Get Outdoors and #DiscoverTheForest

We love getting outside and sharing the great outdoors with friends and family. My favorite pastimes for outdoor activities in the summer are hiking, backpacking, nature walking, camping, tree climbing, rock climbing, biking, horseback riding, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, fishing, picnicking, barbecuing, foraging, hunting, and gathering, wildcrafting, harvesting crops, farming, and gardening. Any one of these activities lets my family, friends and I get fresh air and get back to nature. We have a "naturehood" nearby us called Dibblee Beach. This beach with Columbia River access is just a short walk from our home. We love to go there and relax and play. We also have Lake Sacajawea Park across the river from us in Longview Washington. We enjoy spending time there to picnic, BBQ, or have our kids play on the playgrounds that surround the scenic lake.

Nature is closer than you think. Every neighborhood has a #Naturehood, urban forest areas and parks that are just a short-drive away, making it easy for families to unplug from the daily routine and reconnect with nature. These urban forests offer many of the same benefits as national forests, but they're right in the neighborhood. Beyond the swings, slides and clearings, there are trails, trees, wildlife and water just waiting for the urban dweller. To find a neighborhood park or green space near you, visit DiscoverTheForest.org.

Research has shown that children who play outside have lower stress levels and more active imaginations, become fitter and leaner, develop stronger immune systems and are more likely to become environmentally conscious in the future. Kids need to discover the wonders of nature, make memories with their families and friends outdoors, and develop an interest in the environment by creating a lifelong relationship with it. Spending time together outdoors helps enrich family life.

DiscoverTheForest.org features an interactive map tool that enables users to search for nearby forests and parks, and filter by zip code and desired activities. Free outdoor activities are also available for download and printing, which you can take the next time you visit.

SOCIAL • CORNER
Website - DiscoverTheForest.org
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/discovertheforest
Twitter - https://twitter.com/discoverforest
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/discoverforest/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discovertheforest/

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I'm participating in a group initiative with Homestead Bloggers Network about the importance of getting outdoors with your family. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. My name is going into a drawing for a $50 Amazon Gift Card.

Wordless Wednesday Memorial Day at Claggett Creek Park

Memorial Day at Claggett Creek Park.

Fun on the teeter totter.

My sister, Melody, and her kids came to visit.

Memorial Day Picnic.

Wordless Wednesday New Playset For The Kids

Playground area for the kids. This is where we also have the thorn-less blackberries planted.

Kick Back and Play This Summer Sweepstakes

I am a Purex Insider and so I was provided with this promotional offer information to share with you, my readers. I might win a GC for driving traffic with my unique URL.

Purex is teaming up with Little Tikes and Life's Good (LG) to make parents' lives this summer just a little bit easier. Enter to win prizes including a playground, a washer & dryer, and a year's supply of Purex!

You can enter daily between May 1-June 30 2013 at... http://insiders.purex.com/littletikes?id=405

If I won the Little Tikes Endless Adventure Playcenter Playground grand prize my little ones would be so thrilled! We have had to rely on park visits for play on playgrounds because we had to dismantle our old rickety one and haul it away. Our kids love playing on the playground. We also love the Little Tikes brand and know that this playground would probably last longer than our other one. My little ones would have all types of fun adventures on the Little Tikes Endless Adventure Playcenter Playground if we won. They would be climbing, jumping, swinging, sliding and using their great imaginations for all kinds of wondrous play.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Purex for providing me this promotion information. By posting about this sweepstakes I will be entered to win 8 lucky Insiders to win a $10 or $50 Amazon.com gift card for driving traffic using my unique URL! My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Coursing Around Review

Coursing Around is a great way to get your children active and off the couch. This awesome book comes with 15 fun filled outdoor sidewalk chalk activities to get your child moving. From jumping, skipping, hopping, running, and more! Create sidewalk chalk obstacle courses for your child to go through and learn: teamwork, increased motor skills, endurance, creativity, overall fitness level, social skills, listening skills, following directions, to share, to take turns, etc. Your younger children will also learn shapes, numbers, colors, and letters. This is a great homeschooling tool for recess and outdoor play! Just find a safe place outside to draw the courses and prepare for the fitness fun to begin!

My boys had a blast drawing with the chalk and doing the courses. They also loved making up their own courses and they got pretty creative. I like how this book kept my boys engaged in doing physical fitness and gets them outside. It is also very entertaining to watch the kids do these. Coursing Around is a great way to helping educate kids about the importance of staying active and keeping outdoor play alive in this day and age where TV and video games prevail.

Fan/Like them on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter.

Buy IT:
For $14.95 + tax you can buy the Coursing Around book with 2 pieces of chalk included.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to ChicExecs, a company which was created to promote small business campaigns, I was able to let you know about this product. Coursing Around provided me with the Coursing Around book and chalk set for free to try and review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Wordless Wednesday Jaedan in a Tunnel

If you are participating in Wordless Wednesdays, click on the Mister Linky image, enter your name and URL in the form, and press Enter.