Photos by Anna Van Devender unless otherwise stated. Escaping the Southern Arizona heat in June is a Van Devender family tradition. Driving to Yellowstone in Summer ’23 was by far the furthest road trip we’ve tried. My husband and I Read more…
Tag Archives: kids nature activities
“Oh yeah, it’s Tree Tuesday!” quoted Kid 2 as we got ready for a day of Camp Mom. All three kids loved climbing and fruit-harvesting in the fig trees of Marana Heritage River Park during our second week of summer Read more…
“Yay! We get to eat breakfast outside!” chirps Kid 2, and he flits to the back door. His verbalized desire is music to my ears. In the last few months, both boys have increasingly either asked to go out or agreed Read more…
Worms help me recycle, garden, teach, and pay attention. I like worms. Worms, though uncommon in desert soil, reside with minimal care in habitats called worm bins. It turns out kids and some of their teachers like worms too. “You Read more…
Fall is a time of transition. Over a season, hot turns to cold. The downpours of monsoon summer and the drizzles of winter sandwich multiple months of … that’s the hard part. This year more than most, it has been Read more…
The palo verde tree that planted itself, helped shape our front yard and shade our house, and beautifully flowered each spring, has to come down. We might have been able to save it if only a few branches were damaged, an Read more…
The coyote was an especially good sign. I know, coyotes can be tricky. But this one was exactly where it should be. It was we – my two boys and me – who spotted the shy creature in the wash Read more…
“Did this stick come from a TREE?” asked my 4-year-old. He accepted my affirmation thoughtfully, then inched along the trail again with an 18” pine bough in his grip. “This stick”, along with promises of ice cream, motivated him for Read more…
The trees are thirsty. The kids are restless. The day is young, and one that will heat up quickly. I turn the hose on a trickle and then rest easy. The water promises 30+ minutes in nature for the kids Read more…
We eat our breakfast outside. Every summer morning around 6:30 my two young boys and I schlep a simple meal to the backyard, pick a place to sit, and celebrate the company of birds, opening blooms, and warming-up cicadas. After Read more…
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