Ready, Set -- Track!
Whether your family is outside every weekend or new to the outdoors, we've got fun ideas and recipes to make your trail adventure a family favorite.
Mobile Munchies:
Making tracks can make you hungry! Here are a couple of easy, healthy take-along snacks perfect for your family adventure. Why not have the kids help whip up these tasty take-alongs?
Trail Mix
What you need:
- 4 cups O-shaped cereal
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup peanuts
- ½ cup chocolate chips
What you do:
- Measure all the ingredients and mix them together in a bowl.
- Put serving-size portions in sealable plastic bags.
Action Bars
What you need:
- ½ cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup dried fruit cut into small pieces (raisins, berries, pineapple, apricots, etc.)
- cooking spray or butter
What you do:
- Blend the peanut butter and honey in a mixing bowl.
- Mix in the oats and fruit. Stir until all the dry ingredients are evenly coated with the peanut butter mixture.
- Spray a baking pan with cooking spray or coat with butter. Press the mixture evenly into the pan, making it about one-half inch thick overall. Refrigerate for two hours.
- Cut the mixture into two-inch squares and serve.
There's Fun Afoot:
There so much natural fun to be found along a trail. To add a little spring in your step (or pep in your pedal!), why not try some of these activities along the way?
- Birdwatching (Count how many species you see that day!)
- ABC Hike ("A" is for acorn, "B" is for bark, "C" is for chickadee…)
- Listen for nature sounds and see who can make the best birdcall
- Nature photography
- Make up stories about animals, flowers, or trees you see on your hike
Why Not Stop And…
- Have a picnic
- Write in your nature journal
- Do a bark rubbing
- Lay in the grass and look at the clouds
- Play favorite games like Leap Frog and Hide & Seek, or play Frisbee, catch, or tag!
Get Packin', Then Trackin':
A little advance planning will help to ensure successful adventures on the trail! Of course you will want to wear seasonally-appropriate clothes and have on the proper footwear for either walking or biking. Here are more items to consider taking along:
The Essentials
- Water
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Band-aids
- Snacks
Fun Additions
- Binoculars
- Magnifying glass
- Field Guides
- Nature journal or a notebook and pencil to record what you see
- Camera
- Picnic
- Blanket or tarp for sitting on the ground
For more ideas for year-round outdoor family fun, visit: www.greenhour.org.