Active Families
Archive
Whether our writers and editors were drawn to flower and tree, bird and creature, or sun and moon, the outdoors wowed them in ways that never let go
Talking to the Longnecker family about life on the road
Of course I want my daughters to be kind—but that doesn't mean they can't stand up for themselves
The classic design hasn't changed much because it doesn't need to—it's darn near perfect
Sure, there's the never-ending mental math and having to deal with frozen pumps in brutal wind. But in the end, it's just one more factor in the complex calculus of a day in the mountains.
And what I learned from an island camping trip with a bunch of disadvantaged youth
Your one-stop shopping list for the coming year
Our correspondent heads to Bears Ears National Monument to find out
The newest version is well-designed, flattering, and dries within 20 minutes. Get a few pairs for the whole family, and you won't need to think about your summer adventure outfit ever again.
There's not much that will make you panic after ten years of dogsledding in the wilderness. And there are lots of ways to feel equally calm in all kinds of outdoor emergencies.
The teenage phenom on reaching the summit and knowing when to give up
Talking with the founders of Luvmother about how to start your own kid-related outdoor business
These five standout communities are working to make sure underprivileged communities have access to green spaces
Meet the 16-year-old working to end discrimination in the nation's largest youth outdoors program
Whether it's skiing or mountain biking or camping, these guidelines will make sure you and your child get to enjoy a lifetime of adventure together
Still don't know what to get dad? We've got you covered.
If you exchange money for a dog, you’re doing it wrong
Spend enough time in the backcountry and you're bound to have a scare, as our writer recently discovered. Here's how to teach kids what to do when that happens.
Marc Peruzzi—a small-business co-owner, the parent of a child with a congenital heart defect, and avid skier and mountain biker—on what Trumpcare could mean for outdoor athletes, and the healthcare travails his family has already faced
Better learn Lanie Szuch's name, because you're about to start hearing it—a lot
One company's plan to give adolescent girls bras to help prevent them from dropping out of the outdoor world
'Every Other Day' is a film from The Noble Lab that shares the story of Rode Lewis who is a father and rancher in West Texas 180 miles outside of Ft. Stockton.
Seven camps working to expand access to the places we love most
Want to make the strongest memories? Don’t touch the camera.
There's a moment in a child's life when she's old enough to go on a real trip yet still young enough to want to hang out with her parents. These travel tactics and tools will help you seize that window.
Just because they have lacrosse practice doesn't mean you have to sacrifice outdoor adventures
For more than a century, the Girl Scouts has been the most well-trod path for junior explorers to get into adventure. But what comes after the Thin Mints and craft badges is a troop for sisterhood, winter camping, and some serious archery.
As her daughters get older, our correspondent wanted to pass along a few things that running has taught her
How the National Winter Activity Center is raising the next generation of skiers
Sometimes the greatest outdoors companion comes with four legs, a tail, and a whole lot of wet kisses
Sound crazy? Not to Bekah and Derrick Quirin, who are embarking on a thru-hike with their one-year-old this March
Behind-the-scenes with the company's efforts to make sure kids—and parents—are valued at the office
"How can you let her do that? It's so dangerous!" For years, my mom has fielded this question from other parents about my climbing. Here's what she thinks about raising an adventurous daughter in an unfamiliar sport.
Research shows that walking has many benefits—but it's also a pretty darn good family adventure
The world's greatest dog sanctuary is on a small farm in Costa Rica, where hundreds of canines run wild over the land—eating huge piles of food and slobbering happily on Lya Battle and her small band of dedicated volunteers.
Taking kids on extended trips into the wilderness comes with an element of stress—the key is to talk about it
Nature documentaries offer the chance to teach your kids about the beauty and diversity of our planet
Because no one will remember this storm as much as the children who got to stay home because of it
The best schools know that kids learn when their noses aren't shoved in textbooks all the time
The greatest gift a parent can give is teaching their kids to dust off and keep going
No matter who is on your list, these gifts will make sure you're ready for anything
Just because you’re ready to shack up with your squeeze, don’t assume your best friend is on board
Turning puppies into full-fledged dogsledding athletes is a tough endeavor—one we'll explore over the next four months. First up: making sure they're not afraid.
For those of us who try to raise our children to believe they can accomplish anything, this election offers the chance for that to finally be true
The simplest way to ensure children have free play is often the hardest: opening the door and shooing them out. On their own.
Yes, we should limit how much time our kids spend in front of screens, but we're going about it the wrong way
Top Dog Sweepstakes: Prize Details and Official Rules
How three months of parenting on crutches taught me invaluable lessons about patience, relinquishing control, and taking each moment as it comes.
There’s a growing movement of people who say that abstaining from having children is the best way to offset climate change. They’re wrong. The only way to stop it is by raising environmentally conscientious kids.
Raising a courageous, independent child means being a courageous, independently minded parent
As parents, we tend to try and fill our children’s lives with activity from the time they wake up to bedtime. But research suggests that a certain amount of idleness is beneficial.
How the upstart parenting meet-up Hike it Baby has quietly gone national
Scott Swaney, a former oilman and current badass a couple years shy of 70, has more first descents in Death Valley National Park than anyone on earth. He spent the past decade looking for everything from tight canyons to massive drop-offs and is believed to have led or been involved with 203 of the 258 first descents in the park. Swaney has burned through partners who couldn’t stand the heat and hard labor of exploring his hellish playground, but he continues to recruit new ones, eager to keep exploring. This spring, photographer Ian Tuttle, who had never canyoneered, stuffed his camera—a film Mamiya 645 AFDii—into a backpack and followed along.
They’re nimble, curious, Instagram-friendly—and will definitely require a harness. The most underrated outdoor companion is coming to a trail near you, with a little exposure training.
No matter what brand of child-rearing you subscribe to, raising kids is riddled with difficult decisions. At its core, it's about trying to create a balance.
The Clark family's advice for surviving a 120-day backpacking trip—or whatever adventures you and yours have planned for the summer
The 42-year-old mountaineer and mother of two just claimed the women’s speed record for the Explorer’s Grand Slam. How did she pull it off?
We've rounded up our favorite films that celebrate fatherhood and highlight how dads inspire their kids to get outdoors
My Old Man is a new video series produced by Farm League for YETI that celebrates fatherhood. Big wave surfer Shane Dorian, father of two, is profiled in the first installment, Between Pulses. While people tell Dorian that…
A new initiative gives complimentary national park access to every fourth-grader in America. Can a class field trip turn kids into lifetime fans of the outdoors? Mike Kessler hops on the yellow bus—and endures high-decibel Bieber sing-alongs—to find out.
It helps to live in a cool mountain town and be a world-class athlete. But Davenport also uses fundamental tools that train his kids to think for themselves.
Rule #1: Always shoot the tantrums. And never take another selfie.
The author tagged along on a trip to Joshua Tree with a group of kids from Southern California who had never slept in a tent
The movement to get kids running around outdoors has some strong scientific support. Here are six ways to let your children cut loose.
Aaron Eveland took his young son dirt bag camping on a small rock island off the coast of Hawaii.
The secret to surviving a weeklong family vacation along the Pacific Coast? Rent a tricked-out minivan
It starts with redefining concepts like spring break, recess, and access to nature
Bestselling author Caroline Paul’s new book, 'The Gutsy Girl,' is a how-to guide for parents to push through the anxiety and let their kids take acceptable risks outdoors
The Secretary of the Interior just issued an order that aims to help get at-risk and disabled children outside. Here’s how it will work.
A simple 7-step process. I learned the hard way. You don’t have to.
Author Richard Louv, who coined the term “nature-deficit disorder,” is back with his latest book on the importance of getting kids into nature
Nutritious lunches are key to fueling our children’s minds and bodies, and our cafeterias are failing us
Paying a visit to the birthplace of a massive and fiercely protective breed—that’s still as critical to keeping the peace in the area's farms as it was thousands of years ago
We asked the director of the National Avalanche Center what precautions he takes when he goes skiing with his two young daughters
We asked photographer Jesse Burke, whose new book showcases a series of road trips with his young daughter
In 2015, filmmaker Jeremy Prusso took his family on a trip to Utah's Maple Canyon. The journey spawned his latest film, Maple Canyon, which touches on the importance of spending time outside with family. “You just want them to have what you have, to see…
Nature eases stress, and there’s no better way to offset the collective holiday insanity than by escaping to wild places. Presenting five family adventures for a meaningful season.
The pressure to enlist kids in competitive sports has us putting four-year-olds on the soccer field. It’s clear they don’t know what they’re doing. And it may be a more harmful decision than you realize.