Make a special effort to engage your kids in outdoor activities for Unplug Be Outside

Avimor is hosting the Boise Bird Festival on Saturday with the who's who of the bird community

Just taking your kids to the Boise River would allow them to skip rocks and look for bugs  

Hi all, 

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend, so it's a perfect opportunity to capitalize on Unplug and Be Outside week and get your kids engaged in outdoor activities. There is quite an array of easy things to do close to town via going to the Unplug and Be Outside web site.

The whole point of  Unplug and Be Outside week is to get your kids outside (leave the headphones and cell phone at home, please), and discover the wonders of nature. When you're out doing whatever activities you choose this weekend, look for little "teachable moments" when you can teach your kids little tidbits about nature. Maybe you can identify a wild flower, a shrub, a plant or a tree. Show them how to remember that species.

Here are some recommendations for Friday-Sunday: 

• EarthFest at the MK Nature Center on Saturday - A celebration for the entire family from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free activities and crafts will be offered throughout the day at our POLLEN-nation garden site, as well a guided greenbelt walk (10 am), movies shown in our auditorium (11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.), guided streamwalk tours (12pm and 1 p.m.), and the INPS Native Plant Sale will be going on as well. Local Muesli Bars & Granola will be available to benefit Boise’s refugee community. Get off the couch and come be outside with us! For more information, call the MK Nature Center, 334-2225. Location: 600 S. Walnut St., Boise, ID 83712.
  
• Plant a tree for Arbor Day on Friday - On Friday, free Colorado blue spruce seedlings will be available at Home Depot and FedEx Office stores in the Treasure Valley as well as the Boise Co-op courtesy of the Idaho Forest Products Commission. Go pick up a free seedling and plant a tree with your kids. More information at the Forest Products Commission. 

• Go to Avimor and participate in the Boise Bird Festival on Saturday, a new event that's designed to teach kids and families about birds in SW Idaho. There will be short bird walks, tips on bird identification, backyard feeding and wild bird photography. Here's a slide show of birds you might see. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the who's who of the bird community participating, including the Peregrine Fund, the Idaho Bird Observatory, Ducks Unlimited, Idaho Camera, and more.
• Free golf at Ridgecrest Golf Course in Nampa, starting at noon Saturday. The Wee-9 is open for kids 17 and under, or kids can hit one free bucket of balls anytime on Saturday.
• Sierra Trading Post is sponsoring a fun run in Settlers Park in Meridian starting at 6 p.m. on Friday. Participants will win cool prizes from Sierra Trading Post. There's also a camping expo at Sierra Trading Post on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• YMCA Healthy Kids Day on Saturday at the Downtown YMCA. That means your kids can play at the Y for free and take part in such activities as basketball, dodgeball, climbing wall, scavenger hunt, or partake in a hacky sack clinic by former women's freestyle champion Sunny Freeman. See the Unplug and Be Outside Calendar of Events for details.
• Go for a kid friendly hike in the Boise Foothills with your family and friends. See my blog post from last year about 5 kid friendly hikes close to home.
• See the Unplug and Be Outside Calendar of Events for oodles of other options on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  

The most important thing is that you get your kids out of the house and engaged in some type of outdoor activity. Even just taking your kids for a walk or a bike ride along the Boise River Greenbelt would allow them to check out the Boise River, skip rocks, throw sticks for the dog, climb trees, look at weird bugs, whatever. 

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Meridian Cycles Ladies’ Night!

Friday April 26^th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.

Hey, if you'd like to check out some cool and comfy bike clothing or look around at mountain bikes, cruisers and road bikes, Meridian Cycle is hosting reps from Pearl Izumi, Club Ride, Terry, and Felt Bicycles as well as Dani Lassiter from Goldilock’s Ride and Shauna Brookshier of EpicCycling. 

Former professional mountain bike racer and current USA Cycling National Events Director Kelli Lusk will be attending with Scott Montgomery of Club Ride!

Meridian Cycles will have fruit, chocolate and beverages on hand. And, they'll have drawings for bike swag throughout the evening for those in attendance!  

Have fun! 

- SS