Bringing the Great Outdoors to Children - Music, Books, and Hikes

I've been thinking lately about how much easier it was to be part of the great outdoors when homes were smaller and we had fewer luxuries. People had to go outside, if for no other reason, then to fill a bucket with water and to take care of some basic bodily functions. They probably also didn't mind going outside so kids wouldn't go stir-crazy in one-room house all day long. While I'm grateful for modern conveniences, I'm also ecstatic that the great outdoors are so accessible to me here in Utah. I'm a firm believer that "mountain time" or "forest time" or "meadow time" is part of the reason that I'm a consistently happy person.

Here's an article I just read about how some studies show that there is a direct co-relation between mental health and getting a decent dose of exposure to the outdoors: https://www.outsideonline.com/2397694/nature-mental-health.

One quote from this article, and then you can go to that link to read the rest, "... nature tends to result in reduced circulating levels of the stress hormone ... It is also associated with lower blood pressure ... and lower short-term levels of anxiety and depression."

Music about the Outdoors
To help pump children up about heading into the outdoors, here are some thoughtful songs from the Children's Songbook: (Have children pluck leaves off a tree with one of these songs on the back of each leaf to sing or learn.)

• My Heavenly Father Loves Me
• I Think the World is Glorious
• In the Leafy Treetops
• Thank Thee for Everything

Books for Children about the Outdoors
Here are some books to help children think about and appreciate some of the treasures in the outdoors:

• Explore the Great Outdoors by Mercer Mayer
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Weslandia by Paul Fleischman

  

Family-friendly Adventures in Utah County
Finally, if you live in or near Utah County, here are some of the outdoor activities that I've done that are family-friendly. They all revolve on water since it's so hot during the summer months.

• Hike To Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I have done this hike with a six-year-old. You end at the bottom of a lovely waterfall and can wade in ankle deep water.  The lovely photo on the website I linked to at the top of a mountain of rocks with a big sign that says something like "danger, keep out" that everyone ignores. I just want to call that out now - but whether you choose to hike past that part or not, the stream below it, and the views, are quite lovely. The parking lot is small and fills up quickly during peak season. You might need to either plan to get there early, or have the family runner drop everyone off at the trailhead, then run back up the road :)
• Hike to Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon. This hike takes you to the bottom of the falls where you can walk around in a shallow stream. 
• Play at Deer Creek. This is my favorite lake for wakeboarding and paddleboarding. However, with kids, I have often seen families go to the Deer Creek Island resort dock where they can set up picnic blankets and play on the shore. This is essentially your local land-bound "beach." Another similar option is at Tibble Lake Reservoir in American Fork.
• Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. I sometimes run or bike to this waterfall from my house in a neighboring city so depending on where you live, you could plan a bigger activity with teenagers. For a family with young children, you can park in the Bridal Veil Falls parking lot and take a very short walk to the falls in probably five minutes. It's fairly safe for kids to wander around in the pool of water at the bottom of the falls (but NOT on the opposite side of the trail, where the river is running a lot faster).