Photos from a hike in Mount Diablo State Park earlier this week with my Nature Time playgroup. We hiked a section of the Trail Through Time, from the Rock City parking lot to (and up) Sentinel Rock, allowing the kids to climb and play on and in the limestone rock structures and caves as muchContinue reading “Silent Saturday: Trail Through Time, Rock City, Mount Diablo”
Category Archives: Hiking with Kids
Article: 6 Tips for Outdoor Adventures with Kids
My article about getting outside for a hiking adventure with the kids has been featured on The Roundup at Circle of Moms! To read the article and pick up some tips about how to have a fun family hike, click on over to Circle of Moms here… 6 Tips for Outdoor Adventures with Kids. HappyContinue reading “Article: 6 Tips for Outdoor Adventures with Kids”
Fun Kid Hike: Kule Loklo Trail, Point Reyes
One of our goals this summer was to take our son to see a lighthouse. There are a few in the Bay Area, but my favorite has always been the Point Reyes Lighthouse (see my post from yesterday: “Point Reyes Lighthouse“). My husband and I wanted to slip in a short hike during theContinue reading “Fun Kid Hike: Kule Loklo Trail, Point Reyes”
Urbia Adventure #2: The Rocky Mountain Behind the Randall Museum
Yesterday, I wrote about our visit to the Randall Museum (see post here… “The Randall Museum, San Francisco”). Whenever I visit a museum, I also like to schedule some outdoor play or exploration. The Randall Museum is an excellent spot for indoor and outdoor nature fun, but we enhanced the experience by taking an UrbiaContinue reading “Urbia Adventure #2: The Rocky Mountain Behind the Randall Museum”
Exploring the Ringtail Cat Trail, Las Trampas, Alamo
Another great Outdoor Discoveries outing! Today, the naturalist took the kids up the Ringtail Cat Trail into Las Trampas Regional Park for a “beanstalk lunch hike” to learn about vines. This is another of my favorite trails in the area, especially on a hot summer day, as the trail winds above a creek through aContinue reading “Exploring the Ringtail Cat Trail, Las Trampas, Alamo”
Walking with Friends, Inspiration Trail, Tilden … and Playtime at Orinda Community Park
On Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely 3-mile walk with friends on the Inspiration Trail in the Berkeley Hills. This is a trail that has grown with us through the years. My husband and I liked to hike here because of the gorgeous views of the San Francisco Bay, the Marin Headlands, and the GoldenContinue reading “Walking with Friends, Inspiration Trail, Tilden … and Playtime at Orinda Community Park”
Hiking and Playing, Coyote Hills, Fremont
If you read my post yesterday, you know we attended the Nectar Garden Fun Day at Coyote Hills Regional Park on Monday. I invited friends from my Nature Time! playgroup to attend with us, and the kids had a great time running around and playing after they were done with the butterfly activities. A favoriteContinue reading “Hiking and Playing, Coyote Hills, Fremont”
Nature Time! Hike, Dublin Hills
We kicked off our Memorial Day weekend with a great hike with friends from our Nature Time! playgroup. The kids had fun on the trail, playing in the tall grass, and stopping to check out insects (mostly stink bugs). The weather was breezy and cool, but the children didn’t seem to notice. It makes meContinue reading “Nature Time! Hike, Dublin Hills”
Birding with Kids, Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton
Since the week my son turned three, we’ve been attending the East Bay Regional Parks Outdoor Discoveries program, a naturalist-led class designed specifically for three-five year-old children. Each outing includes a hike and plenty of time for observation, exploration, and play. To make the classes even more fun, I always invite friends from my NatureContinue reading “Birding with Kids, Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton”
Fossils, Flowers, and Fun! Dublin Hills
I thought we’d head to a museum today, but my son asked if we could go hiking instead. Great! When I asked him where he wanted to go hiking, he said, “Dublin Hills!” I liked that answer, as the official trail head (Donlon Point Staging Area) is only a few miles from our home. Easy!Continue reading “Fossils, Flowers, and Fun! Dublin Hills”
Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland
One of our favorite parks for play is Roberts Regional Park in the Oakland Hills. This park, nestled in the redwoods, has something for everyone. First, if you have a child, the play structure here is among the best in the Bay Area (and it’s barrier free / wheelchair accessible). But other than that, theContinue reading “Nature Play, Roberts Regional Park, Oakland”
Family Hike, Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Oakland
After several days stuck home due to sickness, my husband, son, and I headed out today for a short hike through the Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve in the Oakland Hills. The 1.7 mile Huckleberry Path seemed about the right distance, and I’ve heard from many sources that it’s a great hike to do with aContinue reading “Family Hike, Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve, Oakland”
Book Recommendation: Best Hikes with Kids, San Francisco Bay Area
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (or plan to visit) and you have kids and enjoy hiking, you should have Laure Latham‘s (aka Frog Mom) book, Best Hikes with Kids, San Francisco Bay Area, in your personal library. When this book first came out last year, I checked it out from theContinue reading “Book Recommendation: Best Hikes with Kids, San Francisco Bay Area”
Take a “Signs of Spring” Walk
The wildflowers are starting to bloom, new leaves are growing on the tips of branches, gardens are beginning to sprout… this is the time to take the kids out for a walk to look for the signs of spring. This can be a quick walk around the neighborhood or the park, an exploration of yourContinue reading “Take a “Signs of Spring” Walk”
Nature Walk, Redwood Regional Park, Oakland
My favorite spot in the San Francisco East Bay to take kids for a nature walk is Redwood Regional Park, but, for a variety of reasons, we haven’t visited the park for a few months. We had a break in the rain late this week, so we headed to the park for a walkContinue reading “Nature Walk, Redwood Regional Park, Oakland”
Stop, Look, Listen, Observe
This afternoon we attended a family nature walk, a free naturalist-led event held in the Tilden Nature Area in the Berkeley hills. I couldn’t resist the event description… “Natural beauty, strange creatures and curious plants reveal themselves to those who seek such wonders.” We walked for two hours, slowly ambling along, observing the little thingsContinue reading “Stop, Look, Listen, Observe”
Five Tips for Joyful Hiking with Little Kids
As someone who leads a lot of hiking outings with little kids, today I’m going to address a question I’m frequently asked by parents…. “How do I get my child to enjoy hiking?” Listed here are what I believe to be the five most important tips: Keep it short: The first thing you must doContinue reading “Five Tips for Joyful Hiking with Little Kids”
Suburban Nature Explorations 