Our monthly post to highlight the best writing and most useful tips written by Outdoor Parents the previous month! You won’t typically find gear reviews or travel guides here – on this site we focus on the skills and inspiration to help you get outside and stay outside with your kids.
We also believe that everyone should feel welcome in the outdoors, so we share articles by parents and outdoors-people of color to make sure everyone is learning each other’s perspectives. After the horrible murders of Asian-American women in Atlanta last month drew attention to the increase in violence against Asian-Americans since the start of the covid epidemic, we wanted to highlight the group Outdoor Asian whose mission is “To create a diverse and inclusive community of Asian & Pacific Islanders in the outdoors.” Since their founding in 2016, they have grown to have chapters in 5 states. Here is an interview with the founder Christopher Chalaka. If you want to learn more about the experience of one Asian-American backpacker, we recommend this article from Melanin Basecamp: Outdoor Reflections Of A Post-Covid Asian.
Hopefully, this encourages you to plan your next outdoor adventures, reflect on what you were able to accomplish over the past month, or what you learned and would do differently. Enjoy!
We also believe that everyone should feel welcome in the outdoors, so we share articles by parents and outdoors-people of color to make sure everyone is learning each other’s perspectives. After the horrible murders of Asian-American women in Atlanta last month drew attention to the increase in violence against Asian-Americans since the start of the covid epidemic, we wanted to highlight the group Outdoor Asian whose mission is “To create a diverse and inclusive community of Asian & Pacific Islanders in the outdoors.” Since their founding in 2016, they have grown to have chapters in 5 states. Here is an interview with the founder Christopher Chalaka. If you want to learn more about the experience of one Asian-American backpacker, we recommend this article from Melanin Basecamp: Outdoor Reflections Of A Post-Covid Asian.
Hopefully, this encourages you to plan your next outdoor adventures, reflect on what you were able to accomplish over the past month, or what you learned and would do differently. Enjoy!
Grand Teton National Park (Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone, and Shoshone-Bannock ancestral lands).
We took a day off from our ski trip to take an amazingly beautiful bike ride out to June Lake on roads that are currently closed to car traffic. After about 50 days of skiing, and going to 11 resorts the kids say they are ready for ski season to end!
We took a day off from our ski trip to take an amazingly beautiful bike ride out to June Lake on roads that are currently closed to car traffic. After about 50 days of skiing, and going to 11 resorts the kids say they are ready for ski season to end!
Backpacking
Instagram
- Backpacking with a Baby in Glacier National Park | Morrison Outdoors
- Playing the Memory Game in Escalante, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon | The Big Outside
Climbing
- Experience Family-friendly Ice Climbing in Jasper National Park | Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies
Cycling
- Kids Ride Shotgun Tow Rope & Hip Pack Review | Rascal Rides I didn’t know about these – we’ll have to check it out to see if it helps us on longer rides.
Diversity & Inclusion
- 6 Conversations About Colorism in The Outdoors | Melanin Basecamp It is important to educate yourself and your kids about the colorism aspect of racism, including what it means to “pass” and do not assume that the white-looking person you see on the trail identifies as white.
- Transgender Kids Need Sports, Too | Outside Online The article doesn’t mention outdoor sports specifically, but this definitely applies to competitive outdoor sports such as skiing, snowboarding, climbing, and more.
- Adventuring with My Disabled Mom Healed Me, Too | Outside Online
- Mother Nature’s Gender Problem | Sierra Club
- J.E.D.I. Training Film: The Story Behind The First Black Female Route Developer in Texas | Gym Climber
General
- Adventure Packing Lists for Families | Tales of a Mountain Mama This is a great idea for packing quickly – we do this too in our family (here is our take on it).
- Orienteering Games for Kids: Easter Challenge | Tales of a Mountain Mama Such a cool idea for an Easter egg hunt (or birthday scavenger hunt).
Paddling
Safety
- What is a Wilderness First Responder Course? | Gut-Z Journey I did my latest WFR recert from this organization – I think it’s a great way for parents to be prepared to adventure in the wilderness with their kids.
- Case Study: Abdominal Pain On The Trail | NOLS Blog I subscribe to these case studies as a way to keep my WFR skills up to date.
- Outdoor Skills: Teaching Kids How to Build A Fire & Fire Safety Tips | Run Wild My Child
Snow and Winter Sports
- Winter Activity: How to Go Owling with Kids | Run Wild My Child “Owl Moon” was my favorite book to read to my kids when they were smaller but I never knew how to take them bowling – we will have to try this out.
- Wild Ice Play with Kids | Tales of a Mountain Mama
- Skiing in Himalayas Is ‘Like a Beautiful Dream,’ Despite Conflict and Coronavirus | New York Times Learn about what it’s like for ski families in India this past winter.
- Freedom on slopes: the women skiers of Afghanistan | The Guardian Two Afghani teenagers competing in a ski race.
Travel
- A new guide leads travelers through U.S. civil rights history | Washington Post If you’re doing a road trip this summer, this book could be a good companion to add in some education into the trip.
- mtnbabe: “Our children are our future and their future depends on us.”
- alaskawildlings: I love watching big groups of kids play outside in the woods and seeing what crazy stuff them come up with.
- thebackpackingmom: A good reminder for families toughing it out with small kids learning to ski/snowboard – we have been so impressed with how far our 8 and 11 year olds have come this year.
- she_colorsnature: Three generations adventuring in the outdoors together – so magical.
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