It's the A to Z Challenge, and we're kicking off our wilderness adventures with a bit of an intro, a passing nod to one of my books, and the promised Tuesday bit on wilderness travel.
In case you didn't see my Theme Reveal post, my theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is wilderness travel (with a side of ice cream). And what, you ask, is the A to Z Challenge? Follow the link for more info, but in short, A to Z is a blog-everyday-or-die challenge to help bloggers gain followers, get the hang of the blogosphere, have fun, and find out just what they can do. I had fun with it last year, so I signed on to do it again this year. Through April, I will be blogging every day except Sunday, with each day's post themed to a different letter of the alphabet.
That's the intro. The book that just has to be mentioned on Day A of a wilderness-themed challenge is, of course, my picture book for kids in the wilds.
Since this is a little long, I won't do a story or a trip report (as I will the rest of the Tuesdays this month), but just a few words about children and hiking, camping and backpacking.
Do it.
You want more words? Kids love the outdoors. Place you might think are boring are full of amazement for the knee-high crowd. Put aside any squeamishness and join your child in chasing bugs, studying what grows under logs, and getting muddy. And go camping, hiking and backpacking to whatever extent you can. I can't think of a healthier vacation. And remember: being dirty never hurt a kid.
And there's always ice cream.
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| The author takes ice cream seriously |
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Really interested in reading more of your theme! Oh, and I take ice cream seriously, too. :)
ReplyDeleteMadeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
Minion, Capt. Alex's Ninja Minion Army
The 2014 Blogging from A-Z Challenge
Thanks, Madeline! I hope that keeping up the usual variety (and adding some other bits, like the photo days) will keep it interesting!
DeleteIce cream is a very serious matter.
Yum! Ice cream...and books. What a perfect pair.
ReplyDeleteAnd hiking! Have to add in the hiking, because for me ice cream and books alone would result in having to get Omar the Tentmaker to tailor my clothes.
DeleteI agree about the dirt! That's one of the things I love about homeschooling my kids. Hands on learning! We are doing science at the beach today :)
ReplyDeleteCool! My boys just finished their "interim" week at high school, where they do one class all day. They did "Fun with Science," which involved lots of the sort of stuff kids of all ages love--rockets, freezing things with liquid nitrogen, burning them with thermalite (?), and all week building a Rube Goldberg machine to pour a kid a glass of water.
DeleteGreat theme. I have a inner hiker in me just waiting for inspirations and some direction.
ReplyDeleteI hope I can help your inner hiker come out! Send me a private email at rebecca(dot)douglass(at)ninjalibrarian.com and tell me where you are and I'll see if I have any suggestions! I can also recommend the discussion forums at Backpacker.com for inspiration and to get questions answered about everything from sox to taking care of your business in the woods.
DeleteGreat theme! I'm in the midst of getting 320 kids outdoors right now. I write the curriculum for our elementary school's environmental field day, organize it, buy all the stuff, gather all the volunteers, buses, teachers and make sure the days run smoothly. This year's theme is animal adaptations. I'm up to my eyeballs in it, and am stressed out, but it's so worth it.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see some more of your outdoor posts! :)
That is so cool! Best of luck to you--I hope it all runs perfectly!
DeleteSounds like you're a woman after my own heart! I love adventure travel too, and my monthly theme is about living a life less ordinary, which of course will include lots about travel. I'm excited to read about more of your adventures as the month unfolds!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! I'm working on writing up some of those adventures even now--hope I can make it appealing to both the old pros and the ones who wonder if maybe they might want to go outdoors.
DeleteMay I have chocolate ice cream Please? But as for camping I hate the thought of it but I am thinking I should take my son at least once.
ReplyDeleteOh, don't hate the thought! It's so much more fun than Disneyland (seriously. And the dirt is cleaner, if you know what I mean).
DeleteIn any case, one serving chocolate ice cream coming right up!
New York Super Fudge Chunk. It doesn't get better than that.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty danged good. But Moose Tracks may win for me.
DeleteI looked under a log today and found two slugs, four multilegged invertebrates and loads of nice red composting worms. This was good because the log was on top of my compost heap.
ReplyDeleteAnother random comment from me :) It must be time for bed!
Jemima
#TeamDamyanti
Blogging from Alpha to Zulu in April!
You're off to bed, and I'm off to work. . . I love the way the Internet brings us together from halfway around the world!
DeleteDeath by ice cream? What a great way to go....I'd choose Ben & Jerry's Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz.
ReplyDeleteYour post is great advice. And my state (Colroado) is a great place to go for outdoor activities.
I think the best way to go is from too much ice cream after the best hike of your life :) And I love being outdoors in Colorado--about half the photos in my picture book (A is for Alpine) are in CO; maybe a little less than half, but the CO Rockies definitely feature.
DeleteIce cream FTW! :) I have never been able to walk well (ankle condition), but I don't think we were every indoors during the summer when we were children. We used to jump of haystacks and fall into ponds and things like that :).
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings
Thanks for coming by, Natasha! Yeah, we were outside all the time as kids. Our most brilliant idea? Starting the swimming season in March so the water would feel warmer in the summer. That was near Seattle. Puget Sound is 50 deg. year-round. That experiment lasted just one very short swim.
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