#guentheradventures

Motivating Kids to Hike (and love it!) The benefits to getting kids outside and into nature are well researched, and well documented. We know it’s good for them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Here are some ways that we have found worked well for us to keep our own children motivated on the trail. We recommend trying them all and seeing what works for you! Scavenger Hunts: Scavenger Hunts can be super simple or more complicated. If you’re on the go, make it easy. Try counting things, like how many people do you see? How many other animals? How many birds? How many fallen trees? You can do sensory searches. Find something soft. Find something rough. Find something quiet. Find something loud. Let your imagination go wild! This can be changed in 1000 different ways to keep your kids entertained.  We’ve used scavenger hunts with kids as young as 2 and with groups of teenagers as well. It’s great for kids of all ages. Actually, adults will enjoy a good scavenger hun...

Ohio State Parks created the Storybook Trails -  " Ohio’s Storybook Trails bring books to life for children and families. Storybook Trails are lined with pages from a children’s book to blend the fun of outdoor exploration with reading. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources launched the Storybook Trail program in 2019 to promote the importance of literacy, a healthy lifestyle, and connecting with nature."  On the official website , there are maps to see where you can find the trails. They are getting more and more popular as cities start making their own story book trails.  I will always encourage my kids to read and I will always buy them books if they want them (within reason of course!) My parents always said growing up that even though books are expensive they couldn't be upset buying them for us due to how important reading can be. Reading reduces stress by 68% When children have a home library, as few as 20 books of their own at home (one bookshelf full), they ac...

Mom, let’s go see the Trolls. Okay, let’s go!

These are the three Best Friends that anyone could have... but really these three are Best Friends Forever - or at least the dads have been friends since they were in elementary school. One of our first trips together with the two families and it was extremely relaxing and enjoyable. Lake Loramie has three cabins available for rent. According to the website , including the 3 cedar cabins which have a loft and separate double bunk bedroom they also have; "42 sites with full hook-ups, 4 are lakeside and 4 are ADA compliant 120 electric sites; 40 of which are premium sites 15 non-electric sites (Tent camping, only.) Several sites have boat tie-ups." It was a decent drive from home and the perfect getaway with friends. The campground has a playground, there are water activities, and our favorite: hiking trails! We were facing the beautiful lake and the view was the first thing we saw when we looked outside in the morning. Sometimes you pick a place with a view! John Muir said, ...

Have you ever heard of the book, "Going on a bear hunt?" How about the "A, b, c" song? I know these are things that any parent reading this is probably shaking their head saying, how would I not know this book and song?! I have them memorized! Well, one activity that we do quite often on our hiking adventures are the following two activities. The first activity is called.... iSpy. I know, I know. Groundbreaking! We play iSpy colors, iSpy type of trees, and the boys favorite is iSpy the item. How we play this game is simple, we say iSpy a mushroom... and then you have the find a mushroom.  A variation of this game is the storytelling game. E loves to make up stories and because E loves to do it, B loves to do it too. It's like monkey see monkey do over here with these two brothers. Here is a story they told as we walked through the trail.

E asked all summer, "Can we sleep in a tent?" "Can we go camping outside in a tent?" "When are we going to sleep in the tent?" As a family, we have never tent camped before, therefore this is what we did and here is what we learned. 1. We asked a friend who camps to help us out. He was incredibly amazing! Not only did he let us borrow both a tent and other items to try it out, but he also taught us how to set up the tent. We waited until the beginning of fall so it wouldn't be extremely hot or humid like summer normally ends up being. 2. The most important detail of our camping adventure was our location, the backyard. For many reasons we wanted to be close to home in order in case the boys wouldn't fall asleep, we needed a bathroom, or if we decided that camping wasn't for us. 3. Sneak peak... we loved it!   We picked a date and got started. Part of our goal was to spend as much time outside as possible for this adventure to make it as authent...

Our annual trip to the area usually involves a trip on the Jet Express to Put in Bay. We have a system for our Put in Bay trips since we've taken them almost every year of E's life. Most of the adventure occurs driving the golf cart around. It is the only time the boys ever ride a golf cart and therefore it makes it the best thing in the world. Plus, it's usually hot so it provides a nice breeze as we adventure around the islands. None of us, my parents included, have ever been to Kelleys Island and so we decided this year to take a visit and see what it has to offer for a family vacation.