Outdoorsy Families Audrey Withycombe

My list of 20 Hiking Motivators for Kids:
Get kids involved in the planning
The power of language
Play games on hikes
Sing songs as you hike
 Hike with friends
Hike as a whole family
Never leave home without snacks
Don't worry about the distance
Get familiar with local trails
Be prepared for your hike
Plan trips around hikes
Know when to choose different activities
Bring a trail stuffy
Let kids carry some gear
Complete a scavenger hunt
Just add water
Hike in all seasons
Take breaks often
Don't forget a carrier
If all else fails, use bribery!
For the blog post on this episode, go to 20 Ways to Motivate Kids on a Hike. If you are looking for more information about hiking with kids, download the Hiking with Kids Guide at outdoorsyfamilies.com
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Today you will be hearing stories of adventures in the National Parks from other families just like yours! The stories in this episode are listener-submitted and pre-recorded. This new format is my solution to a bit of a problem I’ve had since moving to Montana. The problem is my internet. It’s so awful I can’t do zoom calls, which has ruled out interview-style podcast episodes. My plan is to give these story episodes a try and see what you think, while also doing informative episodes on how to do different outdoor activities with your family. I’m very interested in hearing your feedback on this episode! Please leave a review and let me know what you think. 
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Hi and welcome to Outdoorsy Families! This is episode __.  I’m Audrey Withycombe, the host of Outdoorsy Families. Somehow it’s been 2 months since our last episode, and a lot has happened since then! I’m so happy to be back in this space and to share what I’ve been up to for the last two months. In today’s episode, I’m going to be doing a reintroduction and share my why for doing this podcast. Honestly, this is going to be helpful for me as I get back into the podcasting habit. I’ll also share what you can expect from the podcast since things will be changing a bit.  I’m going to wrap up this episode by sharing my goals for 2022. I’ll admit I don’t typically make many goals, but this year I have some fun ones to share! 
 
But before we begin, I wanted to encourage you to check out the website, outdoorsyfamilies.com. There I have an ever-growing list of resources to help you get outside as a family, and maybe even try a new, bigger adventure!
 
Reintroduction: I don’t know about you, but 2021 was a year of huge change, overcoming challenges, and a lot of growth for me. It’s the year that my baby became a toddler and we found our stride as a family of 4. It’s also the year I took a leap and began this podcast. It’s something I wanted to do for a long time but was afraid to learn something so foreign. But I finally cast those fears aside and did it! I’m really proud of that accomplishment and can’t wait to see where the podcast goes in 2022. 
 
As I mentioned, I’m Audrey Withycombe. I’m a mom of two little kids - River who’s 4 and Hattie who’s 2. I’m Richie’s wife. He’s been my adventure partner for over 11 years. We are so honored to get to live at a beautiful summer camp on the shores of Flathead Lake in Northwestern Montana. Richie and I have lived in 5 states together. River has joined us in 4 of those 5 states. We’ve moved around several times since we sold our home in the suburbs of Salt Lake City in 2019. Each move has felt like a step towards being where we want to be permanently. And now I think we’ve found our spot! 
 
What started this sequence of moves was a big decision for our family to leave the daily grind behind and simplify our lives. We wanted to maximize our time together and maximize our time outside. With a background in working at camps, Richie decided to begin looking for a director position at a camp that provided housing. This opened the opportunity for me to stay home with River (and eventually Hattie). We felt pretty sure that we could live on one small income as long as our housing was covered! So we took a big leap and moved to a summer camp in Oklahoma. It was away from the mountains that I loved, but it was near family. I loved seeing my parents frequently and enjoyed getting into a rhythm as a “stay outside mom”. Shortly after our move, I found out I was pregnant with Hattie. A few short weeks before her birth we found out that the camp we sold our home for and left our jobs for was closing. It was a tough blow. 
 
At 35 weeks pregnant we were able to move to another camp - this time in Minnesota. It was a hard adjustment to be in the bitterly cold weather with a newborn and no family nearby. Eventually, we found our groove and learned to love the extreme seasons that Minnesota brings. We felt so fortunate to live in such a rural space during the pandemic, with ample opportunities to explore outdoors. As we began finding our community in Minnesota we thought we’d be there for a while. We were content in our home, Richie’s job, and our life. We did still miss being closer to family, skiing, whitewater rafting, and hot springs. But we figured that we would have those parts of our life again someday. 
 
Of course, things have a way of changing, and quickly! I don’t remember why or how, but I saw a job open at a c

 I am so excited to share today’s episode because it features one of my family’s favorite musicians - Joe Mailander from the Okee Dokee Brothers. My kids love listening to the Okee Dokee Brothers nature-inspired albums. They are one of our favorites to turn on for a morning dance party. My family had the opportunity to see the Okee Dokee Brothers in our small town in Minnesota. It was a free outdoor concert - and my kids loved it! After the show, Joe agreed to come on the podcast and share the inspiration for their outdoor influenced music. Three of the Okee Dokee Brothers albums are influenced from first hand adventures. Joe is also a father. He discussed with me how his music has changed after fatherhood, as well as how his approach to the outdoors has changed. We also talk about how he and his band mate, Justin grew up playing in the creeks and woods near their homes in Denver. The Okee Dokee Brothers have won a Grammy for their album, Can You Canoe and have been nominated several times since. This year they declined the nomination after the category for best children’s album was once again filled with white men. We discuss this decision and I have included works of BIPOC musicians in the show notes. 
Before we begin the show, I want to encourage you to go to outdoorsyfamilies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter. I am including tips for getting outdoors with your kids, as well as links to some great gear. So come join this awesome community!
BIPOC Playlist 
The Okee Dokee Brothers
Outdoorsy Families
Outdoorsy Families Instagram
 

Today I’m talking with Nikki Samuels. Nikki recently published her first book, Nature Parade, a beautiful, lyrical story told by the point of view of a pair of shoes. These shoes lead a parade of different sounds and events taking place on an adventure in the outdoors. This book is the perfect transition to fall book, as the beautiful illustrations show the changing of the seasons. It’s been one of our favorites lately, and my daughter loves to join the nature parade by making the sounds along with me. 
I really enjoyed chatting with Nikki about the inspiration for her newest book. We also talk about outdoor play. Nikki is an early childhood educator who loves to teach children through outdoor play, and she provides some great ideas for teaching your own children while playing outside together. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!
Follow Nikki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkisamuelsauthor/
Buy Nature Parade: https://www.tinytwigspress.com/product/nature-parade/
https://amzn.to/2YL3DlR 
 
Follow Outdoorsy Families on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outdoorsy.families/
 
Check out the website: outdoorsyfamilies.com 
 
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.
 

Today I’m talking with Emily Isenbarger. Emily is a podcast host of the Happy Outdoor Family podcast. She first published her podcast a few weeks before I released mine. I’ve enjoyed listening to her podcast and talking with her about podcasting. Emily does a great job at prioritizing outdoor play for her three daughters and has homeschooled them for the last few years. Now her oldest daughter has started attending public school. She’s thriving in this new environment, but it’s added some challenges on how to incorporate plenty of outdoor play into her daily routine. Emily has gotten creative! From running laps around the house after school to doing early morning playground time, Emily is ensuring her daughter is still getting the outdoor time she needs to thrive! Our conversation is all about outdoor play and how to sneak in more outdoor playtime on a public school schedule.
Emily's favorite outdoor gear: a metal bucket!
Tinkergarten classes: https://tinkergarten.com/
Happy Outdoor Families link: https://anchor.fm/emily-isenbarger
Happy Outdoor Families Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyoutdoorfamilies/ 
Outdoorsy Families Website: https://www.outdoorsyfamilies.com/ 
Outdoorsy Families Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outdoorsy.families/