Resources for Getting Outdoors

Happy New Year!

In case you're making new year's resolutions to get outside more, I thought I'd share some links that might be useful to you. This list focuses on website/blogs that offer ideas for getting in nature with your kids.

Go Explore Nature
This month features "31 Days of Backyard Fun" Debi Huang offers one activity per day to get outside with your kids. Each activity can be completed in 15 minutes or less in your back yard, neighborhood or local park. Poke around her blog while you're there- lots of great info.

Nature Rocks 
This site shares nature activities for families and provides tools to help users plan outdoor adventures. It also offers tips for staying safe in nature and has great FREE downloadable activity guides.

Children and Nature Network
An organization dedicated to creating "a world where every child can play, grow, and learn in nature." This website is a store house of amazing resources. If you're an educator looking for research to back up your efforts to get more "Vitamin N" (nature) in your students' lives, this is the place for you. Also check out the drop down tab called "C&NN Initiatives" for Natural Leaders, Natural Families, Educators, and Natural Service.

AMC's Great Kids, Great Outdoors 
An Appalachian Mountain Club blog that offers tips for getting outdoors in Northeastern USA. Most of the ideas suggested will work in other locations, though posts are seasonal.

Do you know of other great resources you can share? I'm particularly interested in hearing about regional blogs, etc. that might suit readers who live in or travel to other regions. I'll copy useful links from the comments into the post.

UPDATE 1/6/13: A reader in Michiana shared her blog, Inside Outside Michiana. It's loaded with great resources, including lists of outdoor spaces and natural resources in the area.

Related Posts
Play Outside
Help Build Children's Connections to Nature
Reading the Land

Humans Need Nature

If you're a regular reader, my title seems kind of obvious, doesn't it? Perhaps you're thinking, "We know that already. Tell us something new!"

The thing is, I firmly believe we all need to get outside, but even I need to force myself out sometimes. I mean literally talk myself into it- "Stop working. Get up out of your chair. Take a hike."

Yesterday was one of those days. I was on a roll, sitting at my computer, working hard. Many hours later, when I finally stopped for lunch, I realized my body was mad at me. I was stiff and achy and needed to move. I almost took a quick walk along the road but geared myself up for a woodland hike instead. (I procrastinated at least half an hour first, though. Why did I do that?)

Then I stepped into the woods and saw this:

I had to lie down beneath this Beech and look up at the lovely baby leaves.

The trees are just coming into their full glory. Some trees still have tiny leaves, while others are more fully leafed out. But all of them have that fresh, lime green color only seen in spring.

I love the woods and I love these trees. I'll bet you have natural places you love, too. Perhaps it's the desert as the sun rises over the dunes or the view from a mountaintop or the the rich, deep green of a rain forest. I hope you'll make time to get out and enjoy those places you love. 

On a related note, if you'd like to be a guest blogger here at Polliwog, drop me an email. michelle(at)michellecusolito(dot)com 

I hope you'll share favorite natural places or travel stories. If you're not a long-time reader, please familiarize yourself with my focus and style before contacting me. Your post will need fit with the blog's tagline: Muck about. Meet the Locals. Expand your world. I look forward to hearing from you.

What are your favorite natural places?

You might also like:
Nature Photography With Kids
Nature Observations