“OUTDOORS WITH KIDS: MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT,” by Ethan Hipple and Yemaya St. Clair, 2014, Appalachian Mountain Club, 244 pages, paperback, $18.95.
In the day and age when people can play golf in their living room and explore fantasy lands through a computer screen, there’s a growing concern that children and their families aren’t getting the fresh air that they need.
You may have heard the phrase “no child left inside” or the term “nature-deficit disorder.” Both concepts are relatively new, and they’re referring to the movement to get young people outdoors, physically active and enjoying the natural environment.
Planning outdoor adventures can seem like a chore, especially if you have young children in tow. That’s where “Outdoors with Kids: Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont,” a guide recently published by the Appalachian Mountain Club, can help.
A compilation of 75 of the “best family hiking, camping and paddling trips,” the guide is co-authored by Yemaya St. Clair of Portland and Ethan Hipple of Tuftonboro, New Hampshire.
“Our family is at our best when we’re outside together,” said St. Clair in a recent email interview. “We wanted to explore parts of New England that we hadn’t yet seen, and I wanted to share our love of hiking, paddling and biking with our greater community.”
From Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center in southern Maine to Daicey Pond in Baxter State Park, the adventures are scattered throughout the state, though not reaching as far north as Aroostook County.
“We wanted to present a variety of options — some better suited for beginners and others for more experienced preteens,” St. Clair said. “All of our trips offer something more than just a hike through the woods, as we recognize that kids like variety. Some hikes lead to observation towers or waterfalls, others include hand-over-hand scrambling, and all have Plan B options describing nearby destinations that offer something complementary.”
The authors have included detailed maps and GPS coordinates to make navigation easy, and they’ve peppered the adventures with educational essays about local flora and fauna, as well as family activity ideas.
For example, have you ever heard of the games “Candy Forest” or “Trail Bingo”?
“Play games on the trail and tune kids into the natural world around them,” St. Clair said. “Most kids don’t have the physical capacity or the attention span to hike many miles at a time, particularly when the terrain is monotonous. So choose short hikes with varied terrain and interesting features.”
St. Clair, who also co-authored the book “AMC Guide to Winter Hiking & Camping” with her husband, Lucas, has worked as environmental educator with the Student Conservation Association. She, her husband and two small children have always been an outdoor family, planning hiking, biking and paddling trips on a regular basis.
Hipple also has extensive experience in the New England wilderness, having worked for the Appalachian Trail Club and the Student Conservation Association. He’s currently the Director of Parks and Recreation in Wolfesboro, New Hampshire. He, his wife, Sarah, and his two children enjoy seeking out lesser-known outdoor locales, fishing, kayaking and surfing.
To purchase the book, visit amcstore.outdoors.org.