Carl Marrs
Welcome back! Each week, The Mountaineers youth team is sharing ideas and activities for kids of all ages to stay engaged while also staying home and safe. Last week's Stuck Inside kicked off our Explorer Art Contest. This week, we are sharing some creative ideas for celebrating Mother’s Day.
Ways to celebrate, show love, and make mom feel special
GET CRAFTY
What better way to show mom you appreciate her than creating something that she can use or display around the house! Our Mountain Workshop partner Young Women Empowered have awesome tutorials on how to create your own Flower Pop-Up Card or make your own Constellation Lantern. Or you can check out this gallery of crafts for inspiring ideas like Rock Portraits or Tin Can Planters.
HELP OUT
We all know how hard moms work to support their families in many different ways. Maybe your mom is in charge of cooking, grocery shopping, scheduling, cleaning, or all of the above! Think about one task that your mom does (like grocery shopping or cooking breakfast) and put together a plan to help her do it! Maybe you decide to make a big, tasty Sunday breakfast of pancakes, orange juice, and eggs. Extra points for doing all the prep, the cleanup, and then making sure the kitchen is spotless when you finish.
GIVE THE GIFT OF SELF-CARE
Moms are the most generous, giving people any of us have in our lives. Giving mom space on Mother’s Day to care for herself in whatever way is her favorite, through gardening or a lovely in-home spa treatment, is always going to be appreciated. These printable chore coupons are a great option for helping take care of mom!
PLAN AN ADVENTURE
Usually parents do the planning for family adventures. They plan out where you go and when, how you’re going to get there, how long you’re going to stay, and most importantly what you’re going to do. Now it’s your turn! Figure out what sort of adventure your mom would enjoy and plan a day of fun for you and her to enjoy together.
SHARE THE LOVE
Mother’s Day is a good reason to recognize and love any moms in your life, even if they may not be yours. Wish a Happy Mother’s Day to an aunt, a grandmother, or one of your best friends’ moms! Perhaps think of your favorite jokes or a favorite poem and call up any mom you know to share.
OTHER IDEAS?
If you have another great Mother’s Day gift idea, feel free to add it to the comments!
Happy Mother’s Day!
YOUTH TEAM HIGHLIGHT: Sarah Holt and BECKY NIELSEN
This week, we’d like to celebrate two amazing adventure moms who provide outdoor adventures for many kids through The Mountaineers youth programs. We asked them to share what they love about getting outside with their own children.
“I love getting the chance to slow down and see nature through his eyes. He notices the small details I would never see while going at an adult pace. As adults, we see ridges, summits, mileage and elevation gain, etc. But toddlers see bugs, ants, leaves, special rocks, pine cones. Little trickles of water are "waterfalls" and sticks are "fishing poles". He could literally sit at a lake shore and throw rocks and watch them splash for hours and not get bored. I also love that he loves the outdoors without me having to do anything to try to get him to like the outdoors. It's just innate. He asks me if we can go hiking. He asks if we can go camping. He's "so excited" to go skiing. Being an outdoor mom is the best!” - Sarah Holt, Tacoma Program Manager. When she isn’t leading youth programs, managing building rentals, or assisting volunteers, she spends time outside with her nearly three-year-old son Clint.
“The best part about spending time outdoors with my girls, or any little explorer, is being a part of the magic they bring to any adventure! When children are allowed the freedom of time outside, they get lost in nature where their imaginations and sense of wonder comes to life. Whether it’s rock climbing, hiking, or simply exploring shells and rocks along the beach, the rich sensory environment that nature always provides is so beneficial to a child’s growth and learning, and being the adult that is invited into this magical world of wonder is priceless.” - Becky Nielsen, Olympia Youth Program Manager. In between leading programs for youth in Olympia and supporting volunteers, Becky is summiting mountains and finding blackberry patches with her three children, Crystal (11), Abigail (9), and Emilia (7).
ABOUT YOUTH PROGRAMS
The Mountaineers is committed to bringing outdoor experiences to today's youth through our outdoor youth and family programs. We introduce young people to the benefits of outdoor experiences: a healthy lifestyle, outdoor recreation skills, perseverance, self-confidence, self-reliance, an appreciation for the natural world, and a commitment to protecting outdoor spaces. We can't wait to see the places you are most excited to explore and the activities you can't wait to do!
The Mountaineers youth team has so many favorite outdoor activities. If we had to choose a favorite season for outdoor fun, it would have to be summer. Hiking, rock climbing, rafting, kayaking, camping, backpacking. There is so much fun to be had when the days are long! Summer camps are in full swing, mountain workshops are run almost every day, and clubs are going on many adventures. Learn more about the programs we offer.
Check out all Stuck Inside blogs!
Kaelen Moehs and mother, Lisa Newcomb, on the summit of Liberty Bell during a MAC trip. Photo by Ben Saelens.
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Thought I’d share a quick story to appreciate my mom:
My mom has been backpacking most of her life and she wanted to share that with me. One of the most memorable trips with her was when I has 6 or 7 and we spent three days at Grasshopper Pass in the middle of August with some friends. When we woke up on our second day there where around 7 inches of snow on the ground, something that my friends and I were thrilled by but not so much our parents. They proceeded to spend the day doing everything in their power to keep us inside and dry (as we only had one good set of warm clothes and 7 year old me did not have good impulse control). This included reading us multiple books, making pancakes, etc. When we finally got to play in the snow on the way out we had a blast and we completely forgave our parents for keeping us in the tent.
I'd also like to share a quick story of appreciation. My mom taught us from a young age to engage with and appreciate nature. Rarely were we hustled on a walk. We were given time and space to collect falls leaves, balance on logs, search for pretty rocks, and smell flowers. This inspired a sense of wonder that I am so appreciative of. Happy Mother's Day and thank you to all the adventure moms of the world!!
Thanks Rilke for sharing your story! It inspired me to be grateful for my own mom who similarly spent a lot of time ensuring that I had good backpacking trips and outdoor adventures. One of my favorite car camping meals is a classic my mom would make on memorable trips to City of Rocks State Park in NM (where we went every spring break for a few years in a row). I thought I'd share here for future camping inspiration; it's so simple it almost seems silly to write down a recipe! Car camping enchiladas: Layer corn tortillas, cheese, and your favorite canned enchilada sauce in a pan or pot. Simply heat it up over the camp stove! Depending on what you like to eat, add beans, corn, cooked chicken, or fresh veggies into the layers! Most recently, I made that recipe on Rialto Beach.
