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Holiday Gifts for Outdoor Play: Think Outside the (X) Box
Paging through the latest toy catalog from one of my favorite department stores, I noticed not one of the kid’s holiday toys encouraged outdoor, let alone active, play! Little do they know that there are a ton of exciting gifts your… Read more >
Eco-Schools USA’s Healthy Living Pathway to Get Students Outside and Active
Schools prepare students for the future, and a lifetime of good health is one of the most important legacies we can give to our children. Unfortunately, America’s youth are up against some steep odds: Childhood obesity has tripled over the… Read more >
Green Education Funding Remains in Limbo after White House Summit on Environmental Education
Today I attended the first ever White House Summit on environmental education. There were speakers ranging from Richard Louv to NASCAR. The Presidential Environmental Youth Awardees were inspiring. And it was wonderful to hear Education Secretary Arne Duncan express… Read more >
Little Things Can Make a BIG Impression
I didn’t grow up gardening a lot, my parents never really talked to me about global warming, and I don’t regularly hike or mountain climb. Regardless, I have developed an overwhelming love and connection to the great outdoors. There are… Read more >
Five Ways to Embrace Mud This Spring
A mom shares her tips on surviving, and thriving, during the mud of spring. Read more >
Happy Birthday to Ranger Rick from One Colleague to Another
I asked my mother what she remembers about getting Ranger Rick magazine for her four daughters: “Ranger Rick had good pictures, activities, stories, all the things you liked.” She also said, “Sometimes I would save them for bad times.” Hmm…. Read more >
Morning Commute
On my way into the Seattle NWF office today, I had to stop for a few minutes and watch a herd of elk chomping on their breakfast. Momma was too busy cleaning up her little one to care about the… Read more >
Study: Kids in Green Neighborhoods Play Outside More
Sometimes it takes academia a while to catch up with things we ‘know’ at a gut level. Case in point: a recent study published in the International Journal of Health Geographics, Tweeted along by childhood researcher and “play advocate” Tim… Read more >
A Resolution Good for the Whole Family: 5 Tips for Spending More Time Outdoors
I have to start by saying that New Year’s resolutions aren’t really my thing. All too often my resolutions hit the dust bin after the first or second week of the new year because, like all goals, they require planning… Read more >
Buy Local and Get Your Kids Outdoors — A Christmas Tree Tale
I’m always on the hunt for creative ways to enjoy family time outdoors. As a busy parent, I’m also always looking for clever ways to make our family “To Do” list fun. We’d set aside last weekend to do our holiday… Read more >
