Photo courtesy of the Yakima Greenway

We all know about having popcorn with a movie, but what about a little bit of karate first?

Pro-Action Family Martial Arts is offering just that Aug. 7, as it hosts its “Martial Arts Night & Movie” at Sarg Hubbard Park in partnership with Yakima Parks & Recreation and the Yakima Greenway’s “Kiddin’ Around” program.

The free event begins at 7:30 p.m. with a demonstration and brief class, and at sunset a family-friendly martial arts movie will be shown.

“Our involvement in the Kid Fit programming at the Greenway has been fun and exciting for both our school, the staff at the Greenway, and most importantly, the kids of Yakima,” said Ernie Brennecke, senior instructor – or sensei – at Pro-Action. “Last time we did something like this, the attendance was significant, and I play best with and to large audiences.”

Last year, more than 100 kids participated in the event. The opening demonstration is aimed at giving the public a peek at what karate is all about.

“So we don’t just do something, but we talk about what we’re doing, too,” said Erik Brennecke, Ernie’s son and a sensei with Pro-Action. 

Following the demo, the Brenneckes, along with other instructors and students, will hold a 10-minute class for kids. While last year’s class was aerobic-based, this year’s will focus on self-defense.

“We’re going to keep it basic. We like to teach basic risk escape, and maybe some palm strikes,” said Brennecke, who noted punching with a fist takes conditioning. “This is for the kids to get excited about karate.”

All ages are welcome. For more information, contact the Yakima Greenway at 509-453-8280, or visit yakimagreenway.org.

Kiddin’ Around is a summerlong activity program designed to get kids and their families movin’ in the great outdoors. Much like a summer reading program, kids can earn participation points that add up to fitness-themed prize incentives, such as swim passes, and will culminate with a drawing for larger prizes at the end of the summer.

The program kicks off May 1 with Family Field Day at Sarg Hubbard Park. Other activities planned throughout the summer include tennis lessons, community gardening and using a GPS device to explore the Greenway.

Participants can register for the program at Family Field Day or any event, or stop by the Yakima Greenway office at Sarg Hubbard Park.

Here’s the lineup of events and activities:

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES

BIRDIN’ AROUND | Second and fourth Wednesdays. Guided bird walks along the Yakima Greenway or Cowiche Canyon. Free. Check schedule at yakimaaudubon.org.

GOLFIN’ AROUND | Golf nine or 18 holes of golf (not miniature) and turn in signed scorecard to the Greenway for points credit. Greens fee required.

PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT | Use your digital camera or check one out from the Greenway office (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday) to snap photos along the greenway. Free. Call 453-8280 to reserve a camera and get the list of scavenger items.

TECHIN’ & TREKKIN’ | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Check out a GPS and record your mileage as you bike or walk the Greenway. Free; call 453-8280 to reserve a GPS.

WALKIN’ THE DOG | Check out a dog from the Humane Society and go for a walk. Adult participation required. Dog walking hours are 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays and 12-3:30 p.m. Saturdays. Call 457-6854 for more information.

GROUP EVENTS

FAMILY FIELD DAY | 1-4 p.m. Saturday, May 1. This free event promotes good nutrition, exercise and family fun. Activities include an obstacle course, jump rope, soccer, kayaking, hula hoops and “an unbelievable game of tag.” Sponsored by the Yakima Greenway Foundation, CWU Dietetic Interns and FitKids USA. Held at Sarg Hubbard Park (next to eastside WalMart), 111 S. 18th St., Yakima; 453-8280.

KIDS’ FISH-IN | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 8. Kids ages 5-14 can learn to fish and keep their catch at this trout-stocked event, which replaces Fishing Kids. Cost is $5 per kid and includes a rod and reel. Participants are assigned a 30-minute slot at the Sarg Hubbard Park Reflection Pond. Hosted by Go Play Outside Alliance of Washington. Limited to 800 kids. Download a registration form at gopaw.org or yakimagreenway.org or call 453-8280.

HIKIN’ AROUND | 9 a.m. Saturday, May 15. Bring hiking shoes and water for a gentle hike through Cowiche Canyon. Free; stroller accessible. Meet at the Weikel Road parking lot; find directions at cowichecanyon.org. Hosted by Cowiche Canyon Conservancy. To register, call 453-8280.

FITNESS FOR KIDS MARATHON | 6 p.m. Friday, May 21. Participants run or walk 25 miles on their own, with adult supervision, then join others to run or walk the last 1.2-mile leg of the marathon on May 21. School Mileage Club laps count towards the first 25 miles. Cost is $5, which includes a T-shirt, finisher ribbon and other prizes. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. Run/walk starts at 6 p.m. Meets at Sarg Hubbard Park. Hosted by Yakima Hard Core Runners Club, HCRunners.org.

GOLFIN’ AROUND | 1 p.m. Sunday, May 23. Youth ages 5-14 can start learning to golf at this free event hosted by The First Tee of Yakima and Yakima Parks & Recreation. Equipment is provided. Pre-registration is required; call 949-6349 by May 17. Meets at Fisher Park Golf Course, 823 S. 40th Ave., Yakima. For information, go to thefirstteeyakima.org.

JUNIOR GAP2GAP RELAY | 6-11 a.m. Saturday, June 5. Kids ages 6-14 can test their endurance and skill in this 21th annual youth relay on the Yakima Greenway. (Gap2Gap, the grown-up counterpart, marks its 26th anniversary this year.) In 2009, 431 youth competed in this bike, run, in-line skate, kayaking and obstacle course challenge. Just for fun, there’s also a best T-shirt competition. Juniors may compete as individuals or teams. The fee is $15; register by May 26 at yakimagreenway.org or call 453-8280.

YCTA TENNIS FREE-4-ALL | 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 6. Ages 5 and up can learn how to play tennis or improve their game. Quickstart session for ages 5-10. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. Free. Kissel Park, corner of S. 32nd and Mead avenues, Yakima. Hosted by Yakima Community Tennis Association; contact erobbins@ycta.info.

KIDDIN’ AROUND IN THE GARDEN | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 12. Learn how to grow food, take home a veggie plant. Free. Hosted by Rev it Up! and United Christian Church. Meets at the church, 317 S. 41st St. in Terrace Heights.

JUNIOR BOOT CAMP | 1 p.m. Saturday, June 19. Cardio, strength and flexibility exercises outdoors. Free; call 972-5276 to register by June 16. Hosted by Yakima Family YMCA, 5 N. Naches Ave., Yakima.

POWER WALKIN’ 4 KIDS | 9-10 a.m. Friday, June 25. Take a guided walk with jumping, running and laughing along the way. Free. Meet at Sarg Hubbard Park at the Yakima Greenway.

SNAPPIN’ AROUND | 6-8 p.m. Saturday, July 10. Learn to use a digital camera. Limited cameras available or bring your own. Free; must call 453-6348 by July 9 to register. Meet at Sarg Hubbard Park at the Yakima Greenway.

SPLASHIN’ AROUND | 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 17. Free swimming at Franklin Pool, 21st Avenue and Tieton Drive, Yakima. Multiple sessions. Hosted by Yakima Parks & Recreation. Call 576-6348 or 575-6035 for details.

KIDDIN’ AROUND IN THE GARDEN | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 24. Learn how to grow food, take home a veggie plant. Free. Hosted by Rev it Up! and United Christian Church. Meets at the church, 317 S. 41st St. in Terrace Heights.

KICKIN’ AROUND | 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. Ages 6-14 can learn the game of soccer and practice basic skills. Free; must call 575-6020 by July 23 to pre-register. Hosted by Yakima Parks & Recreation at Chesterley Park, N. 40th Avenue and River Road, Yakima.

MARTIAL ARTS NIGHT/OUTDOOR SUMMER CINEMA | 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. Martial arts demonstration and learn basic self-defense moves. “The Karate Kid,” rated PG, begins at sunset. Sarg Hubbard Park at the Yakima Greenway, yakimagreenway.org. Outdoor Summer Cinema presented by Allied Arts, alliedartsyakima.org.

POWER WALKIN’ 4 KIDS | 9-10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14. Take a guided walk with jumping, running and laughing along the way. Free. Meet at Sarg Hubbard Park at the Yakima Greenway.

BEARS BASEBALL SKILLS CLINIC | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21. Learn how to hit and catch the ball with Yakima Bears staff and players. Free; must call 453-8280 by Aug. 11 to register. Meets at Yakima County Stadium, 1301 S. Fair Ave., Yakima.

HOT SHOTS 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT | Aug. 28-29. Youth, high school and adult teams shoot hoops on the streets in downtown Yakima. Watching is free. To play, you’ll need to register; deadline is Aug. 5. The fee for youth teams is $90. Yakima Valley Sports Commission,  yakimahotshots.org; 573-3010.

By Heather Caro
If spending another winter holed up with restless children has you shaking in your mukluks, rest assured, there is another solution: Teach your children (and maybe yourself) to enjoy the frosty tundra by trying a new winter sport.

From sledding to snowboarding, snowshoeing to skiing, there is something to turn even the most devout sun worshipers to the snow side.

For the winter novice, it’s hard to go wrong with a good sled run. Franklin Park in Yakima has one of the best sledding hills around but if you’re ready to venture further from home, the possibilities are endless.

For something new, try Hyak Sno-Park on Snoqualmie Pass, a popular spot with a 300-foot sledding run. Bring your own sleds or tubes; there are no rentals or tow rope, but the slope is an easy climb.

Snoqualmie Pass also boasts its own weekend Summit Tubing Area (formerly Snowflake), located near the Summit Central Ski area.

In season, Summit Tubing is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The park offers groomed lanes, covered tubes and tow ropes to get you back up the hill. Daily rates are $5 to $20.

Sledding and tubing also are allowed off any forest service road and finding your own family hill can be fun.

If downhill skiing or snowboarding are more your interest, family-friendly White Pass offers a variety of lifts and classes for all skill levels, even childcare. Snoqualmie offers similar services and was recently named one of the Top 10 Terrain Parks in the U.S. and Canada by Freeskier Magazine. Both mountains offer groomed trails, equipment rentals and dining facilities.

If the crowds and lift ticket prices have scared you away from the downhill variety, perhaps cross-country skiing is for you. Groomed trails make skiing a breeze and the relative quiet creates ideal wildlife spotting.

Children old enough to walk are able to begin cross-country skiing, though the first few outings should be short to avoid frustration. If Mom and Dad are confident skiers, even the youngest tots can enjoy the snow when tucked into a pack or towed along in a ski sled.

Similarly, snowshoeing is an activity the whole family can easily master and enjoy together. New lighter production materials and children’s sizes help ease little legs and can turn a snowy hike into an exciting adventure.

So now that you know, what are you waiting for? Put down that mug of cocoa, bundle up and go have some fun!

TIPS FOR ENJOYING THE SNOW WITH KIDS

• Dress the part
  • Try to layer clothing, avoiding cotton, which holds in moisture.
  • Bring an extra set of gloves to change into mid-day; you’ll be glad you did.
  • Consider investing in gaiters. Snowy socks can dampen the day of even the most enthusiastic outdoor aficionado. Gaiters are the answer.
  • Also, it may be cold outside but don’t forget the sunblock! Protect little eyes from glare with kid-sized ski goggles or sunglasses attached with Croakies.

• Safety first
  • Scope out routes ahead of time for obstacles that could cause injury. Choose sledding hills that do not cross traffic and are free from large trees, fences, rocks and telephone poles. Never play on ponds or frozen water which may give way under pressure.
  • Enforce the use of helmets. A majority of snow-related injuries could be avoided with this simple practice.
  • Try to avoid overcrowded areas which increase risk of collision, among other frustrations. Identify a meeting spot should you and your child become separated.
  • Always supervise outdoor play. You may not prevent injury, but medical attention can be obtained more quickly if it occurs.

• Prepare, prepare, prepare
  • Choose terrain that will be accessible to everyone in the group. Don’t go out when it’s bad weather and try to choose short outings when first learning skills.
  • Turn outings into an adventure by choosing fun destinations and playing games. Animal tracking and I-spy can be fun.
  • Set goals, such as reaching a destination or a planned picnic lunch. And, remember to bring lots of snacks — we like M&M’s, PowerBars, gorp and hot chocolate — and push fluids.

By Sara Bristol

Enjoying the great outdoors as a family doesn’t always mean loading up the ice chest, marshmallows and tent poles into the SUV and driving for hours in search of a nice, quiet place.

Nature, it turns out, is right here in our backyard.

Just a few miles west of Yakima, the Cowiche Canyon Trail is a great place for little legs to get some trail time. Built on the bed of an abandoned railroad line, the 2.9-mile trail is flat and wide; a sturdy jogging stroller should be able to handle the gravel trail bed. On foot, the walk is definitely more of a stroll than a hike – especially with dawdling preschoolers.

“I think it’s a great place for kids,” says David Hagen, a board member of the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy, the non-profit group that owns and manages the trail. “Being an old railroad bed, the trail is so flat and wide that it’s really safe. It’s a great place for kids to be out in nature.”

In July, six families with young children joined Hagen for a guided tour of the Canyon Trail, which features nine trestle bridges over Cowiche Creek. Our bunch, the most intrepid, made it to bridge No. 6 before stopping for a snack and turning back.

Be sure to use sunscreen, bring plenty of water and plan your walk during the cooler hours of the day. The trail is especially sun-blasted in summer when the sun is high. When the sun is lower on the horizon, the canyon walls may provide some shade.

Spring and fall are the best seasons to visit the canyon, recommends Hagen. “Spring has all the flowers, so it’s prettier and it’s green,” he says, adding that the trees’ fall colors are lovely, too, beginning in mid-September.

The canyon’s towering cliffs are mostly Columbia River basalt, a volcanic rock that spewed up from the earth’s surface up to 17 million years ago. Swirly formations along the top of the canyon’s north side are a different type of volcanic rock called andesite.

Want some more rockin’ trivia? This is the longest known flow of andesite in the world. (Hey, I knew you’d like that.)

Along the trail, a lush border of trees and shrubs line Cowiche Creek, but the trail’s overall topography is more representative of our region’s arid shrub-steppe environment. It’s not a desert, Hagen says.

Rather, “steppe” is a word that refers to vast treeless grasslands. In areas such as the Yakima Valley, where the dominant vegetation is shrubs, the term “shrub-steppe” applies.

Plants in Cowiche Canyon include lupine, purple sage, tall buckwheat and the Western White Clematis. On our visit, we spied several small birds and two hawks.

“If you’re lucky, in the spring or fall, when it’s not too cold or too hot, you might see a Yellow-bellied Marmot,” Hagen says, referring to a native ground squirrel that weighs up to 11 pounds. “They live in the rocks and they have a kind of shrill whistle.”

Just for kicks, keep your eyes peeled for coyote. However, Hagen notes, “You’d probably have to be pretty lucky to see a coyote.”

Lizards and toads are more likely. But cautious parents should also be on the lookout for rattlesnakes.

“Usually, if they’re out there, they’re going to be right out on the trail in the sun,” Hagen says. “They hear you coming and slither away. They’re shy and they want to get away from you.”

What to do if you see one?

“Stop,” Hagen says, “and stomp your feet. They respond to vibration.”

Overall, the trail is safe for little explorers, Hagen advises. Just use common sense: It’s OK for kids to pick a sprig or two from the plants, but avoid plucking leaves by the handful.

It’s also OK to let kids climb a bit on the rocks, or toss a few stones in the creek. “Kids like to climb on rocks,” Hagen says.

The hiker’s rule of thumb is to leave things as they were. Pack out your trash and try not to disturb the plants or wildlife.

“It is a nature preserve,” Hagen says. “We have this tension between preserving (the land) and wanting it to be used.

“We want kids to have a hands-on experience. They don’t have to walk down the middle of the trail with their hands in their pockets. We want them to enjoy themselves.”

When they grow up, Hagen hopes, our children will spread the Conservancy’s message to their own children.

GETTING THERE
From Yakima, drive west on Summitview Avenue to Wiekel Road, about 5 miles west of 72nd Avenue. Turn right onto Wiekel Road, then follow the signs to the parking lot.

LEARN MORE
www.cowichecanyon.org

Participants earn points by attending Kiddin’ Around events (schedule below), or by walking, riding bikes or participating in a summer-long photo scavenger hunt on the Greenway.

All activities are free (except Junior Gap2Gap) and most are offered as drop-in events that do not require preregistration.

To sign up for the program and start earning points, download a registration form at yakimagreenway.org, or visit the office at Sarg Hubbard Park; families who participated in Family Field Day on May 2 are already registered. Call 453-8280 for more information.

Here’s the schedule:

May 16: Snappin’ Around, 6-8 p.m. Learn how to use a digital camera; instructed walk on the Greenway. Pre-registration required; some cameras available or bring your own.

May 18: Hikin’ Around, 9 a.m. Guided hike in Cowiche Canyon. Bring hiking shoes and lots of water. Meet at Wiekel Road parking lot; cowichecanyon.org.

May 28: Birdin’ Around, 9 a.m. Bird watching walk with the Audubon Society. Learn to identify birds by sight or sound. Wear good shoes; no flip-flops. Greenway or Cowiche Canyon; call for location.

May 30: Junior Gap2Gap, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Annual relay race at Sarg Hubbard Park. Categories for ages 6 and up. Preregistration and fee required. Register at yakimagreenway.org.

June 5: Junior Marathon. Students run first 25 miles at school, then finish up last 1.2 mile run at Sarg Hubbard Park. More information at hcrunners.org.

June 7: YCTA Tennis Free-4-All, 1-4 p.m. Learn to play tennis or hone your skills with the Yakima Community Tennis Association. Kissel Park.

June 11: Birdin’ Around, 9 a.m. Bird watching walk with the Audubon Society. Learn to identify birds by sight or sound. Wear good shoes; no flip-flops. Greenway or Cowiche Canyon; call for location.

June 14: Golfin’ Around, 2-5 p.m. Learn correct stance and how to swing from local pros; equipment provided. Fisher Park Golf Course.

June 20: Hikin’ Around, 9 a.m. Guided hike in Cowiche Canyon. Bring hiking shoes and lots of water. Meet at Wiekel Road parking lot; cowichecanyon.org.

June 25: Birdin’ Around, 9 a.m. Bird watching walk with the Audubon Society. Learn to identify birds by sight or sound. Wear good shoes; no flip-flops. Greenway or Cowiche Canyon; call for location.

July 9: Hikin’ Around, 9 a.m. Guided hike in Cowiche Canyon. Bring hiking shoes and lots of water. Meet at Wiekel Road parking lot; cowichecanyon.org.

July 11: Splashin’ Around, 1-4 p.m. Water activities at Franklin Pool.

July 18: Obstacle Course, 9 a.m. to noon at Sarg Hubbard Park.

July 23: Hikin’ Around, 9 a.m. Guided hike in Cowiche Canyon. Bring hiking shoes and lots of water. Meet at Wiekel Road parking lot; cowichecanyon.org.

July 31: Dancin’ Around, 5-8 p.m. DJ plays favorites for a family dance party at Martin Luther King Park.

Aug. 6: Hikin’ Around, 9 a.m. Guided hike in Cowiche Canyon. Bring hiking shoes and lots of water. Meet at Wiekel Road parking lot; cowichecanyon.org.

Aug. 7: Martial Arts Night, 7:30 p.m. Learn self-defense moves and basic techniques, followed by free outdoor screening of “Kung Fu Panda.” Sarg Hubbard Park.

Aug. 20: Hikin’ Around, 9 a.m. Guided hike in Cowiche Canyon. Bring hiking shoes and lots of water. Meet at Wiekel Road parking lot; cowichecanyon.org.

Aug. 29: Hoppin’ Around, 1-4 p.m. Yakima’s longest hopscotch court will test your skills at Sarg Hubbard Park.

Sept. 12: Kickin’ Around, 12-3 p.m. Introduction to soccer clinic. Ages 6-14. Chesterley Park.

Teckin’ and Trekkin: Self-guided activity. Borrow a GPS unit from the Greenway office to record your mileage walking or biking the pathways.

Snappin’ Around II: Self-guided activity. Take pictures of hidden things on the Greenway to earn points. Limited number of cameras available to borrow.

With foliage off the trees, winter is a great time to go birding at the Yakima Area Arboretum. This free activity can be a fun outdoor adventure for the entire family.

The Arboretum is a non-profit outdoor museum featuring more than 2,000 different kinds of trees and plants on 46 acres of display gardens and natural areas. It’s located at 1401 Arboretum Drive in Yakima. Access the drive from Nob Hill Boulevard, across from Kmart.

Among the Arboretum’s trees, birders might spot up to two dozen different birds including robins, geese and bald eagles.

If you plan a visit, be sure to bring binoculars, a bird identification book (borrow one from the library), a notebook, pencil and the following checklist. Expect your birding adventure to take at least 60 minutes.

California Quail
Common Loon
Horned Grebes
Mourning Dove
Western Screech-Owl
Black-billed Magpie
Black-capped Chickadee
American Robin
Spotted Towhee
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
House Sparrow
Cooper’s Hawk
Bald Eagle
Canada Geese
NOTE: Tell the staff if you find any birds not on the list so they can pass the information onto the Yakima Valley Audubon Society, which tracks of these types of things.

All of these birds have been spotted at the Arboretum this winter, and many on the same day. Most can easily be found in the Sparrow Patch located in the compost area in the northeast part of the Arboretum. Birds can be found even with snow on the ground.

HERE’S THE HOW-TO:
1) After parking your car, visit the Jewett Interpretive Center for a self-guided tour map. You might find this helpful.

2) Head towards the Arboretum’s Natural Area and the Yakima Greenway. Look for Canada Geese around the pond. Look also in the trees for the daytime roosting of owls and other birds.

3) Walk on the Greenway trail heading north just until you can spot the river. Look high up in the trees, especially across the river for Bald Eagles. Six were spotted on one day the week before Christmas.

4) Trek a little farther north along the Greenway and look towards Buchanan Lake. Can you find any Red-winged Blackbirds, Canada Geese, Common Loons or Horned Grebes? How about floating platforms with trees and fisherman? The platforms are actually there to encourage nesting habitat for water fowl, not just for giggles.

5) Finally, turn back and head towards the Arboretum’s Natural Area. Take the first path you come to. As you walk along the path look for the Arboretum’s Compost Area on your right. Walking quietly into the compost area you will be amazed at the bird activity. From a distance find the large plastic garbage can (full of bird seed). This is the headquarters for the Arboretum’s Sparrow Patch and is maintained by the volunteers with the Yakima Valley Audubon Society. For the greatest success rate be sure to stand far enough away so you don’t scare the birds. Use the binoculars for identification. Look high in the trees for other predator birds who are also maintaining vigil on the Sparrow Patch such as the Cooper’s Hawk. After your visit feel free to spread more seed for the birds. The birds and the next birders will be thankful you did.

6) After visiting the Sparrow Patch be sure to walk through the Natural Area looking for other birds and critters. Pay special attention to any large tree cavities you see high up in the trees. A Western Screech Owl has made his home in one. Kids might enjoy trying to spot the manmade bird houses too.

7) Notice how the Natural Area looks like a wetland again. The recent snow melt and rise in water levels has brought plenty of water into the Natural Area. For years the Arboretum’s Natural Area was an active wetland with all sorts of wetland critters and ponds. Then, after the gravel pit to the north was turned into Buchanan Lake the Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the drainage for the lake from the Arboretum’s natural area into the Yakima River, bypassing the Arboretum’s wetlands altogether. Now, only during flood type conditions do we see much water in the natural area.

Finally, if there is snow on the ground, look for animal tracks. Kids will love trying to identify the prints that they see, i.e. rabbits, bird, mice, dog and Sasquatch. LOL

9) Enjoy your visit and oh… check out the trees while you visit the Arboretum, too!

– Reprinted with permission from the Yakima Area Arboretum’s January 2009 newsletter.

Tubing is free at the impressive, interactive snow castle near the lodge. The line can be long, however, so it’s best to arrive early.

The event also features a weekend full of kids’ ski races and classes, live music, low-key carnival games and fireworks.

Local band Blind Lemon Pie is scheduled to start rockin’ at 4 p.m. Saturday. At 6 p.m., dinner is available for purchase; choose prime rib or spaghetti. The Torchlight Parade begins about 7 p.m., followed by fireworks.
Music and activities continue Sunday. For a complete schedule, visit skiwhitepass.com.

So, what’s a mom to do to keep from hearing “after this game” or “but Mom” just one more time?

Solution: Send ‘em outside with something do. Hey, we’re not saying they should mow the lawn (although that’s not a bad idea). Try a scavenger hunt.

This idea can be adapted for a hike in the woods, exploring your own backyard or even playing indoors on a rainy day.

Years ago, a genius baby sitter used a variation of the scavenger hunt trick to keep my brother and me busy for an entire summer. She’d send us out for a walk around the block equipped with a clipboard for tallying various landmarks: mailboxes, stop signs, cats, cars, etc.

The designated items would change by the day. We’d often take the walk twice to compare how the neighborhood had changed in just a few minutes. (Cars and cats come and go.)

Kids love a mission and a challenge. Scavenger hunts combine a child’s natural curiosity with the opportunity for unstructured learning. They’re fun, and reward children with a sense of achievement.

To plan a successful hunt, the first step is to consider your audience: A good hunt should include some challenge, but the children should be able to succeed. Give verbal clues or a visual guide to nonreaders.

Click HERE to download a Neighborhood Hunt for non-readers.

Click HERE to download a Nature Hunt for non-readers.

Also, set some basic rules: Establish boundaries. Stay with a friend. Leave nature as you found it. Pick up trash as you search.

There are many ways to organize the search. Use these themes to spark your imagination:

* Common Sense. Create a checklist that asks children to explore nature with their senses. For example, can you HEAR a bird singing? Rain on your tent? Can you SMELL fresh air? Campfire smoke? Can you TASTE something sweet? Can you SEE an acorn? Can you FEEL wind blowing on your face?

Click HERE to download a hunt for the senses.

* Neighborhood Walk. Prepare a checklist of things you might see on a walk around the neighborhood and ask children to tally how many they see: fire hydrants, white houses, red cars, etc. It’s OK to look for just one item or several, depending on the child’s ability to concentrate on the task.

* Alphabet Hunt For older kids, try a hunt for items each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. For additional challenge, go in order from A to Z.

Click HERE to download an Alphabet Hunt.

- Sara Bristol