Alas, summer can’t last forever and in our humble opinion it shouldn’t because there are plenty of fun family activities to do all year. Still, it’s hard not to get a little sad when the days start to shorten, the nights get colder, and the threat of frost grows ever closer. We’d like to help…
It’s here. The dreaded fifth season of the West: forest fire season. I witnessed it myself when driving south on 395 toward Spokane and happened to pass several fire fighters doing their best to stop a grass/brush fire from becoming a monstrous forest fire. The often unsung heroes of our region succeeded and saved land,…
This summer, we’ve decided to take a closer look at the importance of fun and play in our lives. There are plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy a family activity no matter where you live whether your idea of fun is visiting a theme park, strolling through a city park, or hiking through…
I love taking photographs. At every party, reunion, vacation, or other special event, I always have my camera at the ready. There is something almost magical about photography. When you press that button, time stops. Fleeting emotions suddenly become eternal and once-in-a-lifetime suddenly lasts a lifetime. So how much to you actually know about photography? …
We believe in the power of play and the fundamental benefits of fun. Imagine a world without fun … not pretty, right? But everyone has a different idea of what is fun and everyone has different preferences for how they play. This is one of the major obstacles of family fun activities. How do you…
Before we dive into ways to play in some of our nation’s expansive wildernesses, we figured it would be best to explore ways that you can minimize your impact while enjoying the outdoors. We won’t go into the lifestyle choices that we all make which have an impact on our world, but will instead zoom…
Toddlers. Though most of us don’t remember much of what being a toddler was like, those with toddlers in their family can probably attest to the fact that they are little bundles of extremes – extreme emotion, energy, and exhaustion, though that last bit usually references their parents. Toddlers are often thought to be wild,…
Welcome back to the third installment of our series on play. Now that you know why play is important for children and adults, let’s discuss what play is. Play is something done, not for the outcome, but for the process. Imagine a child sitting down with a piece of blank paper and a box of…
After reading Part One of this blog series, you may have a better understanding of how important play is in our children’s lives. Play, not rigid and structured educational pressures, is vital for the development of a child’s mind allowing them to become more creative, compassionate, self-reliant, and successful throughout their lives. Don’t get us…
Let me ask you a few questions … and answer honestly. When was the last time you jumped in a puddle? Or in a pile of leaves? When can you last remember building a fort, playing pirate, or sledding down a hill? Can’t remember? Or did the general answer of “when I was a kid”…
