Get kids outside, and the entire family reaps the benefits. Reconnect with Nature for better health, and because it’s fun too! Explore outdoor education through hiking, biking, skiing, surfing, and other family adventures.
How many times have I heard,“I’ll wait until the kids are older to travel?” Many parents limit their choice of destination, or travel altogether, fearing that it might be too difficult. In a recent CNN Go post, Elaine Ee lists 5 family travel rules that she claims will “make everyone’s travel experience — particularly yours…
A dusting of snow – finally! – has all the skiers itching to hit the slopes. And now, with SKI NY Passport Program-Kids Ski Free program, students in third and fourth grade ski for free. Here’s how the 4th Grade Ski & Ride Passport Program works: Any 3rd or 4th Grade Student (even if they’re…
A walk through the boreal forests of the Adirondack Parks places you in the midst of an avian symphony – a grouse plays the low notes, drumming on a log, and the warblers carry the melody. But spotting individual warblers is no easy feat. On a spring walk along trails at the Adirondack Park Visitor…
This spring I wasn’t sure if we would even get warm enough to want to go for a swim, but lo! Summer has arrived in Tech Valley! Here is a list of places to take a refreshing dip, ranging from municipal pools, to state parks, to country swimming holes. I’ll be testing out some of…
When many students are on Spring Break, more than 100 national parks across the country will waive entrance fees in celebration of National Park Week on April 20-28, 2013. With free admission and special events, it’s a great time to introduce kids to New York’s historical, cultural, and natural wealth through the National Park’s Junior Ranger…
The Albany Curling Club is opening its doors to introduce kids as young as 6 to 80 to the ancient sport of curling. In Albany, curling dates back to the year 1866 where, according to records and historical pictures, a curling club played on the frozen lake at Albany’s Washington Park until it disbanded in…
Fall is a splendid time to introduce children to nature, but it can be scary to take kids on their first outing on your own. Luckily, there are several moms clubs that organize family-friendly hikes in the Capital Region. On a crisp autumn day, we joined a Homeschool Hiking Group on its inaugural hike to…
You don’t need a De Lorean to drive back to the future at Jumping Jacks in Scotia, NY. Set on the bank of the Mohawk River, this retro eatery has been around long enough to experience Happy Days first hand. And, on select nights, you can enjoy the show put on by a team that has…
It’s been years since my last road race, and I had no intention of starting up again with the Freihofer’s 32nd Run for Women 5K. I gave up running a long time ago, thinking that my knees have been good to me so far, and wanting to keep it that way. My fourteen-year-old daughter has…
Little kids love to collect rocks, even if it’s just a piece of gravel. Even older kids get a kick out of working the gemstone mining station found at Howe Caverns, High Falls Gorge,?and other rockhounding sites. Why not capitalize on that intrinsic curiosity of nature to introduce children to geology while scoring some nifty…