That’s when I suggest my girls and I do one of these nature art projects —and then watch their imagination and creativity blossom. These also make for fun camping activities for kids so you’ll never run out of things to do on your next family camping trip.

We’ve been doing these nature projects for kids for years. Now whenever we take our dog for a walk, the girls want to bring along their buckets so they can collect “nature art supplies” for later crafts. When I say, “Hey, want to do a nature art project?” they literally jump up and down, asking me what we’re going to do.

Because variety is the spice of nature art projects, and you might want a little inspiration, I’ve put together a list of 34 gorgeous camping arts and crafts that you can use while camping, or simply out in your yard. Go ahead, let your creativity shine!

And since you’re excited to have fun with your kids once you reach the Great Outdoors, you might as well have a wonderful time getting there, too! Grab your copy of my book Road Trip Games & Activities for Kids. It shares 33 fun, customizable games and free printables that will keep you and your littles entertained for hours! Click the image below to get your copy in e-book or paperback!

Beat boredom with these fun camping activities for kids

Boredom while we’re family camping or just out in the yard is unfathomable to me now—there’s little I’d rather do than just relax in a quiet forest or chill by a river. But I remember complaining to my mom—“I’m booooooored”—when I was a kid.

Get rid of the b-word when you’re outdoors with one—or many!—of these fun nature crafts which make for some of the best family camping activities.

But, before you get started with these fun camping activities for kids, be sure to come prepared with extra supplies including glue, paper, clay, crayons, washable paint and string. 

1. Nature collage: The most popular kids camping activity

There’s no questioning why this is number 1 on my list of best camping activities for kids.

With just glue, card stock and whatever nature supplies your kids collect, they can create gorgeous nature collages. My kids can happily spend an hour on this camping arts and crafts project, while hubby and I sit back, relax and enjoy the outdoors!

2. Nature mandalas: One of the most exciting camping activities for kids

Send your kids on a scavenger hunt for pieces of nature. (I always bring buckets on our camping trips for this part!) Then create symmetrical designs using flowers, pine cones and whatever else you find at your campsite.

3. Ash painting: Most unique camping arts and crafts activity

In a bucket, stir together a scoop of campfire ash (that has completely cooled off, of course!) and water until it makes a thin paste. Then invite your kids to create art with this DIY black “paint”! Paint the sidewalk or white paper, but not your clothes—it will probably stain.

Your kids will be even more excited about this camping art project when you explain that this technique is one of the ways cavemen made art on their walls.

4. Leaf animals

Collect a variety of leaves—aim for different sizes, shapes and colors. Arrange them on a piece of paper, the ground or a tree stump, using leaves for each animal part. You can add a googly eye (I love a good googly eye) or use something found in nature—like a pebble—for the animal’s eyes, nose and even spots.

5. Clay nature prints

When you bring clay on your next family camping trip, your kids can make nature prints—which are basically fossils. (Yes, you just upped your cool factor!)

Give small pieces of clay to each child. They can roll it in a smooth ball and flatten it to a disc, then press an item from nature into it. Carefully peel it out to reveal an imprint of a snail shell, twig or pine cone. This is one of my kids’ favorite camping arts and crafts!

6. Rock footprints

Find stones of different sizes. Then arrange them in the shape of footprints, using big rocks for the pad of the foot and pebbles for toes.

Depending on the shapes of your rocks, you can leave human footprints or animal footprints. Your kids may even be inspired in this camping art project to create footprints of the animals in your camp! Think of raccoons and squirrels, or bear and cougars!

7. Nature face

Use what you find in nature—sticks, rocks, leaves, pinecones, flowers—to make a funny face. You can set this up on the ground or a tree stump, or leave it on a picnic table for someone else to find—and laugh over! Your family can get quite creative with this fun nature art idea.

8. Nature puppets

With some glue and a popsicle stick (or even a regular ol’ stick), you can make an adorable, creative puppet with items you found in nature. My girls and I made this one with leaves, dandelion stems and even marigold seeds – Although I think I had more fun than they did with this nature art activity!

9. Home sweet tent

Collect sticks or rocks—whatever is most plentiful in your campsite. Then spell out the word “home” in front of your tent.

Doesn’t your tent feel cozier now?

10. Fairy houses: The best camping activity for kids

Using whatever nature materials you have at your campsite, your kids can build a home for fairies to live in! My kids got so into this camping art project that it stretched over three days.

They would add to it (the final fairy house included an obstacle course, playground and chandelier) and play with their ponies in the structures. They ended up using our firewood—so we had to get more, since we couldn’t burn their fairy houses!

This camping arts and craft project really allows them to use their imagination and will keep your kids entertained for hours on end.

11. Leaf rubbings

Remember doing leaf rubbings when you were a kid? Just have your child put leaves, ferns or other items from nature under a sheet of paper, then gently rub a paper-free crayon over the paper. Your child will watch an etching of the leaf appear!

12. Color explorations: the best kids nature art for the fall

This activity works best in the fall, when nature’s colorful side is on full display, but you can do it anytime of the year.

Pick a narrow range of colors—e.g. red-orange-yellow—and collect as many things within those hues as you can (e.g. leaves). Then arrange them on the ground by gradation of color. In this example, you’d start with the deepest red on one end, and the color would transition to yellow on the other end. It’s like nature ombre!

13. Nature paintbrushes

All you need to bring along for this nature art and crafts project is washable paint and paper. Collect different items in nature—a fern frond, a small pine branch, flowers, anything—and use them as a paintbrush.

Invite your kids to experiment by printing with the natural item or brushing. Your kids will be delighted by the diverse effects.

14. Leaf towers

It’s amazing how something as simple as a leaf can be used in so many different kids camping activities! To make these leaf towers, find a thin stick, then collect as many different leaves as you can. Poke the stick through the center of each leaf—don’t worry if you tear it, there are plenty more! Leave a few inches between the leaves.

You can create a pattern on your leaf tower (maple-ash-maple-ash) or simply add leaves in an order that feels natural.

When you’re done, help your kids poke the wider end of the stick into the ground, creating a beautiful—and unexpected—piece of nature art.

15. Fairy wands

Invite your kids to collect pieces of nature that call to them, like dandelion blooms, cattails, ferns or anything else. Arrange the items near the edge of a sturdy stick about 12 inches long. Use string (or even the twine that kept your firewood bundle together) to tie the items to the end of the stick. Now your kids have fairy wands!

16. Flower crown

If you’re anything like me, you have fond memories of sitting in the grass as a kid and weaving together daisy chains for a flower crown. Teach your kids this crucial life skill.

The last time I made a flower crown, I didn’t just stick to daisies; I wove in other wildflowers for a less uniform—and more organic—look. This is one of my favorite art projects and my kids get so excited every time we make these flower crowns.

17. Grass pom poms

Pom poms are having their moment—so you might as well bring them with you camping. Rip thick grass into sections about 3 inches long. Gather a small handful and arrange them so they’re roughly in an even stack. Use a longer, sturdy piece of grass (hay-like grass that’s in between fresh and dry works great) to tie the bundle together in the middle.

Fluff out the pieces of grass so they create a pom pom—and hang it from somewhere fun, like your rain fly! #pompomdecor

18. Leaf confetti

If you want your camping trip to be extra-celebratory, just bring along a hole punch: You can punch different colored leaves to make confetti! Simply punch leaves over a plate (so they don’t get scattered on the ground) until you have enough to take handfuls—and HOORAY! Instant camp party!

19. Nature necklaces

Since you have your hole punch handy, punch holes at the base of leaves and other items in nature. Then string them through a piece of twine you have on-hand—or even long strands of grass. Tie the ends together to make a gorgeous nature necklace for your kids.

20. Bodies in nature

Have your child lie down on the ground and trace her body with a stick. All along the outline, place whatever you have handy at your campsite: pinecones, rocks, or even seashells. Then have your kid fill in her portrait. This nature art project for kids is a beautiful—and engrossing—activity that could last your entire camping trip!

21. Tree stump portraits

Find a tree stump and use it as the starting point for a portrait. On the tree stump “face,” you can add hair (grass, moss), eyes (clovers, sand dollars), lips (leaves, berries) and anything else your child can imagine for this nature craft project.

22. Nature chalk drawings

Time to get really creative with the next few kids camping activities, and they’ll love it! With chalk, draw outlines of things you find in nature—then continue to draw to turn them into animals, landscapes or whatever your child can imagine! The outline of a leaf, for example, could turn into a hedgehog, the flame from a fire-breathing dragon or the top of a tree. 

23. Bark painting

Forget paper; paint on tree bark instead. Simply find some bark on the ground (though please don’t pull it off of living trees, as it stresses and harms the tree) and paint whatever you like. Your kids may be curious about the different results of painting on the rough outside and the smoother inside with this nature art project.

24. Decorate nature fairies

I recently printed out these free drawings from Mer Mag, and the girls and I transformed them into forest fairies by adding found objects from nature.

I’ll definitely plan ahead for our next family camping trip so we can add this camping art project to the mix!

25. Dangling nature art

Bring along string or yarn from home—your kids will love this camping art project. Simply tie things you find in nature to strings of varying length. Then hang the strings from a tree branch for a gorgeous art installation.

They remind me of disco beads, yes?

26. Nature spirals

This camping nature art project is super-simple. Just collect a bunch of the same things—my kids gathered basalt rocks on a recent family camping trip—and arrange them in a spiral.

Spirals are found naturally everywhere in nature. Just think of the arrangement of sunflower seeds, the curve of a seashell or even a hurricane. Humans have been using a spiral as a sacred symbol in art and architecture for centuries; why not add it to your nature art project, too?

27. Nature God’s eye

You might have made these at summer camp with popsicle sticks and fluorescent yarn; you can make this all-natural art from materials found outside, too.

Cross two short sticks in an X. Take a bendable vine (such as a long ivy branch) and begin to wrap it back and forth around the intersection where the sticks meet in the middle. When you get to the end of the vine, tie it to another vine—either the same kind or a different one for an alternating pattern. Continue until the nature God’s eye is full to the edge of the stick (or earlier if your little ones lose patience!). Tie off the vine at the end, and hang it from your tent or a tree.

28. Hammered flower prints

We always keep a mallet in our camping box; you might have a hammer. Use it to create gorgeous flower prints, a camping craft idea you may not be familiar with!

Lay a piece of white paper on something sturdy that you don’t mind getting slightly dented (such as a beat-up picnic table). Lay out a design of brightly colored flowers. Cover your design with a paper towel. Gently tap all over the paper towel with the mallet or hammer, doing your best to not move the flowers too much underneath.

Lift up the paper towel and peel off the flowers to reveal your flower prints! 

29. Leaf stencils

Lay a leaf onto a sheet of paper. Hold it still by pressing one finger into the center of the leaf. Using a sponge or a wide paintbrush, dab the area around the leaf and on the edges of the leaf. Carefully lift up the leaf (it works best to lift it from the stem). You’ll reveal white space where your leaf used to be.

30. Mushroom prints

Pick a mushroom (just familiarize yourself with your region’s fungi to ensure you’re not picking something poisonous; check out this book on North American fungi), then remove the stalk. Place the mushroom cap gills-down on a blank piece of paper. Place a cup over the mushroom cap to keep the breeze from disturbing it and leave the mushroom overnight.

In the morning, pick up the cap—you should see a print left behind from the spores the mushroom released!

31. Life-sized nature people

Using rocks, branches, driftwood, even seaweed—whatever materials you have around—make a life-sized person out of nature. You can even dress him or her up, give a fancy hairdo, or add some bling!

What’s more, this is a fun nature art project you can continue to add to over the course of your time outside. Start this outdoor art project at the beginning of your camping trip, for example, and see how it evolves throughout your stay.

32. Nature weaving

Find three sticks and collect a bunch of long vines or grasses. Push the base of each stick into the ground, close to each other in a row. Tie one end of a vine or blade of grass to one of the outside sticks near where it meets the ground. Weave the vine in and out of the sticks to create a gorgeous nature weaving project.

33. “Paint” with dandelions

One of our new favorite camping arts and crafts: painting with dandelions! I love the vibrant yellow of dandelions—and did you know you can use them to paint or draw?

Simply pick a few dandelions and smudge them over paper. The pretty yellow hue shows up on the paper! This is the perfect camping craft for toddlers.

34. Braid flowers

If you’re like me, you might be skilled at braiding your kids’ hair—so why not transfer that expertise to flowers? 

Simply tie together three flowers with long stems. (I use a long piece of grass to tie them together under the base of the flower.) Then braid them, adding a new flower to the strand every other time you cross the stems. 

I recently braided flowers into a dandelion crown. The kids later used it to decorate the entrance to our tent. Then Maxine turned the flower braid into a zip line for her fairy house!

The best camping activities for kids (and the whole family)

Now that you’ve looked through all these fun camping crafts for kids, you have so many ideas for family camping trips—or just your back yard. You and your little ones will be inspired to play outdoors with all these outside activities for kids.

Do you have a favorite? One you’re most excited to try? Tell me in the comments! And don’t forget to pin this post or email it to a friend!

And if you want to make buckets for camping arts and crafts for your own kids, see the directions below.

Yield: 1 activity bucket for kids

Create a Camping Arts and Crafts Bucket

Print

Make a camping arts and crafts bucket for kids! On your next family camping trip or outdoor adventure, these buckets have all the supplies and inspiration for fun camping activities for kids.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Difficulty easy

Materials

• Bucket or pail
• Puff paint
• Notepad
• Crayons
• Pencil and colored pencils
• Magnifying glass
• Yarn
• Paintbrush and paint (watercolors or washable tempera)
• White glue
• Sidewalk chalk
• *You don't need everything on the supplies list, though these materials will allow your kids to do nearly every camping activity in this post.

Instructions

1. Assemble the camping arts and crafts supplies you'll need. Buy supplies from the materials list above or rummage through your craft drawer.
2. Using puff paint, write your child's name on a bucket.
3. Once the paint is dry, fill the bucket with camping arts and crafts supplies.
4. Customize supplies if you like, e.g. writing your child's name on the notepad.
5. Keep the bucket secret so you can surprise your kids on your next family camping trip or outdoor adventure!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Sturdy buckets 
• 
  Washable sidewalk chalk
• 
  Washable paint that won't stain

Did you try this? What did you think?

Were these instructions helpful? Be a gem and share this info with someone else who could use it!

PS – Want ideas for family camping in Oregon? Check out my post on yurt camping at Ft. Stevens on the Oregon Coast, or tent camping at Milo McIver State Park near Portland.

The post 34 GORGEOUS Camping Activities For Kids: The Best Nature Art Projects appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

But you don’t need that. After all, you’ve worked hard to plan, schedule and make this family trip happen. All you want is fun quality time with your kids and your partner—so you need the kids’ sleep routine to hold steady.

I’m 100% with you precisely because I’ve done family vacations with sleep… and without. (It’s no surprise that we all prefer the well rested vacations.)

Here’s where you should really pay attention: In this blog post, I’m going to share 13 tips to protect your kids’ sleep schedule on vacation. Yes, I have earned—and tested—these nuggets of wisdom, but I’ve also brought in the brilliant Brittney Stefanic, a super-successful sleep consultant (who, by the way, lives what she preaches with her 2-year-old son).

Brittney is a traveler at heart, and she loves to explore the country with her husband and son. In fact, they recently finished a 4-week bi-coastal trip, including adventures in Colorado and North Carolina! She knows firsthand that when you don’t sleep, life is way too hard—especially on vacation—so she works with families with young kids to help everyone get the rest they need.

So don’t leave your littles’ sleep on vacation to chance. Safeguard your kids’ sleep schedule on vacation—and have a beautiful, relaxing and rested trip!

13 tips to save your kids’ sleep schedule on vacation—approved by a sleep consultant!

1. Split the difference on time zones

How to deal with changing time zones and kids’ sleep is one of the most common questions I get about family travel, and for good reason: It’s so confusing! Heck, even adults have trouble adjusting to a new time zone.

Brittney has a rule of thumb that works for her sleep consultancy clients and her own family: If you stay four days or more in your destination, split the difference between your home time zone and the time zone in your vacation spot.

For example, if you’re going from the West Coast to the East Coast and your daughter’s bedtime is usually 7pm, put her to bed at 8:30 eastern time—halfway between the two time zones.

2. Darkness #ftw

Tape tin foil to the inside of windows—this budget trick is like blackout curtains but super cheap, portable and easy to buy no matter where you travel. You can also blackout your windows with black garbage bags and painter’s tape.

In fact, this tip helped my kids sleep in an extra two hours on vacation—and I now swear by it. This is the #1 sleep hack I share with my friends when they travel!

3. Naps—at whatever cost

Schedule long drives during nap time so your kids will fall asleep in the car. The naps aren’t as awesome as they would be at home, in their bed and surrounded by loveys, but they’re better than skipping a nap entirely.

Level 10 travel tip: Use screen time strategically. We splurged for an in-car DVD player when we bought our minivan, but I don’t let my kids watch a movie during nap time because there’s no way sleep would win over My Little Ponies.

4. Lovey lifeline

Bring everything your child uses to sleep at home: lovey, white noise machine, sleep sack, blankie, extra binkies, etc. The last thing you want on vacation is a sleep strike because you forgot your child’s favorite Elmo doll.

5. Same-old, same-old

Keep the sleep environment as consistent as possible. If your kids are used to own their own crib, for example, don’t make them bed-share. If they don’t sleep in the same room as you, reserve a suite with separate bedrooms or get an AirBnB with as much space as you need.

6. Come on, feel the noise

Use a white noise app (I use and like White Noise; free). Even if a white noise machine isn’t a make-or-break deal at home, when you’re trying to protect your kids’ sleep schedules on vacation, they’re a life-saver. Your kids might be sleeping more lightly because they’re in an unfamiliar situation. Or you might find yourself in a situation like we did when we visited Seattle, when we stayed on a 5:30am garbage day route. Either way, white noise is your kids’ sleep schedule’s friend.

7. Bring sheets

One time I stayed at a hotel with Kiwi when she was about 8 months old. She stayed in a hotel pack n play, and when she woke up, she had hives all over her body. That was the last time I’ve ever used hotel sheets for my kids’ bedding.

Both of my kids have super-sensitive skin, so now I pack sheets from home. I know they’re used to the gentle detergent we use every day, not the heavy-duty cleaner they use at hotels, so I don’t have to worry about skin reactions overnight.

8. Less is more

Don’t overcommit yourself and your vacation schedule. When we traveled to San Diego as a family, I was tempted to DO ALL THE THINGS because hey, when’s the next time we’d be in San Diego? After a few days of overscheduled vacation, 2-year-old Peeper crashed, and we ended up spending 3 hours in a hotel room while she napped—during perfect beach weather. Womp-womp.

Now when I plan a family vacation, I plan on doing only two activities per day—one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. We’re less rushed, and we do a much better job of protecting the kids’ sleep schedule on vacation.

Brittney approves of my 2 activities rule. “That limit leaves time for a nap,” Brittney says. “It also cuts back on overstimulation: We’re so excited about all the new things to try and do, but the newness and cognitive challenge is more intensified for children, which can really throw off their sleep.”

9. Eat dinner in

I’m pretty sure you’ve experienced this just like me: You do a bunch of family-friendly activities when you’re on vacation and finally head to dinner. But by the time you order, get food, eat, pay the bill and collect the kids from their meltdown on the french fry-strewn floor, it’s late.

So at least once during your family vacation, skip that routine and eat in. Get takeout or cook something familiar (boxed mac n cheese, anyone?) at your AirBnB. “Eating in is especially helpful when you have a couple of late nights in a row,” Brittney says. “Keep the evening like your typical routine at home. The more relaxed time will also act as a reset if you’ve fallen into some bad kids’ sleep routines on vacation.”

10. Protect your (sleep) boundaries

I’d bet these words have come out of your mouth: “Just let the kids have fun on vacation; we’ll get back into a sleep routine when we get home.” But letting them stay up as late as they want and sleep in as long as they want will be hard to correct once you get home.

Instead, Brittney recommends, hold fast to your sleep boundaries. This can be harder if you vacation with other families that are more lax about their kids’ sleep schedule on vacation. If the cousins get to stay up late to eat popcorn and watch movies every night, your kids will want to, too. But guess whose kids will be overtired, cranky and a pain to be around the next day? Answer: Not your well rested angels!

Here’s where I, personally, make an exception: If there’s a once-in-a-lifetime special occasion, I’ll bend the rules for my kids’ sleep schedule on vacation. For example, we’re going camping during the Perseid Meteor shower this month, and I’m going to let my kids stay up. Normally I’m doing my darnedest to get them to bed by dark, but I’m totally willing to compromise so that they can see comet debris burning in the upper atmosphere at 37 miles per second.

11. Everybody puts Baby in the corner

Raise your hand if you’ve set up your baby’s pack n play in a closet while on vacation: I have! #noshame This make-do technique gets the thumbs-up from pediatric sleep expert Brittney. “If it means the best sleep for everyone and it’s safe, then there’s no need to second guess yourself,” she says.

If you still feel weird about it, listen up: Brittney—the expert sleep specialist—recently put her son to bed in a pack n play in a closet at her mother’s house while they vacationed. If this trick is good enough for a pediatric sleep consultant, it’s good enough for me.

12. Shrug off the #fomo guilt

Resist friends and family’s pressure to stay at gatherings that would disrupt children’s sleep schedule. (One way to do this: Describe their crankiness—and the disruption that would cause the next day—if they don’t get their much-needed sleep.)

If your loved ones continue to press you to let the kids stay up, suggest that they get to handle all the childcare the next day while you sleep in/get a massage/visit an antiques store/enjoy time free of a meltdown-y child.

13. Alternate busy days

Sometimes packing a day full of activities is unavoidable—like if you’re part of a wedding party. On vacation days like that, your kids might skip a nap or stay up late.

Follow up hectic days like that with a low-key day, Brittney recommends. “It can help get everything back on track,” she says. “You’re more likely to follow your at-home routine and get back on your kids’ sleep schedule on vacation.” So plan for a mellow day at the beach or the pool, or simply playing board games in your AirBnB.

Get more sleep on vacation

When you have all these tips and tricks to protect your kids’ sleep schedule on vacation, you’re basically guaranteed to get the R&R you want—and so deserve.

What sleep hacks have you tried? What’s your #1 way to make sure you and your kids sleep on vacation?

Brittney Stefanic has much more sleep wisdom to share! You can visit her website to learn more about ways she supports clients, follow her Pinterest which is full of sleep tips, like her Facebook page for virtual sleep Q&A sessions and stalk her on Instagram to see adorable pictures of her son!

PS – If you’re staying at a hotel, you definitely want to read my other post on getting kids to sleep more on vacation: How to get more sleep when sharing a hotel room with kids!

The post Foolproof your kids’ sleep schedule on vacation: 13 expert tips appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

A park or playground.

Hear me out. True, you can play on a playground in your hometown, and a city park might not give you a one-of-a-kind experience you can get only in your destination. But you’ll never regret the time you and your kids spend at the playground on vacation—and in fact, adding it to your vacation itinerary can work wonders on your kids’ attitude (and your stress level!). Here’s why.

5 reasons to add a playground to your family trip itinerary

1. Playing at a park lets your kids burn off energy

If your littles are anything like mine, they finish road trips and plane rides with, ahem, an abundance of energy. Letting them loose on a playground allows them to stretch their legs, get the activity their growing bodies need and just be silly. Trust me: You’d rather have your kids burn off energy at the playground and not the local art museum.

2. Parks are familiar

Especially if your kids are very young or nervous about new places and situations, building something familiar into your family trip itinerary will be comforting. Your kids are less likely to melt down later if they’ve already done something they love—and that they’re used to from their routine at home.

3. Locals’ tips and advice

Here’s my favorite part about adding parks to every family trip itinerary I plan: Hitting up a park gives me the perfect opportunity to meet local parents. These are the people who will give you insider tips on where to eat, play, explore—and what to avoid.

4. Playgrounds make kids happy

Family vacations are all about, well, family time. Planning a trip itinerary only on what you want to do—museums, walking hip neighborhoods, shopping, exploring antique stores—is a sure bet to make your kids cranky. Build in a playground stop and they’ll be in a good mood the rest of the day (like when you stop in at an art gallery, or whatever else you have on your family trip itinerary).

5. Playgrounds let kids be kids

When families go on vacation, kids are often asked to be on their best behavior: They have to eat unfamiliar food at restaurants, stick close to a parent on busy sidewalks, be quiet in museums and otherwise restrain themselves at every turn. But at a playground—the destination they’ll be so glad you included in your trip itinerary—they’re free to be their usual, rambunctious selves.

Have you and your kids ever stopped at a playground on vacation? How did it work out? Do you have other tips to plan a family vacation?

The post Planning the perfect family vacation: The destination you need on every family trip itinerary appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

Just last weekend we headed down to Eugene for the day, and I don’t even mind the 2-hour drive from Portland because my girls always have so much fun!

But it’s not good enough to keep these amazing activities in Eugene to myself; I just had to share my favorites with you all! From splash pads to science museums, wetlands, bike paths to cherry orchards, when it comes to kids’ activities in Eugene, Oregon, you’ll be treated to magical outdoor fun.

Don’t take my word for it, though—try them out next time you travel to Eugene, or pin this post and save for later!

This post contains affiliate links. When you click and buy, I earn a small commission that helps me continue to bring you free travel content. This does not alter the price you pay. Thank you for supporting To & Fro Fam!

The best things to do in Eugene with kids this summer

Make this summer the best yet with these kid-friendly activities in Eugene. Oregon outdoor fun is never in short supply here—and these ideas are guaranteed to please the whole family!

Cool down in the river

When you visit Eugene with kids, do like the locals, and float the Willamette River. Depending on how young your kids are, you might prefer the super-calm, rapid-less Mill Race. You can rent a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard to explore this side channel of the Willamette. (There are rentals at Amazon Park, among other places.)

This is one of the best things to do in Eugene, Oregon so make sure you head to the river for some fun in the sun!

Level 10 travel tip: You’re in a city, but keep your eye out for wildlife here. You might spot a great blue heron, turtles, fish or even a fox!

Splash at the EWEB Fountain

On a hot day, the EWEB Fountain—just a few minutes away from shopping and dining hub 5th Street Market—is a bustling center of joyful activity for families in Eugene. Wear a swimsuit (or the wicking performance fabric dresses from Columbia that are basically my summer uniform) so you can play—and cool off—too!

Level 10 travel tip: What’s even better than splashing in a fountain? Riding through a fountain on your bike! Reach the EWEB Fountain via the bike path that runs along both sides of the Willamette River.

Pick your favorite flavor at Prince Puckler’s

This is always a highlight for my kids when we visit Eugene! Prince Puckler’s is a Eugene landmark (and one where even President Obama visited—and ordered mint chocolate chip!).

Regardless of whether you’re the leader of the USA or not, you can find your own favorite flavor at this ice cream parlor next to the edge of the University of Oregon campus and Hayward Field.

Level 10 travel tip: Take your ice cream to Washburne Park, one block south of Prince Puckler’s. You might see college kids walking slack lines or playing hacky sack while you eat your ice cream.

Hike Mt. Pisgah in Eugene, Oregon

Looking for fun family activities in Eugene? Why not hit the mountains! If you visit Eugene with kids in the summer, you’re better off hiking Mt. Pisgah in the morning. There are plenty of trails to choose from (look up options here), but many of them are exposed to the sun—not great for kids at midday.

Level 10 travel tip: If you do go later in the day, bring swimming suits. Mt. Pisgah has many calm stretches of river where you can splash!

Visit 5th Street Market

This historic, upscale market in downtown Eugene is fun for kids as well as grown-ups. My girls love the fountain on the ground floor, and there’s a toy store upstairs.

Level 10 travel tip: There used to be a rooster that lived at the market. It’s long gone, but there are plenty of references to 5th Street Market’s former mascot. Encourage your kids to look for roosters in the market’s decor and art—it’s like a scavenger hunt!

Hit up the Saturday Market

Every Saturday, just about the entire city of Eugene heads downtown. The Saturday Market is filled with handicrafts, food, musicians, a farmer’s market, and lots of opportunities for unbeatable people watching.

My kids get insanely excited about the balloon animals and the homemade artisan popsicles for sale at the west end of the farmer’s market.

Level 10 travel tip: Let your kids loose at the drum circle, which goes nonstop at the Saturday Market’s northeast corner. Little ones love moving to the rhythm of drums and the occasional digeridoo!

Pick fruit at Eugene’s orchards and farms

Depending on when you visit Eugene in the summer, you can choose from picking strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, apples, and pears. Detering Orchard and Lone Pine Farms (where, actually, I worked for a summer!) are a few of our favorites.

Some farms have animals, pie tastings and other produce for sale, too. This is yet another one my (and my kids’) favorite Eugene attractions! 

Explore Alton Baker Park

This giant park near Autzen Stadium is a wide-open space for kids to run, play, and imagine all sorts of adventures. The best part is the island at the center of the duck pond, which you can reach by the big stepping stones. There is also a native pollinator garden and big concrete sculptures perfect for hide and seek.

Climb into a whale at Skinner’s Butte Park

I have fond memories of playing in this park when I was younger, especially the concrete whale. My kids love it just as much and exploring the playground is one of our best things to do in Eugene. 

Since I was little, though, it’s been totally updated. Skinner’s Butte Park now also has a three-story play structure with multiple slides, a mini-log cabin and a “spray and play” water feature, plus much more.  There’s no questioning why Skinner’s Butte Park is one of their favorite playgrounds when we visit Eugene in the summer.

Stop and smell the flowers at the Rose Garden

June is the best time for the blooms at this Eugene Rose Garden, but it’s pretty any time of year, especially in the Eugene summer. 

See birds up-close at the Raptor Center

In Eugene’s South Hills, a bird sanctuary helps injured avians recover and houses ones that can’t be returned to the wild. You and your kids will see eagles, crows, vultures, owls and other raptors at this wildlife center.

You’ll also learn a lot. For example, did you know that turkey vultures can spit caustic stomach acid when they’re threatened? Well, now you do!

Level 10 travel tip: Check out the Eugene Cascades Raptor Center’s web site for listings of presentations with the center’s birds, where kids can get an even closer look at these amazing avians.

Swim at the Amazon Pool

At the Amazon Pool, there is splashy fun water activities for kids in Eugene of all ages. When you visit with your family, the older ones can do cannonballs off the diving board while the littles play in the shallow pool.

The fountains that sprinkle water from above are great for everyone and after a day splashing in the pools, you’ll agree that this is one of the best places to visit in Eugene!

Disc golf at Dexter Park

About 25 minutes south of Eugene, you’ll find a high-quality disc golf park at Dexter State Park, which is an awesome way to spend the summer in Eugene with kids. Disc golf is a low-pressure game where you throw a small frisbee toward a basket. Young children can hike while the grown-ups play, and older kids may give you a run for your money. 

If you don’t feel up to driving out to Dexter, try the disc golf parks at Alton Baker Park near Autzen Stadium and Westmoreland Park in West Eugene.

Level 10 travel tip: Bring your BBQ supplies and make a day’s outing at Dexter. There are plenty of grills at this state park, as well as boat docks and a swimming area.

Win a gold medal at Hayward Field

Ok, your kids might not actually win any medals at this internationally renowned track (except in their imagination), but it’s fun to pretend! Some of the greatest runners of the last several generations have raced here, and it’s hard not to feel inspired to sprint just a little faster when you run on the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Get pedal power

There’s a reason Eugene was certified as a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community: The entire city embraces 2-wheeled locomotion. Click here to get a map of Eugene’s hundreds of miles of bike paths or pick up a guide at the city’s many bike shops.

Some of my favorite stretches: both the North and South Bank of the Willamette, and the path that winds around the wetlands in West Eugene near West 11th Avenue.

Level 10 travel tip: Cycle along the West Eugene wetlands path in the morning or evening. It won’t be as sunny and hot, and you’ll hear the red winged blackbirds and other avians that call this area home. Keep an eye out for nutria, too, the large water-loving rodents!

Beat the heat at the Wave Pool in Eugene

Still not convinced that Eugene is the best place to visit with kids? Well, if you’re done with UV rays, head inside at this gigantic swimming pool complex. Splash! at Lively Park has different sections, including a wading pool with fountains, a wave pool that simulates the ocean and a big water slide. 

Cheer on the Em’s

Eugene’s minor league baseball team, the Emeralds, now play at PK Park next to Autzen stadium. Root for the home team while eating peanuts, heckling batters and eating ice cream out of tiny plastic baseball caps.

See the night sky in the middle of the day

Summer days are long, but you can catch a sight of the stars anytime at the Eugene Science Museum’s planetarium. This family-friendly museum also has interactive exhibits on meteorites, wind turbines and much more. 

Explore the University of Oregon campus

Summer in Eugene with kids is the perfect time to wander the University of Oregon campus. Since school is out, campus is much less crowded than it is during the school year. Who knows—the university visit may inspire your kids to get excited about college!

Level 10 travel tip: Let your kids climb the many-branched trees throughout the U of O campus—and don’t forget to snap a picture of their monkey moves!

Discover street art

Eugene has some lovely murals across town—make it an adventure to find as many as you can! Or just keep your eyes open for them and stop to take a picture in front of the ones you see.

The best kids’ activities in Eugene, Oregon: I’ve got you covered

I love spending time with my family in Eugene and it’s one of my favorite places to visit in Oregon. There are so many more things to do this summer in Eugene with kids—and with adults! Do you have any tips?

Pin this post for later so you’ll remember these ideas for Oregon summer fun!

And if you’re visiting Eugene, OR, don’t forget to book your hotel. The city hosts a lot of events in the summer (from track meets to the annual Bach Festival) so reserve your accommodations early!

The post 21 FUN things to do in Eugene with kids this summer appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

PDX is consistently voted the country’s best airport, and it’s not just because of the carpet. The Portland airport is great for adults (breweries! whiskey flights! wine bars! mimosas at the Country Cat!), but it’s also wonderful for kids. Between the kid-friendly restaurants, family entertainment and smart design, PDX is my favorite kid-friendly airport. If you’re flying through the Portland airport with kids, take advantage of the airport’s kid-friendly features.

Getting to your destination can make anyone cranky—and little kids have even less patience than us wise, calm, serene adults. (HA!) So a kid-friendly airport like PDX makes life a little easier on us parents. In fact, my kids now actually like hanging out at the airport!

Next time you’re flying through the Portland airport with kids, then, seek out these family-friendly perks.

Why flying through the Portland airport with kids WON’T make you swear off family travel

1. Log on to free wifi

If your kids are approaching a post-TSA meltdown (and I can’t say I blame them), save your data and log on to the PDX free wifi. The wifi in the Portland airport is famously fast—and good enough to stream Puffin Rock, Paw Patrol or whatever uber annoying show your kid is obsessed with this week. 

2. See part of a movie at the Hollywood Theater

A free movie theater is just one more reason why flying through the Portland airport with kids is the best. Not all films there are family-friendly, but check the current showing schedule for kid-friendly flicks. On a recent day, short films included overhead drone footage of Oregon, a stop-motion animation about a frog and a documentary about crows.

3. Wear your Timbers jersey

If you fly Alaska, wear your Portland Timbers jersey and you get to pre-board with all the fancy first class folks!

4. Buy kid-friendly (and healthy!) snacks

Skip the sugar crash and pick healthy, kid-friendly snacks for your pre-boarding wait—and the flight ahead. Fruit bars, squeezie pouches, popcorn, cheese and protein plates and more are great options. Stock up because flying through the Portland airport with kids who are hangry is never fun!

5. Look out the window

There’s something magical about seeing gigantic planes close up. Kids also love to watch aircraft taking off and landing.

Level 10 travel tip: An enormous window at the end of terminal C gives an unobstructed view of the runways. If you are flying out of terminal C or have extra time, walk down this way for primo views. Bonus: The window is right next to a playground!

6. Take a foot selfie

PDX tore up a bunch of its legendary carpet, which oddly enough developed a cult following, but you can still take a foot selfie along with thousands of other travelers! #pdxcarpet

7. Pick a kid-friendly restaurant at PDX

If you’re looking for something fast, Cafe Yumm is my go-to. It serves kid-friendly (and customizable) bowls with a base of beans and rice. If you have more time, Portland favorite Country Cat is a fairly recent addition to PDX, and their homemade biscuits with jam are a huge hit with little ones.

Level 10 travel tip: Country Cat also serves cocktails. The 5 o’clock rule guidelines totally don’t apply when you’re flying with kids. Mimosas away!

8. Stop by an airport play place

My kids find airport moving walkways more fun than just about anything else, but when I get tired of apologizing to passengers for my girls, I steer them to an airport play place at PDX.

PDX has several play places, including one on each side of the airport. TK SPECIFICS

Level 10 travel tip: Make sure your kids wash their hands right after using the airport play places. You don’t want to start a family vacation by catching a bug!

9. Listen (or dance!) to live music

Unless you’re flying super-early or super-late, musicians perform across the airport throughout the day. I’ve seen not only people playing the piano and saxophone but also the marimba and even the African kora. A little live music is a great inspiration for your kids to dance out their energy when flying through PDX.

10. Look up at the Clock Tower

The beautiful, weathervane-like art at the Clock Tower in terminal C is a great place for kiddos to explore for a few minutes. Invite them to find the different animals and scenes atop the towers.

This light-filled atrium is also the best place to eat a meal in the Portland airport, IMHO. Kid-friendly restaurants here include Cafe Yumm, MOD Pizza (which also serves a gluten-free crust) and Mo’s Chowder (get the kid-friendly fish and chips, yum!). There are plenty of tables in this atrium to sit and have a pre-flight meal.

11. Run sprints on an out-of-the-way moving walkway

If your kids are anything like mine, they love getting on and off the moving walkway. Unfortunately, other travelers are trying to use it for its actual purpose: getting to where they’re going faster. Great news for your kiddos: The long hallway that connects the two ends of the airport has several extra-long stretches of moving walkways, perfect for letting kids sprint to their heart’s content.

12. Take a break at a nursing room

There are roughly a dozen nursing rooms throughout the Portland airport, great for breastfeeding moms or moms who exclusively pump. They’re first-come, first-served, so if the one you go to is locked, ask a PDX staff for help. They should be able to help you find someplace private and close to breastfeed or pump, like the conference center.

If you’re pumping at the airport, take a look at my post on my other blog, Ten Thousand Hour Mama, for tons of tips on pumping at the airport.

13. Watch the dogs

Also in the connector highway between the two ends of PDX, an animal relief center offers an unexpected way to entertain kids. Your littles can watch through the room’s window as dogs dart around the room. The combination of finally getting to run off-leash and all the intense smells makes dogs particularly hilarious!

Flying through the Portland airport with kids definitely isn’t at the top of my favorite family activities, but it’s not on the worst-ever list, either. So when you’re flying in or out of Portland, take advantage of PDX’s family-friendly airport perks. You, your kids, and the rest of the travelers on your plane will be glad you did!

If you’re planning a family trip, you’ll definitely want to check out my $3 hack to make packing all your kids’ stuff totally simple. After all, I swear by this trick and it has helped so much by eliminating the hassle of packing suitcases.

Do you have any tips for flying with kids through the Portland airport or anywhere else? Please share in the comments!

The post 13 must-know tips for flying through the Portland airport with kids appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

You see, camping with kids isn’t always easy—you have to pack for every contingency, try to get kids who are hopped up on s’mores to sleep, and deal with the whole latrine toilet situation. But camping with kids is so worth it, and picking a family-friendly spot like Milo Mciver campground makes it easier.

Just think: Camping with kids means you have dedicated family time away from electronics with nothing to distract you except the call of an owl or a campfire running low on fuel.

Milo McIver Park, Oregon: Camping with the whole family

Camping with kids allows the whole family to unplug and play in the great outdoors, and camping at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada, Oregon is a great place for just that. It’s also a fantastic campsite to visit if you’re not the rugged backpacker-type.

In fact, the Milo McIver campground is one of the better campgrounds to visit with kids. After all, there are so many kid-friendly activities, features, and destinations within the park, your whole family won’t even notice that Baby hardly slept.

(Kidding! Maybe your baby will sleep in a tent like a champ. If so, tell me your secret.)

So if you’re family camping in Oregon, check out Milo McIver park. Here’s everything you need to know, from the campgrounds to disc golf, swimming and more!

Milo McIver State Park Camping

When you camp at Milo McIver State Park near Portland, don’t expect ultra-rustic sites. Instead, you’ll find flat, clean and large campsite—that near everyone else who’s car camping that day. I thought that the sites actually had a good amount of room between them, but you’ll be able to hear and see most of your neighbors.

Milo McIver Park Amenities

The Milo McIver campgrounds are also accessible to RVs (my in-laws joined us with their rig). The campground has an RV dump station and RV hookups.

We were able to easily walk to the flush toilets and shower facilities. And as you can see, fire rings help you keep fires safe.

Milo McIver park has several group tent camping areas, including one near the disc golf course (more on that in a second!). We’ve often wanted to rent a group camping site but haven’t yet.

You can also rent a shelter at Milo McIver’s day-use area. We did this for Hubs’ 40th birthday party. We had plenty of space for our guests to spread out (and nom on his birthday cake, yum yum!). What’s more, the shelter had running water so everyone could wash hands after making fairy wands.

The day-use area is open to everyone, not just campers; you’ll just need to pay the $5 parking fee or get a yearlong Oregon state park pass for just $30.

Level 10 travel tip: Next to the Cedar group picnic area and shelter, you’ll find a tall tree (a cedar I think??) that kids can play in. The branches create an awesome hidey area to play inside. Our littles spent an entire day making it into a fairy castle!

The Best Things to do at Milo Mciver Park: Disc Golf and More 

The great thing about spending a weekend at Milo Mciver Park in Oregon is that there are plenty of activities to keep the whole family entertained! You’ll leave feeling refreshed and your kids will have such fun stories to tell their friends at school.

Milo Mciver Disc Golf

We first discovered Milo McIver State Park when Hubs hit up the park’s 27-hole disc golf course. Since then, he goes disc golfing at Milo Mciver just about every week.

Disc golfing is a wonderful family activity because just about any aged kid can throw a disc (even if not very far), you can go at your own pace (or your kids’ pace), and there is a ton of room for kids to run and explore.

When you’re camping here, you can drive to access the Milo Mciver disc golf park at the north end (by turning left if you’re coming from the park’s entrance). If it’s your first-time disc golfing, let faster groups behind you pass you, and don’t hesitate to ask other disc golfers where you’ll find the next hole. If you’re not already a disc golfer, you can buy or rent discs at the park office.

Level 10 travel tip: Keep a close eye on your kids and other groups when you disc golf. After all, you don’t want your kids to accidentally get in the way of an oncoming disc!

Milo Mciver State Park Swimming Areas for Kids

Milo McIver State Park is nestled along the Clackamas River, and you can access the water throughout the park.

Playing in the Clackamas River

Whenever we go to Milo McIver, my girls want to swim—even if it’s raining out! The park has swimming holes, and there are even more spots great for wading.

Make sure you never take your eyes off your kids—the Clackamas River does have a current.

Also know that the water stays quite cold until mid-summer, so bring cozy towels to wrap up your kids after their swim.

Level 10 travel tip: Our favorite river access spot at Milo Mciver Park is between holes 6 and 7 on the east disc golf park. Even if you’re not disc golfing, you can walk along the riverbend trail to find this sandy, calm spot.

Floating the Clackamas River

The stretch of the Clackamas River at Milo McIver is fairly mellow but has a few baby rapids. For families with older kids, it can be a fun adventure to float (aka “tube”) the river.

There are boat ramps throughout the park. You’ll want to leave a car at the takeout so you can drive back to your campsite—or back to the river to float the Clackamas again!

Please be safe, though: Wear lifejackets at all times.

Visit The Fish Hatchery at Milo Mciver State Park

The park is home to one of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fish hatcheries. In fact, it’s just a few minutes’ drive (or a hike) from many of the Milo Mciver Park camping areas, making it a fun family-friendly activity if your kids need a break from throwing sticks in the campfire.

My kids couldn’t believe how many fish were in the holding tanks—the surface of the water practically rolled with fish growing bigger and bigger.

I learned a lot about fish in Oregon at the hatchery, too. The fish hatchery raises Chinook salmon and Steelhead, helping populations of these threatened species survive threats like habitat loss.

Camping at Milo McIver: Bat house

When you’re camping at Milo McIver, look up: At night, you’ll see flitting shadows. Yep, those are bats!

Before you get creeped out, remember that these nocturnal animals are eating mosquitoes and other bugs. (Thank you, bats!)

It just so happens that Milo McIver State Park is home to Townsend’s big-eared bat, a protected species in Oregon. You and your family can learn even more about these crucial critters by hiking to the Bat House and going along the self-guided tour.

Level 10 travel tip: The hike to the Bat House at Milo McIver is through an open area so it’s not shaded. Make sure to put sunscreen and hats on your kids, especially in the summer, so they don’t get sunburned.

Milo McIver Park Camping: Even more family-friendly features!

• There are miles and miles of hiking trails all around Milo McIver State Park. Pick up a map at the park office.

• Bikes are welcome on all paved roads but not on any trails.

Level 10 travel tip: There’s a big hill that separates the Riverbend section of the park (with the disc golf course) and the Riverside part of the park (with the campsites). Unless your kids are up for a big uphill climb—or you’re willing to pull them in a trailer—stick to one side or the other.

• During the summer, there are park ranger-led kids activities. Check at the park office for a schedule.
• There’s a beautiful viewpoint near the Milo Mciver park office. Stop by to see the Clackamas River from above.

Looking forward to planning our next Milo Mciver Camping Trip

I’m beyond excited for summer camping this year, and we’ll definitely be camping at Milo McIver State Park again. If you’re looking to head out for the weekend and go camping near Portland, make sure to add Milo Mciver Park to your bucket list!

Looking for more family-friendly camping in Oregon? Check out my post on yurt camping at Ft. Stevens State Park on the Oregon Coast because I’m pretty sure you and your kids will love it as much as my littles did!

Do you have any family camping plans?

The post Milo McIver State Park Camping with Kids: A Family Mecca appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

Lost Lake, Oregon on Mt. Hood: Adventure + Fun

Just two hours from Portland, this breathtakingly beautiful spot has everything you need for the perfect family day trip: hiking, boating, camping, yurts, cabins and a general store fully stocked with ice cream. They’ve made it so easy to enjoy Lost Lake, Oregon that it’s practically a crime not to go.

I know that planning day trips with kids can be a little tricky—how far do you go? Will there be something to interest all the kids, no matter their ages? How much food do you pack? Will the hike be too long?—but since I’ve already made this trek, I’m here to share all the details.

Read on to learn all about visiting Lost Lake, Oregon with kids (or even without ’em!). You’ll want to head up Mt. Hood as soon as you can—or at least pin this post for later!

A perfect kids’ hike around Lost Lake

Hiking with my family is pretty much my all-time-favorite thing to do, but we sometimes struggle to find new destinations that won’t be too hard for my kids.

Hiking around Lost Lake with kids is a no-brainer: Not only is it gorgeous, offering postcard-perfect views of Mt. Hood, but it’s entirely flat.

Level 10 travel tip: Part of the loop around Lost Lake is made up of boardwalks. Just go clockwise from the general store to hit up this section. Know, though, this is the busiest section of the trail because it runs along the day use area.

The loop is 3.25 miles, which made it on the long side for my little hikers (ages 2 and 4). My 4-year-old managed the whole hike by herself but I ended up carrying Kiwi for about half of the hike.

Like with all hikes with young children, you’ll want to allow for plenty of stops. While hiking Lost Lake with kids, you might see newts swimming near the shore, patches of snow (we found several even on a hot May day!) and the unfortunately named but absolutely gorgeous blooms of the skunk cabbage. (Check out this picture guide of Lost Lake wildflowers for more to spot!)

About halfway around the lake, some of the trail is washed out. There are two or three stretches of approximately 15 feet where you’ll have to balance on rocks in the river to continue (or do as Hubs did and simply take off your shoes to walk through the water). There are impromptu trails that go up and around these sections but they’re steep and not suitable for young children.

Right in between these stretches, there is a rock beach—perfect for taking a power-up break with the kids. We stopped for snacks but my girls were too busy wading in the cold water and throwing rocks to eat.

Overall, hiking Lost Lake with kids was one of the most rewarding hikes we’ve done with children in Oregon.

Boating on Lost Lake with kids

Last summer while hiking around Trillium Lake, we decided we want a canoe. We haven’t made the leap (yet!) but we rented one at Lost Lake for a practice run. The entire family—including the kids and even our dog—were 100% on board.

Lost Lake offers incredible views of Mt. Hood’s snowy peak, and you get a perfect vantage point from the middle of the lake.

You can rent canoes, row boats, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards for between $20-25/hour at the general store. Note that during peak season (June-September), they enforce a 2-hour minimum. Life jackets are included in the rental price.

You can also bring your own canoe or other watercraft. The rental price is a bit pricey, but the experience of paddling around Lost Lake and taking in the view of Mt. Hood from the water is priceless.

We’ve been back to Lost Lake since that first day trip from Portland, of course. On our most recent visit—when we camped at Lost Lake—we brought our paddle board. Friends we camped with also brought a kids kayak (which we’re purchasing for our kids’ birthday!).

Our kids are now 9 and 7, old enough to paddle out onto the lake. We also love having one or both kids on a SUP and an adult paddling the crew around.

The views of Mt. Hood from the middle of Lost Lake are stunning. It’s no wonder that this is one of the most-photographed places in Oregon.

Lost Lake Campground

The Lost Lake Campground is a wonderful spot for camping on Mt. Hood. In fact, the campsites here are the nicest of anywhere we’ve camped in Oregon.

That’s a big claim.

Campsites at Lost Lake Campground are enormous. We camp with an 8-person tent to fit our family of 4 plus 2 dogs (one of whom is 100 pounds). Well, our enormous tent fit easily—and we could have fit another one of the same size on our campsite, with tons of room to spare.

Our campsite wasn’t the exception. We camped with 2 other families, for a total of 6 adults and 8 kids. All the campsites were huge! All the kids ran back and forth between the sites, rode their bikes on the loop, explored the woods behind the campsites and even put on a talent show.

Lost Lake Campground has 148 spots, most of which can be reserved. (Reserve your Lost Lake camping trip here.) Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance. For summer camping and weekend trips especially, reserve as far in advance as you can. These spots fill up fast. So if you want to camp at Lost Lake, Oregon in July, like we did, make your reservation in January.

There are no flush toilets or showers at the Lost Lake Campground. Well maintained vault toilets are stationed throughout the campgrounds. There are potable water spigots, too.

Lush woods of Doug fir and spruce surround the campgrounds. Our kids climbed logs, made forts and found plenty to do around the site.

Lost Lake Campground is not next to the lake, though. You can hike about a quarter-mile along the Old Growth Trail from Loop A to the South Day Use Area, which we did several times. The South Day Use Area is much less busy than the North Day Use Area because you don’t get the spectacular views of Mt. Hood from there. This area has easier access to the lake along with more picnic tables, though.

If you’re going to the lake for the day, you’ll probably want to drive to a day use area. That way you can pack your picnic, paddle boards or kayaks, dogs and whatever else you’ll bring. If you drive, go early to get a spot. Parking at Lost Lake day use areas is like a competitive sport.

Travel pro tip: Buy campfire wood on your drive in. You can buy it at the Lost Lake General Store for $9 a bundle, but it’s significantly cheaper at gas stations and grocery stores along the way.

Visiting Lost Lake with kids: Everything you need to know

• Lost Lake is just under a 2-hour drive from Portland. To make a whole day of your trip, stop in Mt. Hood on the way back for ice cream—or in Parkdale’s Solera Brewery for even more stunning views of the mountain.
• Entrance to the lake is $9 per car. Parks passes are not valid because the lake is run by a private company, Lost Lake Resort.
• There are vault toilets near the general store but no other toilet facilities on the lakeshore trail.
• The best view of Mt. Hood from the Lost Lake trail is about a half-mile counter-clockwise from the general store, or just a short distance from parking at the North Day Use Area. The viewpoint is well marked.
• Lost Lake is busy on warm days, and summer is peak visiting time. Arrive early (before 10am) for easiest access to parking.

If you liked this post, I know you’ll love my post on other family-friendly day trips from Portland, Oregon. Click on over because I know you’ll find more inspiration for travel with your kids!

Have you ever been to Lost Lake? Would you paddle a canoe with your kids?

The post Lost Lake, Oregon: Mt. Hood’s beautiful hike, camping + boating appeared first on To & Fro Fam.

What you’ll get visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest

This 1.3 million-acre national forest surrounding Mt. St. Helens is an absolute treasure. Visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a slam-dunk sure-bet for stunning views, gorgeous hikes, nature play and family-friendly camping.

From views of snow-capped mountains to second-growth forest (since some of this area was decimated during the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens), from pristine creeks to kid-friendly hikes, I can’t wait to revisit Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids.

Explore, play, discover in Gifford Pinchot

With 1.3 million acres, it’s tough to write an exhaustive list on visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids, so I won’t even try. What I will do is share a few highlights.

Camping at Gifford Pinchot

We stayed at the Iron Creek Campground in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about a 20-minute drive from Randle, Washington. The campground is large—it has just under 100 sites—but sites felt roomy. The campsites are divided between four loops, and we couldn’t even see our neighbors from our spot.

Campsites are shaded and are tucked in the forest, which means you don’t get hot, direct sunlight as soon as dawn comes. In fact, one morning the girls slept until 8 am!

The family-friendly campground in Washington includes flat, paved roads for bike riding and a 1.5-mile loop trail that winds along the Cispus River and around the entire campground. It was easy terrain for our kids to hike, and there were plenty of downed logs to climb on along the way. We also stopped at a river bank to throw rocks in the river, of course!

Note that the only restroom facilities are vault toilets. (The kids mostly peed outside anyway, abiding by my dear Uncle Dick’s rule to never miss an opportunity to pee outside!!)

Level 10 travel tip: You can get ice (or ice cream!) in Randle if you run out.

Hikes and waterfalls in Gifford Pinchot National Forest

At the recommendation of one of the campground hosts, we hiked to Covel Creek Falls, about a 10-mile drive from Iron Creek Campground. Park in front of the Cispus Learning Center (46.4399° N, 121.8486° W) then cross the road to catch the trail.

You’ll hike through old-growth fir and spruce forest and along Covel Creek. The intensity and variety of green hues had us stopping to marvel throughout the 3-mile kid-friendly hike. The girls loved crossing logs and climbing onto tree stumps—they’re like little forest fairies!

Note that signage isn’t great along the trail, and two bridges are out. That just means there are two places you have to scramble a bit, but we were far from the only family who managed. I helped Kiwi (aged almost 3) up and down some of the embankments, and Peeper (aged almost 5) managed on her own. “Obstacle conquered!” Peeper shouted each time, and she was so proud!

IMG_6576 from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

The real payoff is Covel Creek Falls, a gorgeous waterfall you can hike behind. The final ascent just before the waterfall is steep, but Peeper managed it. (By this time I was wearing Kiwi. Hey, she made it most of the way up!) We very carefully walked down behind the waterfall, and it was an unforgettable experience for the girls.

Level 10 travel tip: When it gets steep, you’ll be tempted to turn around if your kids start to complain. About halfway up the steep section there’s a level spot with fallen logs that’s perfect for a snack break. Power up here then tackle the rest of the ascent—you won’t be disappointed in Covel Creek Falls!

Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center

If you’re driving to Gifford Pinchot from Portland, make sure to stop at the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center at the base of the volcano. For us on our road trip from Portland, it was exactly halfway to our destination in Gifford Pinchot and so was a perfect opportunity to use the bathroom (I have the world’s smallest bladder!) and stretch our legs. The Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center is almost exactly one hour from Portland.

Inside the visitor center, you’ll find an information desk that was more like a hotel concierge. The park staff were incredibly helpful in recommending kid-friendly trails around Mt. St. Helens and telling us about road closures. (Even in late May, several passes on Mt. St. Helens were still closed due to snow.)

We also walked through the interpretive displays ($5 admission for adults). My kiddos were much to antsy to wait while I read the (sometimes long) explanations so I didn’t get to learn as much as I’d like about the eruption, but they did enjoy some of the interactive parts of the exhibit—mostly pushing buttons and walking underneath a model of the volcano. There is also a short video that plays twice an hour at :05 and :35, but we didn’t watch it: The last thing I wanted for my kids after a road trip was to sit down!

Level 10 travel tip: If you’re pressed for time, feel free to skip the interpretive displays. We only spent about 10 minutes walking through, but I don’t mind spending the admission fee for such a short time: I figure it’s my way of supporting the park, since parking here is free.

Hiking Silver Lake at Mt. St. Helens

From the Mt. St. Helens interpretive center, you can access a 0.6-mile hike around Silver Lake—an ultimately kid-friendly and accessible trail. This short hike is entirely flat, goes through forest as well as wetlands, and has bridges—which are pretty much my kids’ favorite things on the planet.

(Our conversations about kid-friendly hikes go something like this: Me: “We’re going on a new hike today!” Kids: “Yeah but are there bridges?” Me: “…”)

We listened to the distinctive call of red-winged blackbirds, which nest in the cattails growing in the wetlands here. The girls also chased butterflies and loved looking for other wildlife. Thousands of migratory birds pause at Silver Lake, making it an excellent spot for bird-watching. Also, a fascinating bit of trivia: Silver Lake is also home to the Bladderwort aquatic plant, which is carnivorous! When insects brush against it, a piece of the plant closes around the unsuspecting bug and is slowly digested. Feed me, Seymour!

Stopping at Silver Lake is the perfect hike and way to stretch your legs when you’re traveling to Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Exploring Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids

There’s so much to see in Gifford Pinchot National Forest—it’s like nature’s playground.

So much of kids’ lives today are scripted, scheduled and constrained, so I cherish time my girls spend outside. As we kept repeating all weekend, “We have no agenda.” So if the girls wanted to hold a centipede for five minutes, cross the same stretch of creek 10 times or get “lost” in the woods behind our campsite, it was all good. We had no place to be except present.

Covel Creek, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington from Catherine Ryan Gregory on Vimeo.

That’s the true treasure of going to a place like Gifford Pinchot National Forest with kids: It’s off the grid. It’s beautiful. It’s quiet. It’s the perfect environment to reconnect with each other and with nature.

We’ll be heading back to Gifford Pinchot, Washington again soon. There’s still so much to explore! See you out there!

PS – Don’t miss my post all about the Best Camping Hacks!

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The beach is inherently fun, and we visit the Oregon Coast as often as we possibly can. The last time we went, I was inspired by our trip to Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History, and I introduced the girls to a new sandy activity: digging for dinosaurs at the beach!

As you can tell, it was a huge hit. Next time, I’m bringing even more plastic dinosaurs to discover.

Dig for dinosaurs at the beach

Moms who prepare to the nines to get the family to the beach, I feel you. You download family beach trip packing lists. You pack extra changes of clothes, baby wipes, backup shovels. You bring snacks. (Oh, the snacks.)

But if you bring just a few plastic dinosaurs, I can practically guarantee you’ll be the coolest mom at the beach.

Simply dig a little pit, stick in the dinos, cover them up—and let your kids at ‘em! They’ll love unburying the dinosaurs and feeling like real-live paleontologists.

My girls got so into digging for dinosaurs at the beach that they roamed around, picking up rocks and driftwood that they called fossils.

“What’s this one, Mom?” they’d ask me. “Dinosaur knee bone. Dinosaur skull. Dinosaur toe bone.” Then they’d bury them, dig them up and start all over again!

Our new favorite beach activity

My kids love building sand castles, chasing seagulls and ignoring my repeated requests to not run into the ocean fully clothed. But we’ve definitely found a new favorite beach activity.

For your next family beach trip, then, join my little family of wannabe paleontologists. You may even inspire a new passion for dinos!

What about you—do you have a favorite family beach activity?

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If you’re anything like me (and probably 99% of other moms), you’ve been there: You’re on Facebook or Instagram, scrolling through your friends’ posts, when you see photos from a family-friendly event, a festival, an annual celebration or some other outing that happens once a year. But you didn’t get the memo, and you didn’t plan for the event, and you missed out.

Ouch.

This used to happen to me all the time. We went to the Tulip Festival on the last possible day, after most of the flowers had lost their petals, because I’d completely spaced when it started. I found out about Dozer Day, when kids get to drive bulldozers and big rigs themselves, after the fact. I was busy and neglected to plan a family volunteering opportunity for Earth Day. In short: Everyday life got in the way of planning fun family activities.

Then last year I got wise. I started setting up reminders in my Google calendar for a year in advance.

Before you write me off as a neurotic overplanner, hear me out! Read on to see how this google calendar hack can help you hit up all the events you’ve always wanted to attend—without missing out.

Never miss another family-friendly event

Here’s how my Google calendar hack works:

1. Make your calendar proactive.

When I find out about a cool family-friendly activity—even one that already happened—I add an event in my Google calendar for two weeks before the event will happen. So if I read a blog post about the Waterfront Blues Fest, which starts 4th of July weekend, I’ll make an event for June 15.

The two-week timeframe works for me, but you may want to adjust based on your family’s schedules. I find that setting the event for earlier makes it too far away, and later means I’ve probably already made plans.

2. Include event details.

The whole purpose of this Google calendar hack is to save you time, so in the calendar event, add details in the event description. What to include:
-url of the event’s web site
-blog post summarizing the event
-details such as costs, parking information, etc.

3. Plan your outing in real time.

You’ll get an alert on the day you set your calendar event. You probably forgot about entering the event way back when, but now you have roughly two weeks to work it into your family’s schedule!

4. Push the event to next year.

I know, I know, between gymnastics meets and birthday parties, you may not have the flexibility to go to the super-cool event you flagged for your family. That’s ok, life happens. This Google calendar hack makes it super-easy to push the reminder to next year. Simply go into the event and change the date to next year. Then you’ll get another reminder—with hopefully the opportunity to actually go!

Busy moms: You don’t have to remember everything!

Here’s the thing: We moms (and dads, too!) want to take advantage of all sorts of fun family activities, especially the ones that only come once a year: After all, they’re often tied to the seasons or holidays or things you can only get during a given month. But because festivals and other events aren’t on your radar year-round, you’re likely to forget about them—until your social media feeds are blowing up with that thing you totally missed.

But you have enough on your plate. You’re busy raising kind, strong, compassionate, curious kids—not to mention packing somewhat nutritious snacks and picking up the dry-cleaning and paying the credit card bill.

So anything that helps busy moms (and dads) make life easier gets a big ol’ thumbs-up in my book.

So give my Google calendar hack a try. I bet it’ll help you and your family enjoy more outings this year—and say goodbye to #fomo for good.

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Yes, it includes family favorites like plenty of dinosaur bones (including a baby T. rex!!!) and dioramas displaying preserved animals. Beyond the slam-dunks, though, is a museum curated and crafted with every age in mind. Families will find hands-on activities to bring natural history to life, interactive displays, friendly museum staff and outdoor spaces that incorporate nature into the learning experience.

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LA’s Natural History Museum with kids

My kids weren’t with me on this trip, but now I want to plan a trip to California  just so we can visit LA’s Natural History Museum with my kids. You guys, I just can’t stop raving about this kid-friendly museum, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Here are the highlights for when you visit LA’s Natural History Museum with kids.

Dinosaurs: The star attractions

Dinos are the A-list celebrities of the Natural History Museum, and for good reason: It is absolutely awe-inspiring to stand beneath the fossilized skeletons of these behemoths.

You’ll see two right off the bat in the central foyer of LA’s Natural History Museum. Here, curators recreated a fight between a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops. (Who do you think would have won? Definitely not me—that T. rex is about to nom my head!)

Continue on to the Dinosaur Hall and you’ll see two rooms on two floors—after all, these dinosaurs are so big they need the room.

Level 10 travel tip: Look for the wall of fossilized bones—it has a touch screen display in front of it where kids can “filter” the pictures (e.g. by meat-eaters or species). You can play I Spy or a scavenger hunt: Let your kids challenge you to find a predator’s tooth or vertebrae!

Make sure to scope out the area where you can watch scientists working on actual fossils. When I visited, one was using a tiny drill to clean a 24.8 million year old bone from an Ichthyosaur. Watching these experts at work is even better than career day at your kids’ school!

Animals here and animals gone: Halls of diversity

LA’s Natural History Museum has several enormous rooms filled with scenes depicting animal life in the wild. Your family will see preserved animals that live among us today (for example the hawks in the Bird Room) and those that are, sadly, extinct.

Your kids may recognize some of the animals from the zoo, but chances are they’ve never seen them this close. Of course the animals at this kid-friendly museum aren’t alive, but your kids will notice details—how feathers lay flat on top of one another, the unique patterns on an antelope’s stripes—they’d never spot from afar.

Level 10 travel tip: Read the informational displays at every animal to yourself: Many of them have remarkable trivia about the animals depicted. (Did you know, for example, that the ostrich has the largest eyes of any land animal, and that a group of hippos is called a bloat? Neither did I, until I visited the Natural History Museum!)

Even more exhibits!

If I’m honest, to me, everything besides dinosaur bones is secondary in a natural history museum. But LA’s Natural History Museum made me rethink my dino-focused zeal.

The reason for my epiphany? The Gem and Mineral Hall.

I never thought this section of LA’s Natural History Museum would be so fascinating, but I marveled at the colors, textures and shapes of minerals found deep underground and inside rocks. And the bling contained inside the gems room made my eyes pop (and the security guard keep his eyes on everyone inside).

In addition, you’ll find permanent exhibits on shells, ancient Latin American art and fetish carvings.

Make sure to look for rotating exhibits, too. When I visited the Natural History Museum, they hosted an exhibit on tattoos throughout time (though entry costs an additional $8, unless you’re a member).

Exploring actual nature at LA’s Natural History Museum with kids

LA’s Natural History Museum is the only one of its kind that does a remarkable job incorporating, well, the outside natural world (at least that I’ve ever seen).

Step outside the museum and you’ll find a half-dozen different habitats and many more opportunities to learn. Keep an eye out for LA’s wildlife that visits the museum not to stare goggle-eyed at dinosaur bones but to take a bath in the pond, sip nectar from blooms or nest in a tree.

Level 10 travel tip: Bring a change of clothes for your kids. On a hot day, your kids will want to splash and play in the water feature. They’ll be amazed that they can splash around at a museum!

Visiting LA’s Natural History Museum with kids

LA’s Natural History Museum has kid-friendly activities and features throughout the museum. They do an exceptional job getting kids interested—and excited!—about science and the natural world. If you’re visiting the Natural History Museum with kids, don’t miss these highlights.

Nature walks

Every day at 3:30, Natural History Museum staff lead a group of kids throughout the outdoor section of the museum. Kids might have a chance to spot finches or mourning doves on the bird viewing platform, harvest snap peas from the edible garden or look for wildlife in the pond. The museum’s nature walks are free with admission.

Critter Club

This monthly meet-up introduces kids 3 to 5 years old to different kinds of animals through art, song, stories and other hands-on activities throughout the museum. The sessions are on a break now but will begin again in Summer 2018.

The Discovery Center: Hands-on central

In the Natural History Museum’s Insect Zoo and Discovery Center, kids can play and explore to their hearts’ content. They can dig for casts of dinosaur bones, pretend to camp out and peek across the museum grounds in a spyglass.

Then get close and personal with creepy crawlies. You’ll find cockroaches, pill bugs, gigantic spiders, millipedes and more in the habitats at the center of the room.

“Ask me” buttons

If your kids are anything like mine, they don’t have the patience to read (or listen to) many of the plaques that explain the displays. But when given the chance to learn from a real-live expert, they’ll surprise you at how much information they soak in. The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles offers plenty of opportunities for kids to express their curiosity and get details from experts. 

Level 10 travel tip: Challenge your kids to find a staff member with a yellow “Ask me” button—it’ll be like a scavenger hunt. Then listen to your kids’ questions. They’re so open-minded that they ask about things you’d never consider. (“Do baby Triceratops have teeth?”)

Find the rats

Rats—in a museum?! You bet, if it’s the LA Natural History Museum! Downstairs on the ground level families will find an interactive Nature Lab, where kids are invited to ask questions about how humans interact with the natural world. Part of our coexistence with animals and plants is living alongside rats.

There is a structure with see-through walls where kids can try to spot rats scurrying here and there—and even overhead!

The nitty gritty: Visiting LA’s Natural History Museum with kids

Here are the details you need when planning a visit to LA’s Natural History Museum.

• Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for youth 13-17, $7 for children 3-12 and free for kids under 3. If you go more than twice a the year, it’s actually more economical to buy a membership.

Level 10 travel tip: If you do buy a membership, make sure to use it to get free admission at the La Brea Tar Pits and The William S Hart Museum (which has a herd of bison on the property!). They have reciprocal memberships, which means even more natural history fun!

• Family restrooms and nursing rooms are located throughout the museum.
• A cafe offers kid-friendly food downstairs. There’s plentiful seating outdoors and, if it’s raining (or too blazing hot), in a solarium. You can also bring your own food for a picnic.
• This kid-friendly museum is right next to the Exposition Park Rose Garden and is a short walk from several aircraft on display outdoors. If your kids are antsy after being relatively quiet and contained in the museum, let them run their yayas out in the Rose Garden or challenge them to find the planes.

I can’t wait to return to LA’s Natural History museum with my kids. If you’re looking for kid-friendly activities in LA, make sure to put this museum on your itinerary!

And if you’re looking for even more ideas, check out my friend Melissa’s guide to fun things to do with kids in LA over on her Thrifty Family Travels blog.

What is your favorite part of visiting a natural history museum?

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It’s super-high tech. It’s super high-end.

It’s a bag of gallon Ziplock bags.

Mic drop.

Hear me out! We’ve been using this cheap, easy hack packing for a family vacation for the last two years, and I will never go back. It makes planning what to pack, keeping track of multiple kids’ clothes and remembering what is dirty and what’s clean a breeze.

Vacation is meant to be relaxing, not stressful, so the next time you’re packing for a family trip, try this travel trick. You’ll wish you started ages ago.

The best hack for packing kids’ clothes for vacation

Packing like a pro is straightforward. Here’s how:

1. Pack one outfit per bag. Include everything you need for a complete outfit—including underwear, socks, headbands, the whole shebang.
2. Include at least one outfit per day. My kids count how many days we’ll be gone and we pack that many bags—plus extras. ‘Cause I don’t know about your kids, but mine find ways to get waaaaaaaay messy (mac n cheese! sand! glitter!), no matter what, so we pack extras.
3. Involve the kids. Each of my girls, even the toddler, pack their own clothes in the Ziplock bag—and they love it! In fact, recently I was trying to be efficient and packed the bags myself and both girls lost their minds. I had to take everything out and let them redo it. Bonus: Picking out their own outfits makes them excited to get dressed once we reach our destination, so it’s not a fight to get them out of their PJs.
4. Label—if you want. Feel free to label each bag with the day of the week of your family vacation. This step is overkill for our family, and the girls like the flexibility of picking whatever outfit strikes their fancy, but it might work for you.

No-stress packing for family vacation

Here’s why I love this family travel hack:

It takes the guesswork out of packing. I know exactly what clothes to pack for my kids and how much of everything I need. And once I’m packed, I’m confident I have enough of everything. No running to the store to buy extra underwear!

It separates clean and dirty clothes. Clean clothes are in Ziplocks, dirty clothes are in their own bag, and never the two shall meet.

It makes coordinating outfits easy. When you have a mess of pants, tops and dresses jumbled in a suitcase, it’s mayhem trying to find a matching outfit. Organizing outfits in Ziplock bags means less stress on vacation.

Extra travel tips to be a pro packer

Want to make packing for a family vacation packing even easier? Try out these other organization hacks the next time your family plans a trip.

• Color coordinate your Ziplock bags. Ziplock makes colored bags around the holidays (green and red at Christmas, etc.). Buy a few extras when you see them at the store and assign a color to each kid. Then it’s easy to see whose clothes are whose—at a glance.
• Don’t go generic. We’ve used gallon plastic bags from the Dollar Store before, and they just don’t hold up. Now I buy brand name bags, and we reuse them for all our family trips.
• Bring a dirty clothes bag. As soon as clothes come off, they go straight into a dirty clothes bag. That way they’re all together (no cross-contamination!), and I just dump it straight into the washer when we get home.

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