Hiking in the spring could mean the first hike of the season.
Celebrate the first day of spring with a hike. It’s spring! Get out, stretch those legs, and wake up your brain while learning a few things about the forest around you. What better to celebrate spring than going on a spring nature walk with your family. A spring nature walk is a fun way to discover signs of spring with your child. We love spring for so many reasons: hiking without bugs; rivers and waterfalls at their fullest; crisp, fresh air; spring-green grass; and flocks of birds returning home.
Let’s talk about the new book coming out soon, Spring Hike, I’m really excited about this book because it has diverse characters and children of color who embrace the outdoors.
Spring Hike paperback will be available to purchase online on the first day of spring. Go ahead and download the ebook for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.
What is Spring Hike all about?
Spring Hike is about the arrival of spring, the ground is thawing, flowers are blooming and nature is jumping back to life. This is the best time of year to let little hikers have fun running and playing outdoors.
This story helps children understand the change of seasons, the excitement of hiking and the importance of what it means to “leave no trace.” Hiking with kids can be an extremely rewarding activity for the entire family.
Why is it important for children to be raised outdoors?
– Builds confidence and creativity when kids are able to navigate it with less structure than indoor play
– Stimulates more senses than playing video games, such as smell and touch
– Helps kids with ADHD focus by getting them moving
– Kids who spend more time outdoors have better health and social functioning
Why did I decide on writing Children’s Hiking Books?
Have you ever taken a hike for the first time that actually change your whole lifestyle and went home and never stopped talking about your experience in nature? I’m talking about finding new like-minded friends on the trails, making memories with new people, realizing that you didn’t make a bad decision about moving to a new state. Have you wished you could bottle those memories and feelings and relive them day after day? That hike really made me wanna get home and write my first book Adventure Day. I got so excited that I just wished every mom or kid could have the same experience as us. I thought if I self-publish a book I will be able to get my word across.
My goal was to publish nature-themed books. I wanted my daughter to see herself in the books, I wanted all children of color to be motivated to play outside. I started looking to find any hiking-related books for my daughter to read and I couldn’t find them at all. I wanted her to read books that were related to our family lifestyle. We love spending time in nature, how come there weren’t any books about families outdoors enjoying nature? It was a question in my mind while I drafted my first paragraph, “Armani woke up in the morning with a smile on her face.” Am I the only one who has a child who wakes up in the morning and wants to go hiking? I asked myself all these questions and finished my first book.
I love reading children’s books, and growing up I never saw any books that featured children of color on the covers, let alone children of colors in nature. I’m a mom of a mixed child who loves reading, she also adores the outdoors, she has been hiking since she was 4 months old. She really inspired me to self-publish my second book, Sunset Hike. It’s about her best friend Kayla who was afraid of snakes and always thought hiking was scary, and there are species in the forest. Honestly, it’s related to my childhood, my parents told me that hiking is not for black people. My goal was to break those barriers. I was scared of anything that had four legs, and now I’m a stay outside mom and loving it.
Spending time in nature has brought a lot of joy to my life. I’m a happy wife, I make friends every day, I love exploring new places. Hiking is free and I keep my family healthy and exercising every day. Hiking is for everyone, hiking has no color. Hike It Baby has also played a role in my life because when I became a mom I didn’t know what I was doing, and moms from a different country will understand, I was scared to hike with a baby. I didn’t know how to carry my daughter, but with Hike It Baby I found a community and learned a lot from other families.
Motivate your Children with this list of Hiking books!
1. Adventure Day –By Dineo Dowd https://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Day-Dineo-Dowd/dp/109604041
2. Sunset Hike – By Dineo Dowd https://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Hike-Dineo-Dowd/dp/1798079852
3. The Hike -By Alison Farrell https://www.amazon.com/Hike-Alison-Farrell/dp/145217461X
4. Hiking day-By Anne Rockwell https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Day-First-Experience-Book/dp/1481427377
5. Sheep Take A Hike -By Nancy Shawhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sheep-take-a-hike-nancy-shaw/1100170384?ean=9780395816585
6. Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, by D. B. Johnson https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/henry-hikes-to-fitchburg-db-johnson/1100623609
7. A Walk in the Forest-by Maria Dek https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Forest-Maria-Dek/dp/1616895691
8. A Walk Through the Wood -by Louise Greig https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Through-Woods-Louise-Greig/dp/145492988X/
9. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen https://www.amazon.com/Were-Going-Classic-Board-Books/dp/0689815816/
10. Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Wild-Megan-Wagner-Lloyd/dp/1101932813
11. Backpacker ABCs by Heather Legler https://www.amazon.com/Backpacker-ABCs-Heather-Legler/dp/1980488460/
12. Nature Trail –by Peppa Pig https://www.amazon.com/Peppa-Pig-Nature-Trail-Ladybird/dp/1409304361/
13. Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain -by Tina Fernandohttps://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089
Reviews for Spring Hike:
In a fast-paced world of social media and technology, the author so beautifully describes the importance and value of nature in a hiking experience. A compelling read for every young mind. A best seller!!! – Pree Parumaul, Director of Inclusion and Special Needs, Mirdif American School, Dubai
This is one of the third books on the entire planet written by a Black mom about hiking with her Mixed child! Stories written from an authentic perspective are sometimes noted as #ownvoices. It’s critical to read stories written from the perspective of people with lived experience in that identity because they are more authentic, more enjoyable, and more real than stories written by people of other identities. This story is full of charming and bright illustrations, and engaging and real-life narrative, and is sure to be beloved by kids (my two primary-school ages). –Amber Domino Labelle, Board Member of Diversity Parent in Ottawa, Canada
