These water proof breathable pants for children are lightweight and packable.  They have pockets and are comfortable with articulated knees.

Overall we felt like these pants were a great addition to an outdoor wardrobe.  The REI's Ulra Light Pants are roomy enough that a child can wear fleece pants underneath them.  Therefore can be part of a winter clothing system.

Con: The cuffs don't have an interior elastic system that fits snuggly around children boots.  We believe that this is key for young children.

Rei's MTS Midweight Underwear for kids come in a girl and boy friendly colors, they are rated UPF + 50 and quick drying and are made from Lycra and polyester.  We tested out the top and bottom.

Pros: Fits well and will grow with child.  Fun design that makes them look pretty good compared to basic long underwear. Holds up in the wash, can be used as a cover all bathing suit.

Cons:  A weird thing to say for a synthetic product but they feel kind of synthetic.  They don't add a lot of warmth.

Previous long underwear review:  Link

Personally, I am not a huge fan of fishing but lots of people find it’s a lot of fun.  Introducing fishing to young children can also lead to some interesting lessons.  For example, it’s a great way to explain about our food chain.  Also, since fishing is a slow sport, it can teach children about patience, accomplishments and the satisfaction of working for your food.  You don’t have to be really fit or athletic to enjoy fishing, so it can even be a great way for grandparents, disabled family members and the blind to spend time with children outdoors.

When I was a young child my father ran a fishing boat.  I saw him go out to sea on it and I can remember the fear that I had when I heard the wind blow through the windows of our cape home.  At one point when I was in early elementary school, he brought me and a friend fishing by a river and he got a hook stuck in his thumb.  I had to go to the hospital with him so that he could get the stitches.  My friend got a slug on her foot and he pulled it out and I put some antibacterial cream on it.  These experiences stuck with me.  I have strong images of a fat fish not wanting to bite our bait because he could see us.  I see my father wincing in pain with tears in his eyes as the doctor stitches him up, or my friend’s horror as she discovers she cannot put her foot in her shoe because a huge black creature is stuck to her foot.

These stories may not inspire you to go out and fish with your kids, maybe that is why I started by saying that fishing is not high on my list of activities to do with my daughters, but I do see the good in having had these life experiences.  Of course, going fishing with children isn’t usually traumatic; just a casual way to have fun!.  We are lucky to have a fish hatchery near our house and that is how I introduce my girls to fishing.

1.       Visit a hatchery:

Although there is no fishing at a hatchery, children can watch the fish, feed them and learn about how they grow.  They can meet knowledgeable workers who  will likely tell them about various breeds of fish and stocking practices. Often a hatchery will have a children’s pond where fishing is allowed.

2.      Read books

After visiting the hatchery, my daughter often asks me to read books that have pictures of fish and to look at the different attributes of different families of fish.

3.      Gear

Fish hatcheries or local sporting goods shops will have basic fishing poles and bait.  What child does not love to dig up worms in a garden?  Once, we made friends with a little girl at a nearby park who had a pink Barbie fishing pole and neon colored bate.  Both Cora and the little girl went by the river and tried to catch fish.

4.       Trip:

Once your child seems interested (and you are pretty confident in your skills), go ahead and plan a canoe or hiking trip where one of the meals is going to be caught fish.  To avoid disappointment, be sure to pick a spot where you can be pretty assured of success.  Ten years ago, when I was on a canoe trip with some friends we ran into a family that caught all their meals.  One of my friends was so interested that she learned how to gut a fish.  She learned the skill in her twenties while the ten year old boy was the teacher. I am sure that child understands at least a bit about the energy it takes to bring food to our tables each night.

Heidi Ahrens

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These small compact towels fit in any of your pockets and are practical to wipe up spills, dry off or even to be used as en emergency diaper.  They are so compact and light weight that you can afford the luxury of bringing a towel on a backpacking trip.

We tested out these light load towels and found that they did absorb water but not big spills.  They can work as a diaper in a pinch if you have a diaper cover to put over them.  The texture of these towels is fine but leaves the skin still slightly damp.

They can be washed again and again but then they are not as compact.If you get some of these I would not open them until you really need them. We found these towels to be good stocking stuffers for the outdoor enthousiasts in our lives.

I know some of you are going to say:  “Come on, why steps for building a sand castle?  You would be surprised; some people have never had the opportunity; so if they do want to give it a try, shouldn’t they get some advice on the most effective techniques?

Remember:  A sand castle is really a sand creation.  It can take any shape you would like:  a mermaid, a city, a frog, a shoe, whatever you like.    Also,  you can make a sand creation at the beach or in your sand box.

1.      Containers:

Yes, they sell sand buckets, shovels and special shaped gadgets, but you can use old yogurt containers and get the same results.

2.      Sand quality

You can’t make a sand castle with dry sand.  You need wet sand but not drippy. It needs to be able to lump.  Your sand should also be smooth and free of debris.

3.      Props

Shells, seaweed, garbage, bottles, bottle caps, old straws, can be used to create bridges, tunnels or to decorate your finished product.

4.      Location

Make sure your build your sand castle far  from the rising tide.  If not, your creation is going to be under water soon enough.   If you build it too far away from the shore it will be hard to keep the sand moist.

Heidi Ahrens

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I don’t know about you but I am over putting iodine or bleach in my water.  It may be because I spent many years using these chemicals to make sure my water was good to drink and then had to make sure I replenished  the flora of my stomach with acidophilus.  I now use water filters, but they are bulky, heavy and take up pack room.  They can be a challenge to use while dealing with children as well.

There is a new product on the market called a steri pen.  You simply take this battery operated wand and place it inside your water bottle and within ninety seconds you get 1 liter of water sterilized and ready for consumption.    Your water is purified by an ultra violet light. The whole device weights 4.5 oz and will clean 50 liters of water using one set of batteries.

We tested the Steripen journey LCD

Pro: light, no chemicals, no pumping or losing parts, great for foreign travel or small trips, ease of use by or for children, easy to access and quick for a small amount of water, comes in handy belt or pack strap carrying case

Con:  Using this product in a desert environment would be hard because you need a readily available water source, if not you would need many water containers, does not take away sediments so when getting water let’s say from a cow watering hole it may still be thick (I did not test the product in this kind of environment), need to bring many batteries on a long trip or when using the steri pen for many people,

Earthlust’s tag line, Sustainability with Style, sure got my attention.  As a mom who strives to make environmentally-conscious decisions to make sure that we protect the resources I so much want my daughters and readers to enjoy, it is sometimes hard to still feel stylish.  When you are concerned with hydrating your little ones on different outings you can seem like a frazzled nanny instead of a hip cool-looking mom.  Well, Earthlust has a line of BPA free, stainless steel water bottles with limited edition nature-inspired designs that look cool on the trail, in your car or in an upper west side park.   I hope my bottle will continue looking shiny and clean.  As I say to my daughter “that is my water bottle; I want it so that I can look like a fashionable adult,” she says “OK  maman, give me a sip,” and she takes it and drags it off around the house.

It is a sand castle, sand play, and creature observation kit that is made of foldable plastic (all the parts fold up flat!).  It comes in a flat carrying case and is BPA free.  It takes no room in your car or suitcase if you are going to a destination vacation.  No messy car and no wasteful purchase of sand toys you leave behind while on vacation.  Simply snap the different parts together and you have a shovel, bucket, sifter, mold and a viewing aquarium.  The only drawback is that it comes with only one shovel.  When you take this toy out, the whole park wants to join in the fun, and one shovel does not really cut it.  Also, most families have more than one child and another shovel should be included.

  We have tried the whole line of sun protection from Kiss My Face and really liked most of the products.  Our family favorite is the Face Factor SPF 30. It feels like moisturizer and does not turn you all white.  The other product we really liked was the After Sun Aloe Soother.  It really worked well.  All the other sunscreens really protected us this whole summer.  We spent a lot of time outside hiking, at the pool and playing outdoors.  The creams have a very white finish, so be aware, and it does show on clothing and they sting your eyes.  The insect repellent product was really useless and the sunspray Lotion spf 30 was our daughter’s favorite because of the fun spray applicator, but it was a complete disaster for us.  She would spray it on, and it does not really spread well without adult supervision and it would go all over her body, clothing and floor making her bright white like Casper the Ghost.  She also would sneak it away and spray very thick amounts of it all over herself.  Check out the environmental working  groups data  base for  a rating ( effectiveness and health) of all these different products.   They rate Kiss My Face products with caution.

This 3000 square mile provincial park can mostly be visited in the backcountry by foot or canoe.  However along the highway that crosses it there are fourteen trails, eight campgrounds, a visitor center, a few eating establishments and two museums that are all accessible by car.

If you are just driving through, you don’t need a reservation.  But if you want to use the campgrounds or go into the backcountry, you need to reserve well in advance.  This is a very popular destination for many Canadians.  Don’t worry too much about crowds, though; when you are in the backcountry you will not be swarmed by other groups, since the park is well managed.  However you may encounter many mosquitoes and moose.  If you are lucky you, can spot other wildlife like beaver, fox, wolf or bear. Rest assured like most wild animals, they will be more scared of you then you are of them.

Another great way to experience the park is to stay at one of the three lodges offering cabins or luxury accommodation within the park.  You may need to take a small boat ride to get to your lodging but you will be taken care of in style.

Planning a trip to Algonquin Provincial Park is pretty simple if you are already knowledgeable about backcountry hiking or canoeing.  If you stop by the visitor’s center they have clear maps and all the trails and tent sites are clearly marked.  Make sure to bring all your appropriate gear or reserve your gear from a local outfitter.

Also, the group of seven, Canada's (1910-1930) group of landscape painters were inspired by this parks majestic wilderness.  So, don't forget your camera or your paints.

Heidi

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My husband and I recently took our 19 month old, Allie, to kayak the Buffalo River. She loved it. There are plenty of places to stop and play. Mama and Dada got to take turns fishing for smallmouth while Allie enjoyed playing with the rocks in the water. We did a 4 mile stretch, which worked out really well. Allie took a nap for part of the stretch. This is a great time of year to go to the Buffalo. Here is the link for more info: http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm. Come visit us at www.snuggbuggbaby.com! 

Since the birth of Jack our outdoor activities were limited compared to what they have been in the past.  We have just started some short hikes with him and plan to camp with him for the first time this October.

I just wanted to share a picture of him in the tidal pool at the Sebastian Inlet having a radical time on Dada's surf board.  For any famalies in the central Florida area, this is an awesome place to bring a toddler to play.  This particular day 3 manatees were also sharing in the fun in the tidal pool.