Bird watching in the Rocky Mountains can be difficult when you first try to do it or if you simply don’t know what you are doing. Luckily, with a bit of practice and following these tips you can quickly learn to hear and see birds all around you, including some of the common birds of the Rocky Mountains. Continue reading
tips for parents
Being Safe with Kids in Bear Country
Black bears, Grizzly bears and many other large mammals live in the Rocky Mountains. Anytime that you are spending time in these amazing mountains it is important that you know how to be safe and to keep your children safe. Here are some tips on how to be safe in bear country. Continue reading
Mountain Lion Safety with Kids
Mountain Lions, Pumas, or Cougars are all the same animal. They can be found throughout the Rocky Mountains along with many other common mammals. It is important that all people, especially parents and children, know how to be safe when they are outdoors in Mountain Lion territory. Continue reading
What To Bring on a Hike With Kids
When you go on a hike with kids it is always important that you bring along the right stuff. If you fail to bring along the right things or forget something then a day in the mountains could turn from a fun filled afternoon to a dreary, short outing and a quick return to the car. Continue reading
Parents Need Good Attitude When Hiking with Kids
When parents take their kids out hiking it can be a lot of fun or it can be challenging. Oftentimes the difference between a great day in the Rocky Mountains and an unpleasant one simply rests with the parent’s attitude. Continue reading
A Parent’s Bag of Tricks – For Hiking With Kids
Over the years my owners have created a ‘bag of tricks’ that they take with them whenever they go hiking with their kids in the Rocky Moutains. I don’t know why they say they have a bag of tricks because in all the time we have spent outdoors I have never seen them open up an actual bag and pull out any tricks.
Sometimes when the kids are gone I hear them talking to each other about their ‘bag of tricks’. My best understanding is that their ‘bag of tricks’ is a number of things that they have to keep the kids entertained or moving on the trail. They seem to pull them out when the kids are getting bored on the trail and don’t want to keep hiking or when the kids begin to get grouchy. Continue reading
You Don’t Need To Be An Expert
One thing that I have learned in my wanderings with my owners is that parents don’t need to be experts in order to share the natural world with their children. Of course, it helps if those parents know a little bit, but that honestly does not matter. Continue reading
Parents Need to have a Sense of Wonder
In all of the time I have spent in the Rocky Mountains running around with my owners I have noticed one thing that all parents could do to make their kids really enjoy the outdoors. It is not being an expert in plants or mammals. It does not involve wearing the latest high tech shoes and jackets. It does not mean being in super shape so that you can run twenty miles. Continue reading
Get Your Kids Outside!
This blog of mine is all about helping children and parents have fun in the Rocky Mountains. I have been explaining all kinds of interesting things about the natural world in the Rocky Mountains because I think it is important for people and especially children to have a better appreciation and wonder of the world around them.
Remember though that all this information you can read about should not serve as a replacement for actually spending time outdoors. Parents can read or talk to your children about mammals, about the difference between a bird nest and bird roost, or common fish of the Rockies. But, nothing, yes absolutely nothing, can replace spending time outdoors exploring with your child. Continue reading
Hiking With Kids – Have Fun and Smell the Flowers
I love hiking, especially in the Rocky Mountains. Prior to my owners having kids and being parents I loved to spend the day wandering in the mountains, pushing my body to its limit to see how far I could go and what I could see. A ten-mile round trip hike was a nice way to spend the day.
As I have learned, hiking with kids is not the same as hiking with just adults. With adults, a hike tends to be focused on getting to a distant goal, such as a mountain peak or lake. In contrast, with kids it is all about the journey and not the destination.
Change Your Mindset – Go Slow and Enjoy the Journey Continue reading