Offers strategies for safe, fun hiking, backpacking, cycling, canoeing, and camping, and discusses family adventure gear, campsite fundamentals, age-specific activities, and related topics.

A companion volume to the PBS-TV series "Trailside" discusses gear, safety, and trail courtesy.

Plan your family camping adventure! Whether you’re a first-time camper or a veteran backpacker befuddled by the challenges of carting a brood—and all the requisite gear—into the great outdoors, here you’ll find all the tips and tools you need to plan the perfect nature adventure with your family. Humorous and irreverent, yet always authoritative, this guide to camping with kids, from babies through pre-teens, is filled with checklists, smart tips, recipes, games, activities, and art projects. Helen Olsson, a seasoned camper and mother of three, shares lessons learned over the years of nature outings with her own family. Learn the basics of family camping, from choosing a destination and packing gear to setting up a campsite and keeping little ones safe. Create the perfect camp menu with simple and tasty recipe ideas. Discover foolproof tips and tactics for keeping kids happy and entertained while hiking. Explore nature through clever and creative camp arts and craft projects. This guide is your game plan to unplugging from the digital world and connecting your kids to nature. Whether it’s roasting marshmallows around a crackling campfire or stretching out on a camp mat to gaze at the stars, the memories you’ll be making will last a lifetime.

Experienced hikers Kari Jones and Sachiko Kiyooka replenished their souls in nature for many years before their children were born. When they became mothers, they learned to adapt their ways of enjoying the outdoors so that taking pre-schoolers on their excursions would be a gift, not a burden. In this book, the first outdoor adventure guide written specifically for parents of young children, they share what they have learned. Their practical guide to child-friendly destinations covers six day hikes, four overnight trips, and five long weekends. It includes: information on planning and on packing gear and food ready-to-use checklists for easy organizing identification guide to plants, animals and tidal life safety information geared specifically to children's needs First Nations and natural history for each destination.

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." --Author Emilie Buchwald Filled with beautifully illustrated reviews and a wealth of recommendations, A Parent's Guide to the Best Kids' Comics lovingly and thoughtfully reveals a world of graphic novels sure to capture the imagination and curiosity of your child. Children's literature experts and library professionals Scott Robins and Snow Wildsmith select and review 100 age-appropriate books, and recommend another 750 titles for children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade in this full-color, first-of-its-kind guide. You'll also find an educator's bibliography, website recommendations, and a bounty of resources to make this magical journey informative as well as delightful. Jeff Smith and Vijaya Iyer, producers of the highly acclaimed and award-winning Bone series, provide a Foreword for the book.

Does your young daughter talk endlessly about invisible friends, dragons in the basement, and monsters in the closet? Is your teenager about to start high school or being victimized by bullies? Is your son mortally afraid of certain insects or of injections at the doctor's office? Compiled by two seasoned clinical psychologists, The Parents' Guide to Psychological First Aid brings together articles by recognized experts who provide you with the information you need to help your child navigate the many trying problems that typically afflict young people. Written in an engaging style, this book offers sage advice on a raft of everyday problems that have psychological solutions. The contributors cover such topics as body image and physical appearance; cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol; overeating and obesity; dental visits; the birth of a sibling and sibling rivalries; temper tantrums; fostering self-esteem; shyness and social anxiety; and much more. Each expert article provides an overview of the issues, offers reassurance for minor problems and strategies for crisis management, and discusses the red flags that indicate that professional help is needed. In addition, the book is organized into various categories to make it easier to find information. For instance, the "Family Issues" section includes articles on Blended Families, Divorce, and Traveling; the "Adolescent Issues" section covers such topics as Dating and Driving; and the "Social/Peer Issues" section explores such subjects as "Sportsmanship," "Homesickness," and "Making Friends." An encyclopedic reference for parents concerned with maintaining the mental health of their children, this indispensable volume will help you help your child to deal effectively with stress and pressure, to cope with everyday challenges, and to rebound from disappointments, mistakes, trauma, and adversity.

CLICK HERE to download the sample chapter "Child Carriers" from Babes In The Woods * Offers a fresh, modern approach to hiking and camping with kids * Tips to make family outdoor trips less work and worry * Addresses concern about "nature deficit disorder" in children There's a lot of information out there about introducing school-age kids to the outdoors, but what about babies and toddlers? Author Jennifer Aist bridges that gap and shares her tried and tested advice for active new parents. Babes in the Woods introduces outdoorsy moms and dads to the joy and vigor of taking babies and toddlers into the woods at a very early age. Well-organized chapters offer functional solutions for appropriate gear, clothing, and food, nature games to play, and tips on potty breaks and sleeping outdoors-but most importantly, Aist explores all the reasons why introducing even the youngest of children to wilderness experiences is healthy, rewarding, and fun. Whether planning a short day hike, a car camping trip, a base camp adventure, or a backpacking excursion, Aist covers every season and climate, while confirming that babies are well-suited for the mountains, the water, and the adventures that lie beyond.