Tag Archives: Boulder County

National Kids to Parks Day is May 17, 2014 – What Are You Planning? Here are some great Boulder options…

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We live in Boulder so most of us get out kids outside on a regular basis. But hey, May 17, 2014 is a National Kids to Park Day. So lets get outside and help support a great national effort to get outdoors more! Maybe think about heading to a park you have not been to. Or doing something you have not done. Or just making the time to go together as a family. Whatever your reason here are some ideas of where to go. what to do, and why do it.

The National Park Trust is asking people to pledge to get to a park on National Kids to Park Day: Take The Pledge Here!

Why Get Kids Outside?

Getting outdoors benefits the body, mind & spirit! When you are outdoors at a park you are moving your body and getting exercise, taking in some vitamin D, laughing, and enjoying time together. There is research showing that being outdoors can do everything from reducing ADHD symptoms, increasing test scores, etc… [You can find more details here at the National Wildlife Federation’s website] But we know that being outside just increases our overall wellbeing. Get outside. You will get something from the experience!

Where To Go?

What To Do?

There is always something to do at your local park or on a hike. Think about bringing a picnic and making sure you gage what you do to ensure your children have fun out there. There are a few things the City of Boulder’s Open Space & Mountain Parks is planning for National Kids to Parks Day on May 17, 2014, which sound really fun for the whole family! More details here.

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What are you going to do for National Kids to Parks Day?

#getoutside #outdoorfamilies #nationalkidstoparksday #boulder #colorado

Boulder Area Summer Camps 2014

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Why do I need to start thinking about summer camps? I feel this way every year. Honestly. And many years I have blown it off and figured it would all work out in the end. It has and it hasn’t. If you wait too long a lot of the really popular camps fill up. So even though there was recently snow on the ground and more is coming it is time to start thinking about summer camps.

There are lots of summer camp listings that come out every year. I like the one the Boulder County Kids pulls together. Click the image to get to the actual camp directory.

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How do you decide which camps your kids should attend. First of all what are your needs? Do you work? Do they provide the hours you need. If you are simply doing these camps as enrichment then what does your child enjoy? What are their interests? The Camp Issue above helps you to sort through these questions.

A quick shout out to some great Boulder camps:

Larger camp programs

  • CU Science Discovery: Very diverse offerings from the fields of science, math, writing, photography. Most kids can find something here they will love!
  • Avid 4 Adventure: If your child loves adventures outside this may be the camp for them. Kayaking, biking, climbing, and most other outdoor pursuits you can name are provided here.
  • Boulder Indoor Soccer: This program offers week long summer soccer camps. They are super flexible, fun, challenging and your kids come back with great skills.

Smaller camp programs

  • Feet on the Earth: Earth bound, skills oriented camps for girls and boys
  • Science Adventure Program: Very sweet farm and survival skills related summer camps for boys and girls situated on a small farm in the Cherryvale area.
  • Growing Gardens – Children’s Peace Garden: Spend a summer learning about the earth, gardening and much more through this small Boulder non-profit.

There are so many great options out there. Take a look. Get excited. All the best on your summer camp journey!

Come One, Come All to the Summer Heritage Evening at the Historic Walker Ranch Homestead

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On July 20, 2013 your family has an incredible opportunity to go back in time to get a sense of what it was like to be a homesteading family in the Boulder area. To be clear you need to head up early evening of July 20 to Walker Ranch to take part in their Summer Heritage Evening.

This is where you will find volunteers doing historical re-enactment of the homesteading lifestyle. It is always a bit different, but well worth the trip up Flagstaff to engage in activities such as learning to rope a cattle, playing with early settler’s toys, watching baking, blacksmithing, etc… Think Little House on the Prairie right in our back yard.

Time: 5:00 to 7:30pm

Location: Walker Ranch [To get to the Walker Ranch homestead, go approximately 7.4 miles up Flagstaff Mountain Road, west of Boulder]

Cost: Free

More information about the Walker Ranch Summer Heritage Evening can be found here.