Blog – Page 10 – Kids Discover Nature

Summer Vacation in New England: Family Fun and Nature…

by MCC

Last summer we packed the car and headed north to the Green Mountains of Vermont where we spent five days at Smuggler’s Notch Resort, which is situated in one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse natural areas of New England. Though it is well-known for winter kids programs and skiing, it also caters to families vacationing in the summer and provides ample opportunity to connect to nature. In fact, it guarantees families will have fun. With the help of its award-winning children’s programs and ample opportunity for outdoor fun and exploration, we anticipated a great vacation.

Situated at the foot of Mount Mansfield, Smuggs (as it is fondly called) is located on Route 108 between Stowe and Jeffersonville. The drive through the historic and beautiful Smugglers’ Notch Pass and arrived at Smuggs on a sunny day and immediately noticed the breathtaking views of the mountains. Upon arrival we were welcomed by friendly staff and immediately felt like part of the Smuggs family. The first thing we noticed is that kids were everywhere — running, jumping, laughing and enjoying fun in the outdoors.

Activities, Activities, Activities!

There are so many activities available at Smuggler’s Notch, you would have to stay the entire summer to take advantage of them all. There is truly something for everyone! Between the children’s programs, guided hikes and “wikes” (a cross between a walk and a hike), the nature center, eight heated pools, waterslides, splash pools, a driving range, splash parties, bonfire sing-alongs, fishing, biking, climbing and the first of its kind canopy tour in Vermont, enjoying the outdoors is what it’s all about at this resort! You can opt to spend the entire time together as a family and enjoy the numerous activities geared towards families or can enjoy time separately and take advantage of the many kid and adult oriented activities and camps.

Summer Camp to the Max

We registered our daughter for three-days of the Trail Blazers camp. It is Smugg’s version of summer camp — but this is no typical summer camp. Hands down, it offers the most unique programs and activities I have ever seen or experienced and much is focused on nature and the outdoors. The Trail Blazers are encouraged to appreciate nature through nature related games, arts and crafts, nature observations with simple gear such as nets and magnifying glasses, and easy hikes through forests and fields. Not knowing whether Beaner would actually go to camp without crying or wanting to leave early, we quickly learned she was just fine and too busy having fun to even give her parents a second thought. At the end of the day she raved about how much fun she had how her counselor was so terrific. To this day, she still talks about her. Her only complaint was that she was stuck in the kiddie pool with the non or beginning swimmers, even though she could swim. This was a bummer and I tried to arrange for her to have access to the larger pool, but that would have a required her to be with a different age group. She managed to have fun on the slides in the waterfalls, and the time spent swimming was a small portion of the overall day and experience. In the end, she had so much fun, she requested to attend camp for an additional day.

Fun for All

While our daughter was at day camp, we took advantage of some of the other family oriented activities like the Bears and Berries wike (a walk plus hike) and the Family Ties River Walk. Both were fun and educational and I was impressed by the knowledge of the trip leaders.

You can spend a lot of time late afternoons at the various pools, which were never overcrowded and situated in beautiful settings. We spent hours enjoying the water and the pleasant atmosphere. One thing we learned was that late afternoons were often interrupted with thunderstorms, which caused a bit of chaos when the lifeguards had to clear the pools. However, I appreciated their concern for safety and after calling for a ride, we were always driven back to our condo, where we would safely sit on the covered porch and watch the amazing site of downpours and lightening in the mountains.

We also enjoyed the resort’s nature center and interpretive paths through the different areas of the resort that explained its efforts to be eco-friendly. I was impressed by how the management and employees are committed to being responsible stewards of Vermont’s natural resources. The resort is home to Bicknell’s Thrush, a species of special concern in Vermont, black bear and an abundance of other fish and wildlife species. Its habitat, wetlands and natural vegetation are managed with concern for creating a landscape that meets both the needs of the resort and its guests, as well as nature.

The property is huge and driving your vehicle is cumbersome. The resort encourages use of its free on-demand shuttle service to get from place. Another options is to walk, which is great exercise, but can be tough little kids.

Overall, our stay at Smuggler’s Notch was fun, relaxing and memorable. If the goal of your family summer vacation is to connect with nature and have lots of good, old-fashioned family fun with many options for activities, then Smuggler’s Notch should be on your list of resorts to visit.

News

Go Outside and Prevent Vitamin D Deficiency

by Editorial Staff

It’s big news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked a lack of vitamin D in youth to heart disease, diabetes and other ailments. According to the CDC, nine percent of those ages 1 through 21 — about 7.6 million children, adolescents and young adults — have Vitamin D levels so low they could be considered deficient, while an additional 61 percent — 50.8 million — have higher levels, but still low enough to be insufficient, according to an analysis of federal data.

What is the cause? Among other things researchers referenced the amount of time children spend indoors watching TV and playing video games. If weight issues weren’t reason enough to boot your kids out the door to play, now there is this on top of it.

More research is planned to understand the role of vitamin D plays in children’s health. If nothing else, it is a reminder that outdoor play is essential for a healthy childhood. Let’s all work together to prevent vitamin D deficiency by making the commitment to take the kids outside every day! Following this link to learn more about the statistics provided by the CDC and learn more about the bebefits of spending time outdoors,

Here are some links to some other posts of mine that offer ideas for outdoor activities:
1. Summer days
2. Flower power
3. Make mud pies
4. Hiking

Please add your favorite outside activities to my comments. Once I have a good number of ideas I would like to develop a survey that will poll my readers on what the 10 top outdoor activities are for children. Thanks in advance for your input!

Fishing with Kids

Take Advantage of Free Fishing Days During National Fishing…

by Editorial Staff

A great way to involve kids in the outdoors is to take them fishing. I think most parents remember the thrill of catching their first fish. Why not give your children the same opportunity to experience the excitement of feeling the tug of a fish at the end of their line?

Fortunately, taking a kid fishing does not have to be complicated. All you need is a simple fishing pole, line, hook and a worm. And in the month of June, in many states, you won’t even need a fishing license! The week of June 6-14 is National Fishing and Boating Week, and during that time state fish and wildlife agencies allow the general public to fish for free! You can find all the information you need to plan a fishing trip at TakeMeFishing.org. It is packed with information on equipment for kids, how to teach kids to fish, where to go and includes information on what states offer free fishing days.

Create new memories with your children and spend a morning at a local pond, lake, stream or beach. You’ll be glad you did and so will they!

Outdoor Activities for Kids

Eight ideas for connecting your kids to nature this…

by Editorial Staff

Ah…summer! And many (many) free hours with the kids.

There it is, the sense of angst we parents feel at the end of the school year. While we all get excited about the possibilities for summer activities and the freedom, we at the same time wonder how we are going to keep our kids busy. After the first few days or weeks, everyone starts to get bored. I realized today I had better plan our summer and plan it fast. Here is the result – a short list of what is on our plate for the summer.

Swimming lessons – a summer tradition. Every single parent I know has signed up their children for swimming lessons. My kids begin theirs at the end of June.
Camping – we set up camp in our own backyard and spend weekends making smores and reading at night in our tent. We listen to the peepers, crickets and owls.
Canoeing and fishing – we are lucky enough to live near a lake and spend several hours a week canoeing and fishing (with a life vest for everyone of course!).
Hiking – Our town has a hiking club and sponsors hikes every Saturday. This also includes going for walks around the neighborhood as often as possible.
Beach/Lake – There is nothing like spending the day at the beach!
Whale watch – I hope the highlight of our summer will include a whale watch or other fun activity that allows you to view marine life. Other types of animals you can view from boats are seals, puffins, dolphin, sea turtles, and alligators. Click here to learn how to do it safely.
Picnics at the park – This is always a popular activity with us.
Day camp at the local farm or park– If you want my kids outdoors enjoying nature as much as possible in the summer.

A terrific idea is to involve your kids in the planning. They may have some great ideas. Fill in the days of the calendar together. It will give you all something to look forward to in the coming months and can help relieve some of the pre-summer break angst.

Insects

Inchworm, inchworm…you’ll go far!

by Jodi Valenta

Inchworms seem to be everywhere in the sping and summer and youn children are often mesmerized by them. I remember when I was a kid I used to catch them by their silken thread and watch them “inch” along on the palm of my hand. I never thought much about them beyond that, except that I had one I used to ride. Remember those?

I also remember a song I used to sing about an inchworm that went like this (written by Danny Kaye in 1952):

Two and two are four

Four and four are eight

Eight and eight are sixteen

Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two

Inchworm, inchworm,

Measuring the marigolds,

You and your arithmetic,

You’ll probably go far.

Inchworm, inchworm,

Measuring the marigolds

Seems to me you’d stop and see

How beautiful they are.

What exactly are those tiny little green worms? Once when my daughter asked me, I was stumped and had nothing to say except “it’s a little green worm.” How lame an answer was that! After a lifetime of seeing them I had never done the research to figure out what their role is in the ecosytem

I recently Googled “inchworm” and was very interested in what I learned. According to Wikipedia inchworms are the larvae of the Geometer moth. They are green, grey, or brownish and hide from predators by fading into the background or resembling twigs. Many inchworms, when disturbed, stand erect and motionless on their rear legs.

Armed with this information, my kids and I went outside to search for them. I explained that the tiny caterpillar eventually turns into a moth. We were enthralled by watching them flying on their silken string threads wondering where they would end up.

Bugs are always a great way to connect children with nature. They are easily accessible and are interesting to watch. It is amazing how something so tiny can be the subject of hours of play and learning…for both of us!

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN Sidebar Top -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="8429592158"
     data-ad-format="auto"
     data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN side bar 3 -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="4244681056"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN sidebar -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:inline-block;width:160px;height:600px"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="6157033457"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<!-- KDN Side bar 1 -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
     style="display:block"
     data-ad-client="ca-pub-8687750861178484"
     data-ad-slot="1291214650"
     data-ad-format="auto"
     data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>