“This is the best day of my life!” declared my five year old.  We just went kayaking - my husband, my two young sons, and me - for the first time.  We were on the water only an hour, but it changed us as a family.

Have you ever tried to do something many times before and it never works out?  And then, one day, it finally works out, and it all finally makes sense.  Just like kayaking.

I’ve thought about kayaking on flat water (no rapids for me, thanks) ever since I heard about it its calming effect from Lorin Beller Blake of Big Fish Nation.  Problem was, there was never a place near me to rent a kayak. 

Last fall, we rented a canoe as a family for the first time, and that experience inspired our interest in fishing.  Nothing fancy or “serious”, just a lazy afternoon together on a public lake and a small rental fee for the canoe.

But kayaking never worked out: in South Carolina, I biked all the way to the meeting point only to be told I had wrong information; in Nevada, the concierge politely told me that although it was 65 degrees farenheit that there probably weren’t any places to rent a kayak in winter.

Then finally, kayaking happened on the day and with the group I least expected it: with my family.  “Of course,” I thought and smiled.

On our annual trip to Florida, we decided to take an adventure to the Keys.  At the great recommendation of bluesuitmom.com co-founder, Rachael Bender, I jotted down a note to stop by John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo.  The first underwater park in the U.S., the park is known for snorkling.  But, I noticed upon arrival signs for kayaking too.

Long story short - because it is always a process to get four people to agree to do the same thing - for the price of a movie, we had an amazing experience outside.  Instead of just seeing mangrove forests on TV, we got to gently paddle our way through them.  Instead of seeing jellyfish at the acquarium, we saw them on the side of the boat.  Thanks to my older son’s noticing, we saw tiny clear jellyfish in the water with electric green spots inside.

And the icing on the cake: a bald eagle overhead.

Was it all without worry?  No.  I have to say I was a little nervous about my five year old sitting on his own even with his life jacket (of course, he was absolutely fine).  Our pants were soaking wet because the seats of the kayak weren’t dry (next time my husband will store his wallet on higher ground!).  Would my husband and older son ever kayak again?  Not sure, but I really proud of them for trying something new.

Me?  I’m hooked, just like I dreamed I’d be.  I’ve asked for a tandem kayak for Mother’s Day so I can search for lakes to ride with my five year old. 

So don’t let go of those experiences you dream of having.  Chances are, they will be even better than you ever expected.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

My healthy outdoor lifestyle started with peas, and I was a kid that felt forced to eat her vegetables just like everyone else, except when it came to eating vegetables straight from the garden.

When I was three and a half years old, my parents had a vegetable garden in Springfield, Illinois.  I have a vivid memory of eating peas straight from the pod.  I have no idea how long I sat there, but I loved opening those pods to find and eat the sweet peas inside.

When I was four, my family moved to Virginia, and we never had a garden again. But, my whole life, I remembered eating those peas, and I couldn’t wait until I had kids to see if they’d like trying their vegetables from the garden too.

Last season, when the temperatures were in the 40s and 50s, we planted pea seeds 15 minutes before school and watched the pea plants grow over two months.  With excitement, my five and seven year old boys ran outside just like I did to try our peas and eat them before they even made it in the house.  And while my younger son likes trying new vegetables more, my older son will always try whatever we’re growing.

Not everyone has a garden though, as I did not past the age of four.  My story is proof that one outdoor experience in the garden can positively impact the life of a child.

Maybe your children eat their veggies and you have a garden too, so my challenge to you is this: do one thing for your child’s classroom (or grandchild’s or niece’s or nephew’s or neighbor’s) by Earth Day, Friday April 22nd, that helps them start or add to a learning garden at their school.  Within two months, they’ll be trying their veggies and exercising their bodies and brains.

Your project can be as simple as:

- Planting four pea seeds in a container with a 3-4′ stake (for support as the plants grow), or

- Plant the peas around three stakes in the ground to make a tee pee (secured in holes the ground and up top with twine), or

- Have each child plant a pea seed in a cup to sprout in class on a sunny windowsill (keep soil consistently moist) to take home

- Make a commitment to plant peas this spring.  Join Fans of Rebecca Plants “Plant Peas for Earth Day“.  There is no required reporting in, just an intention to do it.

Need more ideas? My free guide, “Outdoor Classrooms: The Basics” takes you step-by-step through creating a learning garden and ideas for seasonal lessons. Any subject can be taught outside.  I’ve taught patterns to kindergardeners, journaling in the garden to second graders, and made bagel bird feeders just before a snow storm (and it only cost me $8).

Thanks for helping me make sure ALL kids have the opportunity to eat their peas and discover a healthy outdoor lifestyle.  I can’t wait to hear about all of the things you have done in the past and what you plan to do in 2010.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

There is something about snow and cold that makes me want to drink lots of coffee, hot cocoa, and make the largest breakfasts that I’ve ever eaten. Looking out from my breakfast room at the dozens of birds at the bird feeder over the last 48 hours (and 29 inches of snow), I get why the birds are plump – they have to survive the cold. Me? I’m warm and cozy inside except for walking the dog and two days of constant shoveling, which by the way, is fantastic exercise, but not at all “fun”.

“Mom, I’m bored,” declared my seven year old this morning. “Will you come and watch me play Wii?” That soooo didn’t sound like fun to me, so I politely declined and suggested we sled together outside. “I’ve been shoveling for two days,” I said.  “Now I want to play.” Over two days, the boys played in the snow while we shoveled, but we had not yet played outside together.

While the boys finished watching Sponge Bob, I declared, “Come outside when the show is over; I’m going out now to get the sledding run ready.” There is an art to the perfect sledding run, which is really never finished and is so fun for my boys and I to aspire to “finish.”

I walked outside, snow up to my knees, and it was a physical effort just to get to the sledding run 20 feet away, which we started before there was over two feet of snow on the ground. The sledding run is not big, maybe 50 feet long on a gradual slope leading to trees, and we had built up a ramp only two feet tall.

Finally reaching the sledding ramp, I was going to have my work cut out for me. First, I had to find the sleds that got left outside under two feet of snow.  Oops. But, the boys soon joined me and finding them became a treasure hunt. Second, I attempted to go down our run – now buried in two feet of snow – and I immediately sank two feet. Because I could barely walk in the snow, I literally crawled 50 feet through the snow to start packing down the snow. This may sound absolutely horrible, but I was laughing hysterically the whole time and finally collapsed at the end of the run and turned on my back, just gazing up at the large white oaks covered in white.

And then, once I finally got the sled half-way down the run, I had to lay on the sled on my stomach and start “swimming” with my arms, scooping the snow out of my way to continue forward. I could have sworn I was doing the butterfly (which I have never been able to do in the swimming pool), and suddenly I didn’t feel guilty for not having officially “worked out” in two weeks.

So who needs a treadmill?  Just start acting like a kid, and play in the snow. Just remember to keep a water bottle with you; you’ll need it.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

You’d think that when my kids had so much fun last night after I forced them to walk the dog with me, that they would be excited this morning to do it again. Nope. As I explained to them yesterday, my rule is “When everyone is well, Mommy doesn’t walk the dog by herself. One or both of you has to come with me.” Yes, this is a rule, in part, because I want to get my kids outside and in part that it’s their responsibility to their pet. And it works.

Yesterday, after my older son fussed “It’s not fair!” countless times and when I said he had no choice, he headed out the door and brought his football with him. Instantly, he had a grand time, tossing the ball back and forth with his brother and me while we walked. We even picked up a neighbor who came with us, and the kids had a 45-minute outdoor play date, running around with the football and in the snow. I got the dog walked, the kids exercised and happy, and I didn’t even have to provide snacks or dinner for the play date!

Back to this morning. My younger son, who is five years old, volunteered to come with me to walk the dog. We suited up in our snow gear, which always takes a little while – but it’s worth it. He brought along a small bouncy ball and proceeded to kick it back and forth with me on the walk. Half way around the neighborhood, where the road dead ends and you’re forced to turn left, there is a patch of woods on the right. “Mom, can you watch my ball for me?” my son asked, turning as if to walk away. “Sure,” I said. “But where are you going?” “I want to check out something over there.” he replied confidently. “OK,” I said nervously. The direction he was going in had many obstacles in his path: large boulders moved by construction bulldozers, tree debris, and even some pipes. He found a walking stick and worked his way around the obstacles to a patch of 10’ x 10’ shallow ice that his brother and the neighbor found the night before.

About 50 yards away from me, he got to work. Doing what? I have no idea, but he was very focused and it seemed he was in his own world. I sat on a mound of snow likely left by a snowplow earlier in the week and just sat and watched him. Snow was falling, and I savored a peaceful moment, in awe at his comfort, curiosity, and confidence. After 10 minutes, he looked up and stretched out his arm for a big, happy wave to me, and then resumed his work. After another 10 minutes, he shouted, “Okay Mom, now it’s your turn!”

I walked toward him unsure of what was going to happen next. “Mom, I’m going to take you on an adventure,” he said smiling and turned to walk in a direction we had never gone before, straight up a 25-foot-high mound of dirt. I followed him, but I said hesitantly, “I don’t really like this,” in a way that meant I was scared and unsure rather than ‘this is dangerous and we can’t do this.’ “It’s going to be great Mom, you’ll see. I’m going to show you something amazing.” And with the confidence of a great mountain explorer, he hiked up the rocky, unsettled and frozen dirt hill with small patches of grass and likely many hibernating critters (there were lots of holes). He checked the firmness of the ground with his stick before he took each step and led a crooked path to the top. Looking in the distance and smiling, he said, “Look at this view!” It was a cool view – certainly higher than we’ve stood before in our neighborhood, looking out onto a wooded area. He explored the top of the dirt hill for a minute and then he said, “Now to go back down, which I’m not sure how to do, but we’ll find a way.” “Why don’t we go back the way we came?” I asked. And he replied, with his face showing me he was figuring it out, “You can’t always do things the same way.”

Coming back down the hill, I was done exploring, but my son was clearly just beginning. “Come on Mom, let’s continue our hike! Can we have a picnic today? It feels like it’s been a long time.” I really had no excuse for needing to go back home; today is a school snow day as the Washington, D.C. area anticipates 1-2 feet of snow. We were suited up in our snow gear, warm, and the falling snow was beautiful. The fresh air and exercise was not only good for my son, it was good for me too. I clearly was exercising the limits of my comfort zone for new experiences, which is not a bad thing.

Walking home, my son declared, “Well I’m staying outside all day, and nothing can stop me. There are a million, quadrillion, crillion, billion things to do outside. You can watch TV for hours and then be bored. Why not go outside and have fun?”

So go have fun outside today, no matter where you may be.

Rebecca P. Cohen is the author of the upcoming book, 365 Days Outside: A Mother’s Journey to Improve the Well-being of Her Family and Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to spend more time outside together. Rebecca is also creator and producer of the television series, Get Out of the House, inspiring you to create memorable moments outside every day. To learn more, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com.

Copyright 2010

Rebecca Plants LLC

This article of mine was first published last fall by Root & Sprout (http://www.rootandsprout.com).  The topic is still relevant for many of us, and so I wanted to share it with you again. Enjoy!

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Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)

It was the first day of school for my first-grade son.  “I don’t know where I’m going” said a little boy, perhaps in kindergarten.  “Do you know who my teacher is?” said another little girl.  I found teachers to help these students in the sea of children that surrounded me, most knowing where they were going, following one in front of the other on a green line throughout the school.  My son missed the actual first day due to a high fever Labor Day weekend.  I was escorting him to his classroom.

Ten minutes before, I was outside with my son and other children, waiting for the bell to ring.  We bumped into our neighbors and waited together.  “Tell Shelby and Katelyn how many monarch butterfly caterpillars we have found,” encouraging my son to forget about his first-day nervousness.  “Like, 15!” he replied.  The girls asked how we found so many, and I explained we are planting butterfly weed plants (asclepias tuberosa), which the caterpillars like to eat.  We have found caterpillars everyday for the last week, and only brought them into a large butterfly house (lent by a neighbor) to protect them from being jostled while we plant hundreds of mostly-native plants for our new garden.  “We even have a chrysalis!” he said.  One morning, we noticed the caterpillar hanging, shrinking, and turning black at the top of the butterfly house.  We were slightly afraid that our attempts to give the caterpillars fresh butterfly weed three times a day weren’t working.  But, we left the house for a while, and by afternoon the caterpillar was in a smooth green cocoon.  It was amazing.  As we brought more and more caterpillars into the butterfly house each day, I worried how they would react to one another with so many and of varying sizes.  Would I have enough butterfly weed for them to eat?

“Look what I can do!” said Shelby.  She crossed her hands, interlocking her thumbs and waiving her fingers to form a butterfly.  We all started to do it, and as I was starting to say, “You know what is fun, to find your shadow and make butterfly shadows,” I noticed that the sun was to our backs, and my hands formed a perfect flittering butterfly shadow on the ground.  The kids followed suit, and we had a magical memory standing outside the school.

We found my son’s classroom and he quickly kissed me goodbye and turned to enter the classroom.  I knew he was nervous, but I seemed to be the one having a hard time letting go.  “I’ll be walking to get him from school,” I told the teacher, so she would know where to send him when the kids are dismissed for the day.  Walking from the classroom through the school to leave, I was in awe with so many children buzzing with purpose to their classrooms.  In the halls, I remarked to a smiling teacher helping to direct traffic, “It’s like a busy village of children.”

Walking out of the school, I had tears in my eyes, and for some reason my mind went back to the caterpillars, so many and transforming so quickly.  Would they know what to do in a sea of others just like them?  We’re all transforming everyday; some milestones are more obvious than others.  But with our best foot forward, we somehow find our way. Describing the morning at school to my husband when he anxiously asked, “How did things go?,” he had tears in his eyes too.  “It felt like we were the country mice entering the city for the first time; it seemed so overwhelming” I said.  “Although nervous, he seemed to be fine.” 

At the end of the day, my husband and four year-old went with me to pick my new first grader up from school.  After anxiously waiting for him to appear outside of the school and seeing every one of the neighborhood kids leaving, I went into the office to page him after 15 minutes.  But just then, he walked out the front door, having found his way just fine.  When I asked my son on a scale from one to ten – one being the worst and ten being the best day – how his day went, he smiled and said, “a ten.”  I guess I didn’t need to be worried after all.  And the caterpillars are doing just fine too.

Rebecca P. Cohen is a gardening coach and mom who believes that time outside transforms our lives for the better.  For her free guides, 50 Outdoor Activities for Busy Families and Outdoor Classrooms: The Basics, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com/outdoorliving.asp 

In the heat of the Summer, it’s nice to remember the cooler parts of each day and use them to our advantage as parents.  If kids are at camp during the day (or soon at school), morning and evening may be part of the few precious hours that we have with our children. 

We can use the longer days to work around the oppressive heat and spend time together.  For example, start and end the day with a family walk or bike ride.  Throw a Frisbee or play ball on days when everyone is ready just a few minutes early in the morning.  With a blanket on hand, have a spontaneous morning or evening picnic.

Recently, I’ve noticed that as it is harder to bear the Summer daytime heat, I cherish the cooler parts of the day and the special moments that unfold.  Last Sunday morning, my two boys, who are new to fishing (along with their parents!) and loving it, taught their grandfather how to cast a fishing line for the first time.  And the Friday evening before, the boys and I had a spontaneous picnic with my mom, who shared stories about how her grandmother loved to fish.

I wish that I could say that my children always want to get outside whenever I want them to.  Sometimes one son wants to go outside and the other does not; sometimes I really have to earn my stripes when neither wants to go out.  But, I can say with certainty that once they know (lovingly) they have no choice and with me by their side, they forget all about being contrarians.  They notice with excitement the plants and animals around us.

As Summer nears a close, make a list of your favorite things you like about spending time outside with your family.  With every passing day, ensure you are doing at least one of them.  Perhaps the kids can help you make the list too, and as the days pass by, you can add to the list what you are looking forward to about Fall.  The ideas will flow effortlessly and each of you will be making the most of your family time together.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being.  For her free list of 50 Outdoor Activities for Busy Families as well as Rebecca Plants’ Curiosity Cards, a set of 50 portable and no-cost activity cards for families, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com/outdoorliving.asp.

Sometimes the simple pleasures escape us, but get my kids outside, and they’ll start reminding me.  “Mom, let’s play tag.”  It was those four words that my son spoke on the morning of his fifth birthday, when we decided to have a quick, picnic breakfast before camp started.

First, it was freeze tag. Then it was hide and seek freeze tag.  “What’s that?” I asked.  My seven-year-old was excited to explain it to me.  “Well, we hide.  Then, you find us and once you find us, you have to chase us.  If you tag one person, he freezes, then the other can unfreeze him.  If you freeze both of us, you win.”

A couple games of tag got us warmed up quickly and me winded.  I saw a small incline on the side of the playground by the school.  “Hey boys, that looks like the perfect hill to roll down.”  Their eyes lit up.  “Me first!” yelled my older son.  I can’t remember how many times they rolled down the hill, but there was a lot of giggling and smiles.

After the second or third run, my older son said, “Mom, you’ve got to try this!”  I took a deep breath, and said, “ok.”  Dizzy is not my thing; I used to love it when I was younger, but something has changed since then.  However, I couldn’t pass up an enthusiastic invitation from my seven-year-old to join in his fun.  Thirty seconds of dizziness was well worth the hysterical laughing while rolling down the hill.

This past weekend, my newly minted five year-old had a grander idea of rolling down a hill.  During a visit with friends to a kids’ playscape in the Pennsylvania woods, we discovered that our admission included a ride down a ski slope inside a giant, inflatable clear ball.  Filled with just a bit of water, you slide (instead of roll, thank goodness) down the mountain.  My son, grinning the whole way, helped me learn to experience something new with joy instead of fear.

But, we don’t have to climb in a big clear ball to have great family time outside.  It’s amazing what no-cost fun is available to us at any time:  play tag, roll down a hill, climb a tree, or make up a game.  These are the staples which are available to us at anytime.  As a family, you’ll have more fun with your time together and create memorable moments outside, every day.

Rebecca P. Cohen is Founder and President of Rebecca Plants LLC, a gardening and outdoor lifestyle company that inspires families to be outside and improve their well being.  For her weekly online series, “Get Out of the House” as well as Rebecca Plants’ Curiosity Cards, a set of 50 portable and no-cost activity cards for families, visit http://www.rebeccaplants.com/outdoorliving.asp