There is another aspect to this issue…I want my girls to feel like it’s OK to get dirty so they’ll know it’s OK to have fun. I want them to know that being a girl doesn’t preclude you from jumping in the puddles, rolling in the sand, or making mud pies. It’s all right if your hair gets messy, your clothes get filthy, and you get dirt under your fingernails. I don’t want them to ever be afraid to do what they want to do based on appearances, and that includes the many different varieties of digging in the dirt, so to speak. If I don’t let them do it now, they will hesitate later. So, I let them get dirty. That’s what washing machines and bathtubs are for. I believe that there is more pressure in our society for little girls to be kept “clean” than there is for little boys. Just listen to the compliments your girls get when they are out somewhere and a friendly stranger admires them. How many of those compliments are a reflection of their appearance, clothes, hair, etc. And then notice (if you dare) the difference if you take your girls out to a restaurant after a day of hiking with (insert shocked reaction here) no bath first. It’s no wonder girls start to base their worth on appearances at an early age. They need to get grungy and feel how it feels to leave all cares about appearances behind and just enjoy themselves. And if, in the meantime, it keeps them from getting sick, then hallelujah. Is there any easier way to boost your girls’ immune systems and their self esteem all at once?

Navajo National Monument, Arizona

The one effort the NPS makes to counteract this fee structure is a series of free days each year, where folks can enter any National Park or Monument at no charge. This year’s free days begin this holiday weekend. Take advantage of the online resources from www.nps.gov, where families can download learning tools such as scavenger hunts, investigate migratory species in the park, watch informational videos on natural wonders, listen to natural sounds, investigate the Junior Ranger program, and even plan a park visit with the assistance of a virtual ranger.

Find a list of free days for 2011 here: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm and enjoy!

I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, and a community of other bloggers with similar goals, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can.

I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, or constructive criticism and debate.

Here’s to the New Year!

The first step for families is to educate themselves on ways to avoid unnecessary Cesarean surgery. Understand the risks of major abdominal surgery and access resources that explain how multiple interventions increase the risk of Cesarean birth. A wonderful resource is ICAN’s “Things You Can Do to Avoid an Unnecessary Cesarean” available at http://www.ican-online.org/pregnancy/things-you-can-do-avoid-unnecessary-cesarean. ICAN also has a webinar available titled “Cesarean Prevention” at http://ican-online.org/webinars.

A family’s education should also include an understanding of the processes and procedures involved so that the family understands what to expect if they are facing a surgical birth. Families who write a birth plan need to include a page of preferences for a Cesarean birth and postpartum. Make sure that all caretakers receive a copy of the Cesarean birth plan and postpartum plan.

Education should also include an understanding of methods a family can use to make a Cesarean more family centered. There are some good sources out there already that can help with this. In my personal experience, here are the things that help the most:

1. Consistent support for mom throughout the birth process. This means someone by mom’s side in the OR at all times. If there is only one support person, most moms will encourage that person to leave with the baby after the baby is born and taken out of the OR to the nursery or recovery. But the baby is born in the first 10 minutes of surgery, and there is a good 30-45 minutes of stitching afterward, during which the mother’s uterus is removed from the abdominal cavity for stitching and then returned. No matter how good the anesthesiologist is, this feels strange and can be scary, especially if no one is talking the mom through it. It is an extremely vulnerable time. If the anesthesiologist will not allow more than one support person in the OR, then suggest another family member or support person take partner’s place at the mother’s bedside if he or she chooses to exit with the baby before surgery is over. Most hospitals will allow this even if they prefer to limit mom’s support people to one in the OR at a time. A support person should make sure the mother is comfortable. Encourage her to leave at least one arm free during surgery. Ask if she is breathing comfortably; since epidural and spinal anesthesia work by gravity, a mother lying flat may get the sensation of numbness up to her neck, causing a fear of not breathing. This is easily remedied with a pillow under the head. Warm blankets can help with the cold environment of the OR.

2. A record of the birth. This can be done in a variety of ways. Some doctors allow video taping, and even those who do not wish to have the surgery taped will often allow taping to begin as the baby exits the womb. Still photos are typically allowed in the OR. A mirror held at the correct angle allows mom to see the birth of the baby. All of these can help mom embrace the birth experience and fully understand her importance, which can sometimes be difficult when a baby is born surgically. One of the most difficult aspects of a Cesarean birth for many mothers is the aftershock of feeling as though they did not birth their own baby, which can lead to difficulty bonding and postpartum mood disorders. A chronological record of the birth helps parents reminisce about their baby’s birth, especially if the surgery was emergent or hurried.

3. Keeping the focus on the birth. Let’s face it, Cesareans are routine for RN’s, OB’s and CNM’s in the hospital setting. Staff can sometimes lose sight of the importance of each individual birth. You can help by encouraging your birth team to direct the focus onto the birth experience. Parents can request that conversation in the OR be limited to the birth, and can help steer discussion back to them and their baby if it veers off course during the surgery by asking questions, etc. No one wants to listen to a story about their scrub tech’s crazy Friday night during the birth of their baby. This is the family’s moment. The environment in the OR can also be enhanced by the use of calming music (most anesthesiologists have a radio in the OR) and aromatherapy (even if you can’t bring in bottles of essential oils, the mother’s favorite on a napkin or cotton ball can be sniffed throughout the surgery).

4. Maximizing contact between the parents and the baby. Request the baby remain with you as long as possible in the OR so that you can touch and hold your baby and begin bonding. Some hospitals now bring the baby into recovery rather than to the newborn nursery so that parents can be with the baby during the mother’s recovery process.  Some other ways to encourage bonding and promote breastfeeding include leaving the baby’s first bath until later when the family is in their postpartum room, or delaying the administration of eye ointment, Vitamin K or any immunizations the family has requested until after mother and baby meet. This allows bonding and breastfeeding time in recovery. Baby and mother can be “skin to skin” during recovery. This helps both of them recover more quickly, creates a more fulfilling experience, and supports breastfeeding success.

5. Have support in the postpartum period. Cesarean birth is major abdominal surgery. Make sure you understand the recovery process and access resources early on. Take it easy and spend waking time bonding as a family. Rest when your baby sleeps. Accept help from family and friends in the way of prepared meals, assistance with chores, etc. and limit visitors in your early days at home to those who are willing to pitch in and lend a helping hand.

Preparing for the possibility of a surgical birth is not “negative” thinking, nor is it a self fulfilling prophecy. It is simply addressing the reality of birthing in the United States today. There are many ways to decrease the risk of a Cesarean birth, including choosing your birthing location wisely. If you do need a surgical birth, however, know that a Cesarean birth can be a beautiful birth, and understanding how to navigate the waters of Cesarean will take you a long way to achieving the birth experience you desire.

Yesterday I was at a bowling alley with my children, husband, and his mother. In the lane beside us was a group of parents and children. The children were a bit unruly to say the least. At first this involved running into other people’s lanes and being generally rowdy. Then it crossed into kids climbing up on the backs of the couches that sat back to back between lanes, which progressed to accidentally kicking other bowlers in the head (yes, that means me). Then the kids found out there was a “hidy hole” between the couches and tossed our coats onto the floor to access it so they could crawl in and out and across the tops of the couches.

At no point did the parents of these children intervene in said activities. In fact it was one of the parents who said to the children, all full of glee, “You found a hidy hole!” As I sat and watched this all unfold, I started to get upset with how these kids were acting, despite the perceived amount of fun they were having. I started to wonder, “Am I a wet blanket? Is it me? Do I make too much of my kids’ behavior? Am I robbing them of good fun?” I certainly don’t want to be the stick in the mud parent who never lets her kids do anything. But I also have a desire for my children to behave reasonably in public. I want them to have basic manners and respect for other people. I want them to have respect for themselves and take pride in “right” behavior.

Obviously this incident and others like it have generated a great deal of thought for me about discipline and fun and the balance between the two. I do believe that kids need boundaries. This is vital to their success not only as adults, but really as children. Without boundaries, they may appear to have a good time, but they won’t feel completely safe. It is a parent’s job to set safe limits that allow her children to explore without getting hurt or hurting others. As a baby this is as simple as childproofing. As an older child, it can be more complicated, because at some point our children will get “hurt” doing safe activities, such as losing a t-ball game or having an argument with a best friend. Setting limits is not the same as controlling a child. Child expert Dr. Sears says it this way, “Instead of directly controlling children, wise authority figures control the situation in order to make it easier for children to learn to control themselves. Children respond with genuine trust and respect rather than fear and rebellion” (http://www.askdrsears.com/html/6/t060300.asp). As a parent, we are a guide, a facilitator, not a dictator, if we want success. But the bottom line is, we pay attention and help our kids understand boundaries.

We walk the line between sheltering and empowering every day. But not setting limits creates chaos for the child. Without boundaries, the child can’t internalize right from wrong; they can’t develop their own moral compass, and they can’t feel good for doing the right thing. T. Berry Brazelton, the author of “Touchpoints”, says it much better than I:

“When discipline is seen as teaching and is conveyed with a great deal of empathy and nurturing care, children feel good when they comply. It is a warm, nourishing feeling to know that you are the gleam in someone’s eye. Internalized standards have a number of levels. They begin with feeling nurtured and cared for by others. They then evolve into both feeling nurtured and cared for by others and feeling respected. Respect leads to the development of inner goals and eventually inner values. Meeting these inner goals and values can lead a child to feel nurtured and good inside, even in the absence of authority figures. When such a system is in place and children or teenagers are guided by inner values and goals, they can be in a variety of situations and make wise judgments about the appropriateness of their behavior. They will be abiding not just by their parents, their teachers, or society in general, but by their own inner sense of values and goals” (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3747946).

So how do I make the jump from the bowling alley to this amazing sentiment? When I think back to the kids at that bowling alley, what stands out the most is that their parents, aside from the one “hidy hole” comment, basically ignored them. By allowing the kids to engage in out of control behavior, their parents were essentially robbing their children of the opportunity to be rewarded for acting respectfully and engaging in the activity the came for, bowling. There wasn’t really any feedback, positive or corrective, going on, and as such those kids didn’t get a chance to be the “gleam in someone’s eye”. There was no facilitation of the experience, no trust building, no sharing.

So, although I may have to remind myself of all this every once in a while when I feel like the overbearing parent, my kids are the gleam in my eye and I give them the chance to be part of a warm, loving, safe family every day that I show them how proud I am of not only their behavior, but how their behavior illustrates who they are becoming inside. I know I can count on them to act respectfully and do the right thing, and they know I expect it of them. As a parent I can only hope that the guidance I offer now helps them develop their own strong sense of right and wrong that follows them into young adulthood. In the meantime, I continue to work on being the best facilitator I can be for my kids…offering them enough freedom to grow while at the same time providing enough structure so they feel safe venturing out a little further each time they go into the world. In a parallel example to my bowling experience, Dr. Sears writes:

“In the early years children don’t know what behavior is acceptable or unacceptable until you tell them. One evening at a kid-friendly restaurant, we observed two families handling the same discipline situation in two different ways. The two-and-a-half-year-old in one family was incessantly climbing over the back of the booth, and she kept this climbing behavior up until it became disruptive to nearby patrons. Wimpy ‘don’t's’ from the parents did not deter the persistent climber. It was clear this child had no idea that climbing was unacceptable behavior. She got the message, ‘We prefer that you not climb, but we’re not going to do anything about it.’ Another two-and-a-half-year-old got a different message and showed different behavior. The parent sat the child next to him, frequently acknowledged the child, and kept him involved in the family conversation. As soon as the toddler began to climb, the father immediately redirected him and politely planted the climber back in his seat. With a combination of creative distraction and respectful restraint, the parent conveyed to the child that he was expected to refrain from climbing because climbing would disturb the people in the next booth. The child got the message that any effort to climb the seat would not be okay. The child filed this experience into his memory bank, to be retrieved the next time they went to a restaurant when, presumably, he made fewer attempts to climb over the seat. Was the parent in the second family exhibiting controlling behavior? Yes, but in the right sense of the term. Abusive control is when you forcibly impose your will upon your child, expecting him to obey, but to the detriment of your relationship. When you insist on obedience and help the child to get control of himself, you are using your power over the child in a good way that helps him develop inner controls. Remember, children want limits so that they don’t feel out of control, and they want parents to stand by those limits. They keep testing the limits to see if you will uphold them. When you don’t, the child feels anxious that no one is strong enough to contain him. To a child, that is scary” (http://www.askdrsears.com/html/6/t060300.asp).

I think back to how proud I always felt of the Halloween costumes my mother made for me. The elaborate butterfly wings she spent hours painting; the delicate pink genie costume; the glorious Geisha dress complete with satin obi. Back in the day when Halloween was still an acceptable school wide celebration we would parade our costumes around the school grounds each year, and I always felt mine was the most beautiful, or at least the most precious, because of the work my mother put into each year’s outfit. It was a statement of how much she cared for me, and every costume was pure love.

And that is why I sit and slave over a hot glue gun for hours on end, trying to make each individual leaf and butterfly on my oldest daughter’s “rose garden” costume precisely perfect. Because their costumes are a direct expression of my love for them, and most of those expressions are so imperfect…this is one opportunity to show them exactly how I feel about them, how important they are to me, and to give them all the attention they truly deserve. And I am certainly not going to let that chance pass me by. So look out needle and thread.

This year’s costumes are lady bug and unicorn. Watch for pictures!

Some great places to get ideas for handmade Halloween costumes:

Martha Stewart Halloween

Family Fun Halloween

Coolest Homemade Costumes

Parents Magazine Homemade Costumes

Here is an update on this year’s costumes. The unicorn and ladybug came out splendidly. The unicorn costume idea was generated from Family Fun magazine. Avery saw the picture and just had to have it. As always, I added enough personal touches to make it our own. It was basically a white hoody to begin with. The mane is made from rainbow colored pieces of felt cut about one inch wide and 12 inches long and folded and glued in the middle to the hoody seam. The horn is cardboard covered in sparkly felt with wired ribbon and glue on gems. The tail is quite simply rainbow dyed yarn tied in a bundle and then around the waist.

The ladybug costume started with an idea from Martha Stewart and we adapted. The base is a black velvety sweatsuit. The wings are made from foam, as are the dots made from a sparkly black foam I found at Hobby Lobby. The wings are held together with one embellished brad and tied on with black ribbon I attached to the tops of the wings and tied around Quinn’s waist, allowing for “flying”. The hat is also foam with attached “antennae”.

1. Onion skin easter eggs. Cray Pas isn’t the only way to dye Easter eggs. There are plenty of nature based dyes that work great on your eggs, and don’t leave you wondering what yucky junk has seeped through your shells. We tried yellow onion skins this year and they turned out beautiful! Boil red or yellow onion skins in a pan with enough water to cover your eggs. Once the water comes to a boil, simmer for about 15 minutes and then leave the skins to soak. Overnight soaking works the best. To get the most dramatic effect, keep your eggs uncooked until you are ready to dye them. Then bring the mixture back to a boil and hard boil the eggs with the skins and colored water. You can add a little vinegar to set the dye. We used water to stick some fresh leaves onto our eggs and covered the eggs with panty hose to hold the leaves on before we dyed them. This made gorgeous leaf prints on our eggs. Other natural items you can use with basically the same directions include blueberries, beets, and red cabbage leaves.

2. Recycled baskets. Instead of buying new baskets for Easter loot, try using old materials to make some. One method is a typical basket weave using old newspapers. To learn a traditional basket weave, check out http://www.basketweaving101.net/Site%203/howto.html. To use recycled newspapers or magazines in your weave, simply cut strips of paper the right length and about 5 times as wide as you want them to be. Then roll and flatten to make the right width and add some thickness and stability before weaving together.

3. Egg carton planters. Use your egg cartons to celebrate spring by planting some seedlings. Remove the lid of the carton, add soil and seedlings to each cup and watch them sprout. Choose seedlings appropriate to the season that you can replant outdoors.

4. Egg shell mosaics. After your Easter celebration is over, use your discarded egg shells to make mosaic masterpieces. Just save your peeled egg shells, divide them by color, and lay them out with some glue and paper. A spring theme is a great way to go to celebrate the season. Masterpieces will ensue!!!

5. Nature decoupage eggs. Take the kids out on a scavenger hunt to find pretty fallen leaves and other natural items that will lay flat or bend. Some examples include flower petals (don’t pick, find them in the flower bed, especially after it rains), small thin twigs that will still bend, and leaves from weeds like dandelions. Hardboil your eggs first to make them more resilient. Use a non-toxic glue  to apply your natural elements to the shells.

These are just a few simple ideas to help bring a little nature back into the Easter celebration. We’ll be posting more on connecting children with the natural world and the cycle of the seasons this spring. Enjoy!

Monday of this week I was at work having a fairly terrible day. I was caring for 5 patients, all in need of constant attention, and it was running me ragged. A call came through on my Spectra Link phone. It was my husband. He was sounding uncharacteristically stressed. “I need your advice.” My heart was immediately relocated in my throat. The last time my husband called me at work with this worried sound in his voice, he and my oldest daughter had slipped down our icy front steps, leaving her with a severely scraped up face and a tooth through her lip. “OK,” I responded cautiously, “tell me.” He proceeded to inform me that he was unsure of whether he had succeeded in removing the top portion of his finger. While attempting to move his non-running motorcycle with no brakes down the stairs outside our front door, he had lost his footing and essentially smashed his left ring finger between the bike and a four foot tall steel post left over from an old chain-link fence. There was so much blood he could not tell what he had actually done to the finger. He wanted to know what to do.

Of course, he was concerned about spending a $100 copay and many hours of his time visiting the Emergency Department if this was in fact unnecessary. I suggested he come to the hospital, where I was already working a 12 hour shift, and let me look at it first. I could only imagine what chaotic scene was unfolding at home. I pictured my husband running around the house, bleeding on the carpet, while my two little girls cried in the background. He took the girls to their grandparents and headed downhill to the hospital. I tried to focus for the next hour as I waited for my husband to arrive. When he finally did and I had a look at the aforementioned finger, I, along with several other RN’s on the floor, ordered him to the ED. His finger was badly avulsed, and even after rinsing it with copious amounts of water, even we could not define exactly what he had done. It probably needed stitches, a good cleaning, and he needed a tetanus shot. So, while I worked 6 floors above, he checked himself into the ED.

He and the girls arrived home only an hour before me that evening. I dreaded what kind of shape everyone, and the house, might be in when I returned. Surprisingly, all seemed above average when I walked through the door. Clean house, kids in bed sleeping, and my only slightly worse for the wear husband on the couch engrossed in Vancouver 2010. As I discussed with him the events of the day, he revealed how impressed he was with our 6 year old daughter. As a typically shy and cautious child, he was surpised at her reaction to this particular situation, which he assumed would be very frightening for her. As my husband sped through the house with his finger bleeding profusely, our oldest daughter proceeded to clean up after him. She wiped spots of blood from the floor and the furniture and asked him numerous times if he was OK, or if he needed help. When he decided to leave home to have the offending finger treated, she immediately dressed herself and her sister and gathered their belongings. At her grandparents’ she spent the day making cards for my husband. He showed me the boxful of wishes she and her sister had crafted. I walked quietly upstairs and peeked at their sleeping faces.

As I gazed at my oldest daughter, I was reminded of my mother’s words to me three years earlier. What does it mean to be someone’s hero, even temporarily? Is it bravery, selflessnes, determination, loyalty, or courage that makes a hero? I don’t know. In that moment, for me, it was an overwhelming sense of pride at the way my daughter had set aside her childhood fears in a scary situation to take care of her Dad and her little sister. I was flooded with a feeling of who my daughter really is, beyond her oftentimes introverted and wary appearance. I caught a glimpse of the woman she may become…brave, loyal, determined, selfless, courageous…calm and collected in the face of chaos. I realized that she was harboring all the qualities that I had worked for my entire life and that I valued in my work as a nurse and a mother. “You are my hero, ” I whispered in her ear. She smiled. I smiled. Then I padded back downstairs. My husband was smiling, too. “They didn’t have to cut off my wedding ring,” he beamed. Sigh.

Plenty of folks are out tackling the vaccination debate right now. Instead I want to focus on some very simple measures one can take to avoid the flu altogether, with or without a vaccination. First off, remember that “swine” flu is still influenza type A. The flu is spread by droplets, which means that in order to catch it, some of those “droplets” need to pass into your nose or mouth. How does this happen? Well, the most common way is to get yourself coughed or sneezed on by an infected person. The second easiest way to get the flu is to touch something that an infected individual has coughed or sneezed on and then touch your nose, mouth or eyes. Sharing drinks and swapping spit work too. Prevention is the key. So here are 5 things you can do to avoid spreading and getting the flu, whether you get vaccinated or not.

1. Wash your hands, and make sure your kids are doing it too. How many times have you heard this message this flu season? That’s because it works. Flu germs can stay on surfaces for hours. So, even if you are avoiding all those coughers and sneezers in the grocery store, they may have touched that same box of cereal you just grabbed off the shelf, and those flu germs could pass on to you. Wash with soap and water whenever you have the opportunity, and carry hand sanitizer with you during flu season, so you and your kids can “wash up” whenever and wherever you need to. Avoid touching your face, especially your nose, mouth and eyes. To germs, these orifices are open doors, so be conscious about where you put your hands and instruct your children to do the same.

2. Don’t send your kids to school if they are sick, and be vigilant about noticing what your school is doing to avoid spreading the flu. Listen, I know it’s hard to keep your kids home from school, especially if you are a working parent. But kids are infamous for spreading germs and it is completely inappropriate to send your child to school or any other large gathering of children if they have flu symptoms. Most schools are doing a good job watching out for “sick” kids. Is yours? Make sure that your teachers know the symptoms of flu and are casting a watchful eye on their students. Also make certain that your school has a policy whereby they can send ill children home. If you notice coughing, sneezing, runny noses, or upset stomachs in the school, let someone know.

3. Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes, and to avoid being coughed or sneezed on. Sounds funny, but again flu is spread by droplets. Teaching kids the proper way to cover their droplets is a big step toward prevention. Let your kids be a role model to other kids. Show them how to cover up by coughing or sneezing into their elbow or by using a tissue, which they then speedily dispose of. If they can show other children how to do the same, they may save themselves from the flu, and they’ll avoid spreading it as well.

4. Boost your kids’ immunity. Some supplements have been shown to be especially helpful in building immunity and preventing illness during flu season. Supplement your kids’ diet with Vitamin C, which is proven to be helpful in boosting immunity. The RDA of Vitamin C for kids is much lower than what you find in most kids’ C supplements, so just watch how much you give. Omega 3 fatty acids can also help boost immunity and there are many excellent kids’ supplements that include Omega 3′s. There are also some good immune boosting herbal and vitamin blends available for purchase that are designed just for kids and can help with immunity. Our family swears by the Wish Garden herbs line, including the kids’ Daily Immunity and Kick It Immune blends, which are tinctures with ingredients such as astragalus, echinacea and red clover. In addition, make sure your kids are getting enough rest, eatinghealthy, and staying hydrated. Regulating blood sugar can help preventpathogens from taking hold, so maintain a healthy, balanced diet duringflu season and avoid too much “junk” food. Maintain your immunity boosting regimen throughout flu season and be consistent. If you try to load up with vitamins and herbs after you get sick, you won’t get the same results.

5. Do everything for yourself that you’re doing for your kids. If you get sick with the flu, you’re not helping them stay healthy. If you do get sick, do everything you can to get help caring for your kids so you can “quarantine” yourself. The best way to avoid spreading flu is to avoid other people. If you are sick at home, wear a mask, which you can buy in any drug store, to keep from spreading germs around the house. If you have more than one child and only one gets sick, try to limit who cares for the ill child. This will limit who comes into contact with the flu germs and help keep them from spreading like wildfire around your home.

If you do get the flu, there are plenty of resources out there to guide you to treatment. And there is plenty of information available on the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Educate yourself and make the choice that is right for you!

1. Build a snow cave or quinzee. Put the kids to work crafting a snow shelter. In Colorado we can build these in our backyard after a good snow. A quinzee can be a multi-day project and you can even sleep out in it when you are finished. Believe it or not, a quinzee is warmer than a tent when constructed correctly. See Instructables.com for some good directions. A snow cave is an easier, shorter project you can tackle just for fun!

2. Track wildlife. Snow is a perfect medium for animal tracking. If you can get out somewhere where few people have tread after a fresh snow, especially the morning after, you will likely see a variety of animal tracks. Carry along a good, kid friendly reference like Animal Tracks of the Rocky Mountains by Chris Stall. For more substance, start at home by talking about what animal tracks you might expect to see in your area. Have the kids draw the tracks of those animals on index cards. You can laminate them or just staple them together to create their own little tracking reference guides before you head out on the trail. For parents interested in learning more about tracking, a wonderful and beautiful reference is Tracking and the Art of Seeing by Paul Rezendes.

3. Go snowshoeing! Adding snowshoes to a winter hike creates a fun, novel approach to getting around and peaks your kids’ interest. They also get to learn a new skill! Many ski rental locations also rent children’s snowshoes for a very reasonable cost. The same is true of nordic centers, where you can often get snowshoes and find excellent trails in one convenient location! Plan to be conservative with distance and terrain the first few times you go out, as there is a learning curve to this sport! You can find some good basic articles on how to walk in snowshoes on eHow.com. To find backcountry trails, look to your local land management agencies such as the BLM and National Park Service as well as local city and county recreation.

4. Build a no-trace campfire and have a winter picnic lunch! Building a small campfire in winter isn’t as hard as it might sound. You can choose an area that already has established campfire rings, such as a campground or picnic area, and either remove the snow from the fire pit or simply build on top of it. You can also build a small fire pit with stones. If you do, please remember to dismantle the pit when you are done! Probably the best way to set up a winter fire and leave the least impact on the environment is to use a basic fire pan. Gather some stones and place the fire pan on top, then build your fire right in the pan. Finding wood in winter is also easy if you know where to look. Look for dry downed wood under large trees or in other sheltered areas. Never cut or pull live branches from trees…they don’t burn well anyway! The tepee method of fire building works well even if your wood is a little damp. Bring campfire foods to roast and enjoy the warmth and novelty of a winter fire. Remember…whatever you bring in you also need to remove…please don’t burn garbage and always dismantle your fire site. Make sure your fire is COMPLETELY out when you are through.

5. Go on a wintertime nature scavenger hunt. Create a bingo style card with pictures of items to find and set the kids loose in a natural area. Pictures on your cards can include live animals such as birds, squirrels, etc., animal tracks, scat, plants, weeds, and twigs, etc. Here is a sample I made for an Earth Day hunt:

6. Do a little winter time caving. Have any caves near your home? Winter time is a perfect time to explore, as the temperature inside most caves remains static throughout the year at around 50 degrees. Caves with water access can also form amazing examples of formations during winter time. In other words, a stalactite that would take millions of years to form via dripping water and limestone can form instantly under freezing conditions with water running from a cave ceiling. Fulford Cave in Eagle, Colorado is a perfect example.

The first rule of caving is safety, so don’t go running out unprepared. Not following the safety rules of caving can lead to disaster, but a few simple rules adhered to make caving a safe and fun sport for kids. The National Speleological Society has an excellent .pdf guide to responsible caving along with many other resources that you can download on their home page. Local grotto organizations in your area can be the best resource for finding appropriate caving opportunities based on your level of expertise.  An excellent website for Colorado Caves is http://www.coloradocaves.org/links.html where you can find links to local grottos and local information to help you plan a trip. Developed caves can also be fun with kids. Developed caves in Colorado that we like to explore include Cave of the Winds and Glenwood Caverns.

Take advantage of the amazing cave environment to teach children about the geology and biology of caves. This amazing ecosystem is fascinating for children and adults. The Bureau of Land Managment has a nice resource designed for educators that parents can also utilize. 42 Explore has an excellent list of links and resources for kids as well.

7. We live in Colorado, so of course skiing had to make the list! Kids are great natural skiers. If you aren’t, most resorts offer lessons for kids, although they can get a little pricey. In many places, kids under a certain age ski for free, so if you are adept enough to teach them yourself, you’ll save a pretty penny. We would also recommend taking the kids out a couple of times and just getting them used to being on skis before placing them in a group lesson. They’ll feel more comfortable with the equipment and be able to get more from a lesson if they’ve had a little time to warm up. Also note that group lessons really only teach the basics, so once your kids know how to do “french fries” and “pizza” you’ll need to seek out other avenues if they want to learn new skills. Another money saving tip is to rent equipment somewhere other than the resort…we prefer staying local and supporting small business, so we rent at our small town shop, where they know our kids and give us a good deal. A smaller shop can often spend more time making certain that your kids have the right equipment for them. Locally, we love Loveland…they have a great bunny slope and the valley area is less crowded than most ski hills. The only problem with Loveland is that you can’t use the magic carpet unless you are in ski school. Copper Mountain’s kiddie slope has a magic carpet anyone can use!

Cross country skiing is also a great activity with kids. It is cheaper than downhill skiing and there are both backcountry and resort options that work with children. If you have a good sled, you can even get some exercise pulling the kids while you ski. Many ski areas have nordic trails and rent equipment. Local land management sites such as the Park Service or BLM will often have information on good trails for skiing. Locally, we like the Frisco Nordic Center and the cross country ski area at Eldora.

8. Check out your local environmental education or nature center. Most nature centers will have winter offerings for children during which rangers lead programs on winter themed topics such as winter animal homes, migration, etc. Here in the Denver area, the Lookout Mountain Nature Center in Golden is perfect for young children, with events for older kids and toddlers both available on a regular basis.

9. Explore children’s books about winter and head outside to live the stories. Endless possibilities of ideas for outdoor fun exist in children’s books. For example, we like to read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and then head out for snowball fights and sledding. A Stranger in the Woods inspires kids to head outside in search of wildlife or create bird feeders for winter fowl and they even have an activity page online to go along with the book. In Keepers of the Earth by Joseph Bruchac and Michael Caduto there is a wonderful story about the changing of the seasons and outdoor activities to go along with it. Literature is a great way to add a little inspiration to simple snow play and basic winter activities.

10. Just GET OUT. Here is what you need for successful snow play: 1. The right gear. If you want to have fun with little kids outside, the number one rule is to make sure they are dressed for the weather, otherwise you’ll just get cold hands and feet and lots of whining. So, make sure you have waterproof gloves and boots, warm socks (preferably not cotton, which just gets cold when wet) and hats, waterproof pants or bibs, and a weatherproof jacket. Most of this stuff can be purchased at discount stores. We find the best items at thrift shops or online sales through places like Sierra Trading Post or Campmor. 2. A playful spirit. That’s it.

So, get out there and play. Try something new. Winter is a fabulous time to be adventurous and create lasting family memories!!!