Thank you to guest writer, Ernie Allison, for sharing this article! *** Even though summer isn’t the peak season to witness a heavy migration, the bay area is still full of spots for birders to see some beautiful wild bird species. Whether you’re a local looking to quench your bird watching craving before the migrationContinue reading “5 Best Places to Bird Watch in the Bay Area”
Category Archives: Nature Walks
Autumn Walk: Acorns
Looking for sings of fall just outside of Yosemite this past weekend… my son was fixated on acorns.
Pattern: For Love of Dirt
Three photos of my son from our walk through the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley last week. Can you spot the pattern? Yep! No matter where we go, he’s playing in the dirt. Photos taken May 5th, 2013 *** Weekly Photo Challenge: Pattern
Photography for Kids: Fun with an iPhone
I enjoyed a fun walk around our neighborhood on Monday with my son, looking for signs of spring. My son loves to take photos, but he’s become frustrated with the quality of the images he takes on the kid camera we gave him for his birthday last year. He wants to be able to takeContinue reading “Photography for Kids: Fun with an iPhone”
Looking for Signs of Spring: A Walk Around the Neighborhood
After school on Monday, we went for a walk around our neighborhood to look for signs of spring. As an extension of the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge (Phoneography Challenge: My Neighborhood), I gave my iPhone to my five-year-old son and asked him to take photos of what he could find. The signs he saw wereContinue reading “Looking for Signs of Spring: A Walk Around the Neighborhood”
The Calming Effect of Nature on Children
One of the great things about playing in nature is that bouts of exertion and excitement are often interspersed with quiet, contemplative time. I don’t have to recommend these quiet moments… my five-year-old sits down and calms himself entirely on his own whenever he’s inspired by the beauty around him. I often wonder what he’sContinue reading “The Calming Effect of Nature on Children”
Nature Walk: Animal Tracks
A fun activity to do a few days after a good rain is head to a nearby creek and look for animal tracks in the mud. We went on this kind of walk yesterday in the nature area near our home. As we walked to the area, I asked my son what animal footprints heContinue reading “Nature Walk: Animal Tracks”
Neighborhood: Lizard
We enjoyed a walk around our neighborhood yesterday, to look for some “signs of fall” and to collect leaves. It was another hot day here in the San Francisco East Bay… in the 80’s! This does not feel like November, but we can’t complain. The lizards are loving it, too! Also from this walk: Neighborhood: Continue reading “Neighborhood: Lizard”
Nature Treasure Hunt: Autumn
I ready about going on a winter treasure hunt in Clare Walker Leslie’s book, The Nature Connection, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do during the fall, too, with some slight modifications. Here’s how you do it… On a sheet of paper (one for each child if desired or one paperContinue reading “Nature Treasure Hunt: Autumn”
Going on a Bug Hunt
While my husband was warming up for his bike race on Saturday (see post here… Cyclo-Cross, Monterey Style), my son recommended we follow one of the nearby trails and go bug hunting. Excellent idea! We keep exploration tools (bug viewer, magnifying glass) with us at all times, so we’re ready to go whenever inspiration strikes.Continue reading “Going on a Bug Hunt”
Environmentalism for Kids: Clean up the Neighborhood
For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you know my son loves to take walks around the neighborhood to pick up trash. It’s a great, age-appropriate way to introduce young kids to helping the environment. Interested in doing this with your child? It’s about as easy as it gets. Continue reading “Environmentalism for Kids: Clean up the Neighborhood”
First Signs of Fall
Yesterday, I wrote about taking your child out on walk to look for signs of Autumn (Take a “Signs of Fall” Walk). I didn’t feel the seasons changing yet as I wrote the post, but decided to head out for a walk around our neighborhood with my 5-year-old after I wrote the article. Here’s whatContinue reading “First Signs of Fall”
Take a “Signs of Fall” Walk
Saturday is the first day of Autumn. While it doesn’t quite feel like fall yet here in the San Francisco Bay Area, I know the seasons will begin to change soon. This is a great time to head outdoors with your child to look for the first signs of fall. This walk can be takenContinue reading “Take a “Signs of Fall” Walk”
Hike and Seek! National Wildlife Federation
I just came across these great fundraising events being offered through the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). They are not offering an event here in California, but I wanted to let the rest of you know about it, just in case there’s one located near you! Hike and Seek: This is a 1-2 mile hike andContinue reading “Hike and Seek! National Wildlife Federation”
Nature Fun for Kids: Take a Photo Walk
Our new favorite nature outing is to take a walk together with our cameras. Provide a child with a camera, and he’ll see the world in a different way. Every day while in Yosemite National Park last week, my son begged us to take him outside to photograph the flowers. Obviously, Yosemite naturally calls toContinue reading “Nature Fun for Kids: Take a Photo Walk”
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”
Search for Snails
A favorite rainy day activity… head outside to look for snails! My son calls them his “snail buddies”. What we found yesterday during a rare June rain shower….
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”
Walk, Run, Bike, Scooter….Alamo Creek Trail, Dublin
I found the Alamo Creek Trail in the center of Dublin when my son was about four months old, and this great little trail has grown along with him. While he was a baby, I would put my son into the ERGObaby carrier and walk around, showing him the little things we saw along theContinue reading “Walk, Run, Bike, Scooter….Alamo Creek Trail, Dublin”
Look for Lizards
As the weather has been warming up, we’ve been seeing more and more lizards on our walks. I believe these little guys (they are about 3-5 inches long) are Western Fence Lizards. We have them all over the place here in the East Bay. Maybe your child(ren) would like to go on a walk toContinue reading “Look for Lizards”
Suburban Nature Explorations 