Outdoor Adventures: Please Do Feed the Animals!

When I was a kid, being outdoors was not exactly my cup of tea. For whatever reason, I wasn't likely to be found out in the fresh air very often.  But having seen classrooms full of kids flourish in the great outdoors during my years of teaching, I am determined not to project my nose-crinkling disdain of outdoor activities onto my daughter, even if my enthusiasm isn't one hundred percent genuine. So what to do to get my kid outside?


We are very fortunate to live in an area where fantastic outdoor activities for kids abound. We recently took two separate trips to places where outdoor life is the thing to do, and we all had a blast at every turn.

Hungry baby goats are pretty feisty!

First we went to a local children's farmstead that offered plenty of opportunities for interacting with animals.  L had a fantastic time, and it made me really appreciate the wonders of experiencing things for the first time.

"Goat! Food!"

Next we visited a local wildlife preserve which houses elk and bison.  While we didn't have the opportunity to meet any bison on this particular outing, we did get up close and personal with some hungry elk, who were all too happy to take the apples and carrots L offered them.

These experiences have been sort of humbling for me, as I never really considered I could enjoy myself so immensely doing outdoor things.  The really fantastic part is that the entire family had lots of fun and created marvelous memories. And my enthusiasm was one hundred percent genuine.