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The ESSENTIAL 8

Enjoying the outdoors ☀️can lift your physical and mental mood. Hiking is an excellent way to connect with nature and with your kids and disconnect from your daily to do list. Hiking can be done anytime in any location. This ESSENTIAL 8 will give you some tips for making your hiking experience fun for everyone.

1. Discover what your area has to offer. From bike trails to state and county parks most areas have a good selection of hiking locations. A quick internet search or a visit to your local library will help you find what’s available in your area.

2. Bring snacks. Make sure you pack water 💧and some snacks in a backpack 🎒 before heading out. You and your children will work up an appetite while hiking. Easy snacks include apples, pretzels, trail mix and dried fruit. Each child can have their own backpack or the parent can carry one family pack. I prefer one family pack when your children are younger because it gives kids the ability to move easily.

3. Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Hiking isn’t meant to be a clean activity. Expect to get mud and grass stains on your clothes. In addition, don’t have your children wear shoes you don’t want taking a beating. If you plan on hiking a fair amount, investing in a good pair of hiking boots for everyone may be an option you might want to consider.

4. Treasure hunt along the way. You can choose to make treasure hunting more or less organized. It can be as simple as telling your children let’s find neat stuff as we hike, or more structured with a list you give the kids ahead of time of things to find. Using a more structured treasure hunt can be a way to engage children that are reluctant hikers or that are young and get distracted easily. Don’t physically take anything from the park or trail. We want to teach our children to respect nature and leave it undisturbed for others to enjoy as well.

5. Guidebooks. If you are hiking at a state or county park, check in with park personnel. Many places will have guidebooks and/or maps you can utilize that will tell you about the parks history as well as plant and animal life at the park.

6. Bring notebooks 📓 and/or drawing paper and pencils. ✏️ When you go hiking don’t rush through the activity. Besides your water and snacks, pack paper and pencils in your backpack 🎒. Choose a spot along the way to stop and rest. While you’re resting, have everyone take some time to write or draw about what they see, hear, feel on the hike. If your child doesn’t write yet, have him/her draw a picture and tell you about it. Older children and teenagers may want to use this time to journal in general. Sitting outdoors can bring new inspiration to journaling.

7. Bring your dog 🐶. Our four legged family members can benefit from hiking as well. Hiking is excellent exercise for your dog. Bringing your dog along can help teach your child responsibility by putting them in charge of your pet’s leash and picking up any poo 💩 that happens (another item for you backpack if bringing your pet is dog waste bags). Be aware of the terrain when hiking with your dog ensuring it is not dangerous for your pet. Also be aware of fleas and ticks and protect your pet accordingly with pills or collars.

8. Don’t let the weather stop you. It’s easy to look 👀 outside and think the weather isn’t ideal so we better not go hiking. Don’t let clouds or cold weather deter you. If it’s cloudy but the chance of rain is slim, head out anyway. Just in case, throw rain ☔️ponchos in your backpack. And remember if it does start raining that hiking isn’t meant to be a clean activity … plus the kids will love the mud. Consider cold weather the same way. As long as it’s not too frigid or icy, bundle up with the appropriate outerwear and hit the trails. Use your judgment of where to hike when the weather is less than ideal, choosing flatter, less physically demanding hikes.

Getting out and exploring nature can be fun, educational, and a stress reliever. Hiking is a nice change of pace from structured activities. Take time to breath in nature … take a hike with yourkids.

THE ESSENTIAL 8

Reading can be pleasurable as well as educational. Reading can transport us to places beyond our imaginations and teach us about the past. But, inspiring our kids to love reading in our fast paced app filled world can be difficult. In addition, the demands of “must do” reading associated with academics can turn kids off from reading for any other reason.

It’s never too late to teach your kids the treasures of reading. The following ESSENTIAL 8 will give you ideas of how to get your kids’ noses into a book.

1. Frequent your local library. Take time to make visits to your area library. Don’t just rush in and out. Relax and enjoy books and magazines at the library itself before you and your kids make your checkout selections. Browse and look for programs the library might offer to different age groups. Quite often public libraries offer reading groups for various ages. For younger kids, weekly story times are available, and may even include a craft related to the book that is being read.

2. Several bookstores and public libraries offer summer reading programs for school aged children. Most programs begin the first couple of weeks school is out for the summer. Frequently prizes are offered to keep kids interested. Check in your local area and see what these places have to offer.

3. If your children are still young and transitioning out of nap time, it’s the perfect time to introduce quiet reading time. Using a basket or plastic bin choose books for your child to enjoy for an hour of reading time. Choose a variety of books to occupy your child. Puzzles books, texture books, pop up books, and vibrantly illustrated books are entertaining at this age. Other ideas include coloring books and audio books. Your child doesn’t have to be an independent reader to enjoy these options. Exploring the pictures, textures, and creativity in books can hook the younger child.

4. Quiet reading time can be used in the summer time and during school breaks once your child enters school age. You can structure the time however it works for your family and schedule. You may decide to do it every day at the same time or vary the time each day. Perhaps only three days a week works well for your family instead of daily.

[Reading with and to your kids is a great way to enjoy time together but make sure quiet reading time is about them exploring books on their own.]

5. Get grandparents and other relatives on the same page (pun intended). Encourage them to purchase books for birthday and Christmas presents for your children.

6. Let kids read anything and everything as long as it’s age appropriate. Storybooks and novels can be fun and engaging, but there are so many types of books to be read. Some kids don’t find fiction interesting. Other options include graphic novels either fiction or nonfiction, biographies, social studies and science based books, travel guides, almanacs, atlases, comics, magazines. Learn what sparks your child’s interest and start there, especially if your child is a reluctant reader.

7. Lead by example. Let your kids see you reading. Once again, vary what you read to show your kids that there is a vast array of reading material to be explored. If your children see you reading, they will learn that you value the activity.

8. Hand in hand with leading by example is shared reading, choosing books to read together. This activity can range from reading aloud together to reading the same material separately and discussing what you’ve read. Trade off who chooses the book and genre. If you have more than one child have both parents participate in shared reading if possible. Even with more than one child, you can take turns with each one.

Reading is a wonderful way to explore, learn and be inspired. It can help us connect and learn empathy, compassion, acceptance. My hope is the ESSENTIAL 8 Let’s Read will help to expand your child’s world.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

–Maya Angelou

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton