It pays to play outside. Research shows that kids and families who unplug and spend time in nature have less stress and perform better in other aspects of their lives.
And of course, there's no better place to play outside than the Pacific Northwest, home to stunning mountains, rivers, national parks, beaches, and wonderful urban nature adventures, too. Here are top outdoor adventures for spring and summer in the Northwest.
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1. Investigate winter Excavate toy treasures, make artistic ice, go a baked-potato walk, draw winter trees: Ingenious ideas for luring the kids outside. |
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2. Go snowshoeing It's the anti-schlep winter fun solution. Rentals are cheap, you can snowshoe in even cruddy conditions, and you might even get a conversation in with your adrenaline-charged teen. Here's where to go and how to prepare. |
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3. Pet a big rock Take a field trip to meet some of the biggest, most fascinating boulders in the Seattle area — glacial erratics. Kids can climb, play and get a lesson in Pacific Northwest history and geology at the same time.
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4. Take a hike Mix up a thermos of hot cocoa, grab your mittens and head for one of these 10 hikes with an indoor option, or a secret urban hike in Seattle. Need tips on gear, or motivating the kids? Read Hiker Mama's winter hiking tips.
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5. Capture it Want to get better at capturing your outdoor adventures? Check out one of our most popular articles from 2013, 11 tips for making your smartphone camera the only camera you need. Don't forget to enter our Kids in Nature photo contest! |
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6. Do rain art A five-minute activity for those drip-drip-drip days. Place dots of food coloring or bits of powdered paint onto pieces of paper and set outside. Watch as rain drops splatter into a colorful work of |
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7. Connect to nature indoors Want to touch a sea creature, get eye to eye with a butterfly or just sniff a few flowers, here are our six picks for indoor nature-and-animal fun in Puget Sound. |
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8. Find nature in your backyard Winter is an ideal time to connect with the feathered wildlife outside your window. Set up a feeder, put up your Audubon poster on the fridge door and get ready to learn.
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9. Find a new park From a hidden gorge in the middle of the city, to a stunningly wild Japanese garden, here are seven hidden-gem parks to explore. Next, try one of these nine secret urban hikes. |
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10. See elk up close When the snow falls in the eastern foothills of the Cascades, the Oak Creek Wildlife Area near Yakima is a refuge for wintering herds of elk and bighorn sheep. Visit two feeding stations to see them up clos |
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11. Stormwatch This is a top five Northwest winter adventure: book a cozy coastal cabin and watch the storms roll in and out, learning something about the weather in the meantime. |
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12. It's all downhill Grab your tubes and sleds and go sledding at one of these super spots. Hint: Mount Rainier Snow Play area opens on Jan. 18. |
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13. Half camp Now that local campgrounds boast yurts, platform tents, and even shipping containers to stay in (many complete with hardwood floors and heaters), the camping averse have no excuse. Check out (and book) one of these rustic retreats. |
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14. Experiment with rain
If you can't beat the drip drip, why not use it to fuel some basic physics experiments outside? With some simple materials, kids can measure rainfall, add food coloring, direct the drip -- the possibilities are endless. |
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15. Make tracks Cross-country skiing is (relatively) cheap and close, easy for kids to pick up and exhilarating. And talk about tired-out kids
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16. Give back Make a difference and have fun getting dirty by pulling weeds and planting native plants at one of these National Day of Service events.
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