm.

It has a tassel on the top that I thought would bother J-man and bounce around as he ran, skipped and hopped but he didn’t even notice it.

This hat comes in 3 different colors and 2 different sizes and is knitted in Canada. It is sized for a toddler with a larger head like J-Man, haha or kids.

It can be purchased at Smartwool,  Amazon or Backcountry.com.

The second hat J-man had the chance to wear was the Stripe Hat/Mitt Set. This hat and mitt set is sized for infants but we gave it a try and I was surprised by how stretchy it was. There was no problem fitting J-Man’s head but the mitt’s were much too tiny.

This hat is a double layer of merino wool for maximum warmth and can be worn regular style

rolled up

or…completely keeping your tykes head and face warm.

I wasn’t kidding when I said it stretched. It’s made of 95% merino wool, 4% nylon, and 1% elastane.

The hat comes in 3 colors and 3 different sizes.

This hat can be purchased at Smartwool, Amazon or Backcountry.com.

As I mentioned before, socks are an important element to keeping your tyke warm. You want their feet to stay dry, warm and blister free. What better material than merino wool to do the job?

J-Man also had the opportunity to try out a couple pairs of Smartwool socks, the Sock Sampler in blue, and for a kid who hates socks he didn’t complain.

He’s worn the socks to school, during his bike rides and while hiking. They are a bit thicker than normal socks and perfect for winter activities.

They are made of soft merino wool and seem to have a comfortable stretch to them. Since J-Man hasn’t complained about them, I take it they are comfy.

They come in 4 sizes and 4 different colors.

They can be purchased at Smartwool, Amazon or Backcountry.com.

Do you have a favorite hat or pair of socks your tyke wears outdoors?

Smartwool was kind enough to sponsor this review by providing J-Man with the hats and socks. All the opinions expressed are my own. Affiliate links are provided in the review to help us continue to bring out the adventurers in all of us and most importantly our tykes.  

(I pulled this one from the archives because I truly believe nature is one of the most important learning tools for tykes and I want to continually re-emphasize it.)

Nature is a great learning tool and it is much better than sitting in a stuffy classroom or in a boring living room.

Help your tyke explore their 5 senses in nature with these fun activities. Go for a hike, a neighborhood walk or explore in your own backyard.

See: Give your tyke a few items to find.  It can be an ant, a bird, a leaf, a rock or whatever is in the area. Make them search a bit to find them. You can also ask them what they see around them or pick a color and ask them to find 5 things of the same color.

seeing the ducks in the lake

Smell: Have your tyke smell a flower, a bush, leaves, dirt or the air. Ask them what it smells like? Do they like the smell?

smelling the flowers

Feel: Give your tyke different textures to feel. Maybe a pine needle, a rock, the grass, dirt, a branch or snow. Help them compare the different textures between each object. For older tykes blind fold them and have them guess what objects they are touching.

feeling the sand for the first time

Taste: Bring along a snack that came from the earth, such as, fruits or vegetables. Explain to them how their snack grows and if it came from the ground, a vine or a tree.

eating dried mango

Hear: Have your tyke sit quietly (that might be asking a lot) and ask them what they hear.  Birds chirping? Wind blowing? Cars passing by? Kids playing? Silence?

hearing the water rush over the rocks

“As children observe, reflect, record, and share nature’s patterns and rhythms, they are participating in a process that promotes scientific and ecological awareness, problem solving, and creativity.”
Deb Matthews Hensley, early childhood consultant

How do you use nature as a learning tool with your tyke? 

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