Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

Tag Archives: neighborhood

Gear to Get Your Toddler Psyched on Bikes

Gear to Get Your Toddler Psyched on Bikes

Most parents would agree that biking is great for kids.  It’s great for exercise, self-esteem, and even the environment.  But despite all the benefits, a lot of parents are unsure how to get their child started in the world of biking.  And thanks to a lot of great products out there, your child might be ready to hit the road (or track…or dirt) sooner than you think.  Here’s a few gear staples that our family has relied upon throughout the different stages of learning for each of our children, along with the ideal ages for each. BIKE TRAILER (<1 to 4):  If the whole…Read the rest of this entry →

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Post-Halloween Tips from the Archives

Post-Halloween Tips from the Archives

Back in the days when I actually had time to write (ie one child, who was in preschool a couple mornings a week), I loved writing seasonally appropriate posts for every holiday, Halloween included.  Now that I’ve got a toddler running me ragged a lot less time, those sort of posts have gone on the backburner.  Back when Baby Zu was a newborn, I threw all the blogging “rules” out the window in the hopes of keeping my sanity (it helped?!?)  While writing soothes my soul, not putting pressure on myself to do it means a lot less stress – and…Read the rest of this entry →

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Nursery Rhymes for Outdoor Play

Nursery Rhymes for Outdoor Play

Not sure about your kiddo, but my 4 year old absolutely loves to sing.  He sings in his room in the morning, sings at the dinner table, and sings in the car.  In fact, he sings his loudest when he thinks no one can hear him…Many of the songs are learned from us, from Sunday School, from preschool and from the occasional TV show (the theme song from “Thomas the Train” is an annoyingly catchy favorite).   Anyway, one recent school song was the nursery rhyme about the speckled frogs.  Big C has been singing it constantly for several days…Read the rest of this entry →

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6 Ideas for Nature Hunts with Young Explorers

6 Ideas for Nature Hunts with Young Explorers

While I’ve written before on the many benefits of unstructured outdoor time for children, you might find that your green hour time needs a refreshing boost every now and then with a planned activity.  Also, the added challenge of a trail “assignment” can make for happy hikers!  But just because an activity is planned doesn’t mean it has to be elaborate or complex, especially for younger kiddos.  By nature kids are creatures of curiosity that love exploring (whether it’s out in the woods or rifling through that drawer in Mommy’s office they aren’t supposed to be into…)  And I don’t…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN