The kids have a movie gift card and a big decision ahead of them about which movie to choose this holiday season. There are so many possibilities. Although "New Moon" is at the top of their list (they have read all the books - I have too - and really liked them), there is some debate about splurging on another one. We rarely go to the movie theater so it's a big event when we do.
I decided to round up movie possibilities so the kids (and I) could compare them all to make a choice (L. is notorious for having a hard time making a decision about anything). I thought other moms might be facing the same sort of debates at their house and figured a round up of movie trailers might help you as well.
In theaters now - New Moon (PG-13)
A Christmas Carol (PG)
Planet 51 (PG)
November 25 - Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG)
Old Dogs (PG)
Dec. 11 - The Princess and the Frog (G)
December 18 - Avatar in 3D (not rated yet)
December 23 - Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (PG)
December 25 - Sherlock Holmes (not rated yet)
G. is a big Sherlock Holmes fan and has read and/or listened to many of these mystery books as well as watched any movie she can find, including a lot of retrospectives. But after watching the trailer of the latest movie-rendition of this character, I'm not so sure this is a movie for a young teen. But alas, we shall see once I can get a bit more info about it.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
PB&J help kids learn computer programming
Yesterday L. had a great time in her role as an "alien" at her robotics club meeting. Explaining how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to someone who has never made one before (i.e., "the alien") is a suggested activity in the 4-H robotics curriculum to help teach kids about computer programming. The computer is only going to do exactly what you tell it to do and the kids certainly learned that lesson through this very entertaining activity.
Learnings included...
* When telling an alien to get some peanut butter, make sure you tell her to open the lid.
* When telling the alien to dip the knife into the peanut butter jar, make sure you tell her to do it at an angle so peanut butter actually stays on the knife.
* If you want jelly on a different slice of bread from the peanut butter, you better tell her that too.
The club L. is participating in this year is part of a pilot program to introduce children in the Cumberland County 4-H program to the field of science and technology through robotics. It would not have been possible to start this pilot club without the generous help of the Perloff Family's Fast Grant program. The parents are very appreciative of Dave and Sandy Perloff's wonderful work in providing grants to help groups like ours!
The kids have some great equipment and software to work with this year as they explore the world of robotics. And it is really amazing to observe how quickly all of them have learned the basics of the computer programming through RoboLab (ages range from 6-12 years old in the club). L., who has never owned a set of Legos (I really have no darn good excuse why I never bought a set for her), is getting the hang of building different robot designs but is much more drawn to the programming end of things (which she got a taste for earlier this spring at UMaine).
And as all the kids in the group learn how to use the equipment and software, so are the parents. None of us have actually used the RoboLab software and have just as much as of a learning curve as the kids. Although I will admit that the younger set is getting things figured out a whole lot faster. But that's how things seem to be going this days with most technology. The younger generation is growing up with a whole new way of thinking about how to complete tasks with the technology at hand. And as tech-savvy as I may be, it's a much more natural thought process for kids today I think.
There are a variety of opportunities for kids to learn more about robotics through summer camp with the Maine Robotics program. And the Maine State First Lego League Championship being held Dec. 12 at the Augusta Civic Center can provide a great introduction to what other Maine kids are doing with robotics through their schools and other youth programs around the state.
For the parents of a child who likes to "build things," there really are some wonderful opportunities to explore in the world of robotics. You might have to drive a distance to hook up with a team (or start your own as my family did with a couple of our 4-H friends) but the benefits of hands-on engineering and technology experience is key to the future and I'm pleased that L. is so excited about it. I think these skills will serve her well in life and prepare her for the creative thinking she'll need to be successful in whatever career path she takes.
Does anyone else have a child involved in robotics here? Would love to hear about others' experiences in supporting their child's interest in this area.
Learnings included...
* When telling an alien to get some peanut butter, make sure you tell her to open the lid.
* When telling the alien to dip the knife into the peanut butter jar, make sure you tell her to do it at an angle so peanut butter actually stays on the knife.
* If you want jelly on a different slice of bread from the peanut butter, you better tell her that too.
The club L. is participating in this year is part of a pilot program to introduce children in the Cumberland County 4-H program to the field of science and technology through robotics. It would not have been possible to start this pilot club without the generous help of the Perloff Family's Fast Grant program. The parents are very appreciative of Dave and Sandy Perloff's wonderful work in providing grants to help groups like ours!
The kids have some great equipment and software to work with this year as they explore the world of robotics. And it is really amazing to observe how quickly all of them have learned the basics of the computer programming through RoboLab (ages range from 6-12 years old in the club). L., who has never owned a set of Legos (I really have no darn good excuse why I never bought a set for her), is getting the hang of building different robot designs but is much more drawn to the programming end of things (which she got a taste for earlier this spring at UMaine).
And as all the kids in the group learn how to use the equipment and software, so are the parents. None of us have actually used the RoboLab software and have just as much as of a learning curve as the kids. Although I will admit that the younger set is getting things figured out a whole lot faster. But that's how things seem to be going this days with most technology. The younger generation is growing up with a whole new way of thinking about how to complete tasks with the technology at hand. And as tech-savvy as I may be, it's a much more natural thought process for kids today I think.
There are a variety of opportunities for kids to learn more about robotics through summer camp with the Maine Robotics program. And the Maine State First Lego League Championship being held Dec. 12 at the Augusta Civic Center can provide a great introduction to what other Maine kids are doing with robotics through their schools and other youth programs around the state.
For the parents of a child who likes to "build things," there really are some wonderful opportunities to explore in the world of robotics. You might have to drive a distance to hook up with a team (or start your own as my family did with a couple of our 4-H friends) but the benefits of hands-on engineering and technology experience is key to the future and I'm pleased that L. is so excited about it. I think these skills will serve her well in life and prepare her for the creative thinking she'll need to be successful in whatever career path she takes.
Does anyone else have a child involved in robotics here? Would love to hear about others' experiences in supporting their child's interest in this area.
The "alien" getting directions from the club members.
The kids working with the programming command icons to build a program on a magnetic board.
Writing programs with the RoboLab software to download to the robot so it can perform the sequence.
The robot designs vary greatly and the kids are starting to use lights and sensors so they can learn to program those as well as the wheel movements.
One of the robots in action.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Leadership and the group experience with 4-H
The girls and I taught Susan's new 4-H club how to use a GPS unit and play the geocaching game. I've been working with my kids for several years to find a variety of fun things we can do with the family GPS unit - from geocaching to drawing - and my girls are fairly fluent in the basics of the technology.
Every year the girls' 4-H club dedicates at least one meeting to something GPS-related and usually I'm the "teacher" for that meeting simply because I have a bit more experience with the technology than the other parents in the club (I have to qualify here that my knowledge is limited; I am definitely not an expert). I always ask my girls to be my guinea pigs so I can practice explaining each of the activities I plan to do with the club. Sometimes an activity sounds like a good idea in my head but in practice I've found things can be trickier to explain (or execute) than I expect. Once in a while my girls will assume a leadership role in a group with our GPS activities but I'm usually within earshot. If the girls get confused by a task or are asked a question they don't know the answer to, they can run over and ask me for help.
But when we heard from Susan there would be 14 kids at the geocaching meeting I had planned to teach at Wolfe's Neck Farm for her club, my strategy for teaching the group had to be tweaked. In order for each of the kids in her 4-H club to get a chance to actually use a GPS unit, we needed to break in to smaller groups. And in order to do that, I needed my girls to step up to the proverbial plate and assume a key leadership role with a group of their own.
I wasn't sure how things would go with the girls leading their own groups out in to the woods to find geocaches because I would definitely not be within earshot (we hid the geocaches prior to the club arriving and the four boxes covered about a one-mile radius). But the feedback from the parent helpers that went along with each of my girl's groups once the class was over, was that each of them managed to answer questions and explain the game and GPS unit.
This experience confirmed my believe that multi-age learning environments are great. I think both the younger kids as well as the older ones get a lot out of the experience. And based on my experience with my own children, just because the child's chronological age is one year, doesn't mean they have the educational ability and/or maturity of that particular year. My older daughter, G., has had some learning challenges that were identified when she was younger so she struggled for years to "catch up" to her chronological age in relation to her academics. While L. has not faced the same challenges academically, she has had difficulties with her physical development that had her in PT for several years at a toddler/preschooler in order to "catch up" to her chronological age in relation to physical development.
When G. was 7 I heard about 4-H and their multi-age learning opportunities and knew it was something that had the potential to work well for her and our family (even though she has always been interested in animals, she did not join an animal-based club her first years involved in the program).
The general clubs my girls have been a part of through the years have included kids that range in age from 5-19 years old. The older kids are challenged in different ways than the younger ones and the natural learning opportunities that arise from such an experience as each child grows is really wonderful.
So to watch my girls assume a leadership role with a group of children only a few years younger than themselves was immensely satisfying for me to watch. My girls seemed to simply take the knowledge they had about the GPS unit and the geocaching game and did their best to explain it to people in their group. If it hadn't been for all those 4-H kids through the years (both older and younger than mine), I'm not sure if my girls would have been as comfortable in this situation. But to them, being around kids of all ages is normal. It's what they have grown up with in 4-H.
I agree there are situations, formal school education and organized sports teams for instance, where age-specific groupings is necessary to establish order and/or level the playing field based on physical development. But when it comes to fun, youth-orientated activities outside of school and organized sports, to my way of thinking, there is a whole lot more benefit to multi-age learning environments for everyone involved (and the whole family can be involved which is also a big plus in my book, especially as it relates to the family schedule).
So I have to give a shout-out to Susan and all the kids in her club for giving my girls a wonderful leadership opportunity last week. We all had a great learning experience and were happy to be a part of helping your club start their new 4-H adventure this year!
I am sad to say that I have only two pictures from our day at the farm! My girls and I were so focused on teaching our groups, we never did pull out the camera. I did manage to snap a couple of photos with my phone at our last geocache find of the day though. My group of four boys did a great job following directions and finding all the geocaches.
Every year the girls' 4-H club dedicates at least one meeting to something GPS-related and usually I'm the "teacher" for that meeting simply because I have a bit more experience with the technology than the other parents in the club (I have to qualify here that my knowledge is limited; I am definitely not an expert). I always ask my girls to be my guinea pigs so I can practice explaining each of the activities I plan to do with the club. Sometimes an activity sounds like a good idea in my head but in practice I've found things can be trickier to explain (or execute) than I expect. Once in a while my girls will assume a leadership role in a group with our GPS activities but I'm usually within earshot. If the girls get confused by a task or are asked a question they don't know the answer to, they can run over and ask me for help.
But when we heard from Susan there would be 14 kids at the geocaching meeting I had planned to teach at Wolfe's Neck Farm for her club, my strategy for teaching the group had to be tweaked. In order for each of the kids in her 4-H club to get a chance to actually use a GPS unit, we needed to break in to smaller groups. And in order to do that, I needed my girls to step up to the proverbial plate and assume a key leadership role with a group of their own.
I wasn't sure how things would go with the girls leading their own groups out in to the woods to find geocaches because I would definitely not be within earshot (we hid the geocaches prior to the club arriving and the four boxes covered about a one-mile radius). But the feedback from the parent helpers that went along with each of my girl's groups once the class was over, was that each of them managed to answer questions and explain the game and GPS unit.
This experience confirmed my believe that multi-age learning environments are great. I think both the younger kids as well as the older ones get a lot out of the experience. And based on my experience with my own children, just because the child's chronological age is one year, doesn't mean they have the educational ability and/or maturity of that particular year. My older daughter, G., has had some learning challenges that were identified when she was younger so she struggled for years to "catch up" to her chronological age in relation to her academics. While L. has not faced the same challenges academically, she has had difficulties with her physical development that had her in PT for several years at a toddler/preschooler in order to "catch up" to her chronological age in relation to physical development.
When G. was 7 I heard about 4-H and their multi-age learning opportunities and knew it was something that had the potential to work well for her and our family (even though she has always been interested in animals, she did not join an animal-based club her first years involved in the program).
The general clubs my girls have been a part of through the years have included kids that range in age from 5-19 years old. The older kids are challenged in different ways than the younger ones and the natural learning opportunities that arise from such an experience as each child grows is really wonderful.
So to watch my girls assume a leadership role with a group of children only a few years younger than themselves was immensely satisfying for me to watch. My girls seemed to simply take the knowledge they had about the GPS unit and the geocaching game and did their best to explain it to people in their group. If it hadn't been for all those 4-H kids through the years (both older and younger than mine), I'm not sure if my girls would have been as comfortable in this situation. But to them, being around kids of all ages is normal. It's what they have grown up with in 4-H.
I agree there are situations, formal school education and organized sports teams for instance, where age-specific groupings is necessary to establish order and/or level the playing field based on physical development. But when it comes to fun, youth-orientated activities outside of school and organized sports, to my way of thinking, there is a whole lot more benefit to multi-age learning environments for everyone involved (and the whole family can be involved which is also a big plus in my book, especially as it relates to the family schedule).
So I have to give a shout-out to Susan and all the kids in her club for giving my girls a wonderful leadership opportunity last week. We all had a great learning experience and were happy to be a part of helping your club start their new 4-H adventure this year!
I am sad to say that I have only two pictures from our day at the farm! My girls and I were so focused on teaching our groups, we never did pull out the camera. I did manage to snap a couple of photos with my phone at our last geocache find of the day though. My group of four boys did a great job following directions and finding all the geocaches.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Animaniac revival for mom, kids enjoy it too
I was looking for the 50 states mnemonic song to help my girls memorize the US capitals when I ran across an Animaniacs video gem I haven't seen in years. I remember watching it back in the early 90s and totally forgot about it until L. clicked on the link to check out the video.
L. might have laughed at the general silliness of the caricatures identifying each of the presidents but there are some very funny references that had me laughing out loud (again) with a renewed appreciation for the cleverness (and semi-inappropriateness for kids that fly over their heads) of this video.
Animaniacs sing the President's Song
We watched that video three times before L. and I were distracted with other Animaniac clips on YouTube.
Animaniacs video of Wakko's 50 State Capitols song
This was the song I was originally looking for. And although this version is sung way too fast for kids to memorize initially, a print out of the lyrics can be made for the kids to sing-along.
Animaniac's Universe song
When your kids ask you who Mickey Rooney is (when they figure out the reference is a name and the characters aren't saying "macaroni" as L. first thought) and why he's in the song, you can tell them he was an actor who was barely 5-feet tall (I had to look this up because I wasn't quite sure why he was mentioned in the song either).
Animaniacs nations of the world
This video is a little grainy so L. couldn't see all the countries Yakko pointed to but she got the general gist of continent for each reference.
I also thought the video below was very clever because instead of the hazy visual of the world map in the Animaniacs actual cartoon, images of the world flags were used instead. Not that my kids could catch every one, but they got the general gist of different country flags (and used the paused button on the ones they liked).
I do have a blog in the works about an enjoyable outdoor adventure we had earlier this week teaching a new 4-H club about geocaching but I allowed myself to be distracted with the Animaniacs tonight. The kids and I laughed for an hour watching these videos and well, sometimes making time to be distracted is in actuality the best way to spend time with them.
L. might have laughed at the general silliness of the caricatures identifying each of the presidents but there are some very funny references that had me laughing out loud (again) with a renewed appreciation for the cleverness (and semi-inappropriateness for kids that fly over their heads) of this video.
Animaniacs sing the President's Song
We watched that video three times before L. and I were distracted with other Animaniac clips on YouTube.
Animaniacs video of Wakko's 50 State Capitols song
This was the song I was originally looking for. And although this version is sung way too fast for kids to memorize initially, a print out of the lyrics can be made for the kids to sing-along.
Animaniac's Universe song
When your kids ask you who Mickey Rooney is (when they figure out the reference is a name and the characters aren't saying "macaroni" as L. first thought) and why he's in the song, you can tell them he was an actor who was barely 5-feet tall (I had to look this up because I wasn't quite sure why he was mentioned in the song either).
Animaniacs nations of the world
This video is a little grainy so L. couldn't see all the countries Yakko pointed to but she got the general gist of continent for each reference.
I also thought the video below was very clever because instead of the hazy visual of the world map in the Animaniacs actual cartoon, images of the world flags were used instead. Not that my kids could catch every one, but they got the general gist of different country flags (and used the paused button on the ones they liked).
I do have a blog in the works about an enjoyable outdoor adventure we had earlier this week teaching a new 4-H club about geocaching but I allowed myself to be distracted with the Animaniacs tonight. The kids and I laughed for an hour watching these videos and well, sometimes making time to be distracted is in actuality the best way to spend time with them.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Lipizzaner Stallion Show - big hit with girls
My animal-loving girls were hot to trot to see the Lipizzaner Stallion Show at the Civic Center this past weekend. The show was a great mix of beautiful horses, dressage and general horsemanship along with a lot of interesting historical tidbits about the Lipizzaner breed explained by the host of the show.
The girls are now eager to see the 1963 Walt Disney movie, "The Miracle of the White Stallions," which depicts the story of General George S. Patton saving the breed at the end of World War II (it's a fiction rendition but based on the true story).
The girls favorite part of the show was the, "Airs Above the Ground" segment when the horses did some jumping and rearing. The host explained that these moves were part of the classic training horses received so they could protect themselves and the riders during warfare. The girls learned the names of the manuevers - Mezaire, Courbette, Levade and Capriole - and after the demonstration, the girls were in awe of the Capriole. That's when the, "stallion leaps into the air, drawing his forelegs under his chest at the height of elevation, and kicks out violently with his hind legs."
G. was very happy to hear the host announce at the beginning of the show that although no video recording was permitted, people were welcome to take as many photos as they'd like. G. took that encouragement to heart and took tons of pictures of the horses. The lighting wasn't so great and our digital camera is not an SLR (no manual setting choices to balance the lighting issues) but G. still managed to get some nice pictures of the action. G. definitely enjoys taking photos of live-action shows (which started with the Synchro Nationals earlier this year) and told me after this show that I needed to find another event for her to attend to do this sort of photography again.
OK boss, I'll work on that.
G. took photos of the riders on the horses but this photo was more typical of her cropping choices. The horse was the focus and the rider was simply secondary.
When I took this photo I made a Tweet that G. was in her glory doing what she loved best - taking photos and being around horses.
A couple of years ago we spent a very enjoyable hour watching the Royal Canadian Mounties Musical Ride show at the Cumberland Fair. There were many more horses in that show and the focus was more on synchronized/precision riding rather than classical dressage like the Lipizzaner show. G. took video of the Mounties' show and she and her sister watched it again yesterday to compare the horse's moves between the two shows and what they liked about each one.
If you've got a horse-enthusiast in your family, taking in a horse show can be a very enjoyable experience. The kids are so genuinely excited it really can be worth the ticket price. (And thanks to the Girls Scouts of Maine, we took in the Lipizzaner show for less than $35 for both of the girls and myself with the special discount tickets they offered - and the seats were great!)
The girls are now eager to see the 1963 Walt Disney movie, "The Miracle of the White Stallions," which depicts the story of General George S. Patton saving the breed at the end of World War II (it's a fiction rendition but based on the true story).
The girls favorite part of the show was the, "Airs Above the Ground" segment when the horses did some jumping and rearing. The host explained that these moves were part of the classic training horses received so they could protect themselves and the riders during warfare. The girls learned the names of the manuevers - Mezaire, Courbette, Levade and Capriole - and after the demonstration, the girls were in awe of the Capriole. That's when the, "stallion leaps into the air, drawing his forelegs under his chest at the height of elevation, and kicks out violently with his hind legs."
G. was very happy to hear the host announce at the beginning of the show that although no video recording was permitted, people were welcome to take as many photos as they'd like. G. took that encouragement to heart and took tons of pictures of the horses. The lighting wasn't so great and our digital camera is not an SLR (no manual setting choices to balance the lighting issues) but G. still managed to get some nice pictures of the action. G. definitely enjoys taking photos of live-action shows (which started with the Synchro Nationals earlier this year) and told me after this show that I needed to find another event for her to attend to do this sort of photography again.
OK boss, I'll work on that.
G. took photos of the riders on the horses but this photo was more typical of her cropping choices. The horse was the focus and the rider was simply secondary.
When I took this photo I made a Tweet that G. was in her glory doing what she loved best - taking photos and being around horses.
A couple of years ago we spent a very enjoyable hour watching the Royal Canadian Mounties Musical Ride show at the Cumberland Fair. There were many more horses in that show and the focus was more on synchronized/precision riding rather than classical dressage like the Lipizzaner show. G. took video of the Mounties' show and she and her sister watched it again yesterday to compare the horse's moves between the two shows and what they liked about each one.
If you've got a horse-enthusiast in your family, taking in a horse show can be a very enjoyable experience. The kids are so genuinely excited it really can be worth the ticket price. (And thanks to the Girls Scouts of Maine, we took in the Lipizzaner show for less than $35 for both of the girls and myself with the special discount tickets they offered - and the seats were great!)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Kid Tracks Column: Off-street trails keep family bike trips easy
Even after a few of years of biking with my kids, who are now 11 and 13 years old, I am still not a fan of road riding, even when there are wide shoulders. Since I would like to enjoy myself and not stress about cars whizzing by, I have been motivated to find trails that keep my family off the motorized roadways. Luckily, we live in Maine, where there are several off-road (not to be confused with mountain biking) trails for my family to enjoy a stress-free day on two wheels.
MOUNTAIN DIVISION TRAIL, STANDISH
A formerly packed gravel trail, the 5.7 miles of the Mountain Division Trail from Standish to Windham is now paved, and offers a smooth easy ride. The 0.9-mile Jeep trail in Standish connecting the Johnson Field trail head to the Mountain Division Trail is still packed gravel, but the trail heads in Gorham and Windham have paved trail spurs. There is one big hill near Otter Pond (on the Jeep trail in Standish) that younger bikers may choose to walk their bikes up (or down) because it's a bit steep. But once at the pavement by the rails, it's a fairly level trail.
There are four road crossings from Standish to Windham, and all but one are quiet roads (one road may take a couple of minutes to cross because of fast-moving cars). There are a lot of benches at various points along the trail for water breaks and picnic lunches.
Very often, we share the trail with horses (near the Johnson Field trail head), and my kids think that makes this trail extra special. For mountain bikers, the trail continues over Route 202 in Windham to Bridge Street in Westbrook on a rough gravel surface.
TRAIL: Mountain Division Trail
LENGTH: 5.7 miles one way
TERRAIN: Paved
TOWNS: Standish, Gorham and Windham
TRAIL HEAD: Johnson Field on Route 35 in Standish, Gambo Recreational Center on Gambo Road in Windham and Shaw Park on Route 237 in Gorham.
BATHROOM: Porta-potty at each trail head
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash.
FUN STOP: The Blue Seal store at the end of the trail on Route 202 in Windham usually has a resident animal in the store (depending on the time of year, it could be baby chicks, bunnies, a lamb, dog or cat). There are also some tasty candy caramels at the counter that are worth the sweet indulgence after a fun ride with the family.
13-YEAR-OLD: "I really like the new pavement. It is sooo easy to ride on now. I also like seeing the horses on this trail. It's pretty easy except for the giant hill before the railroad tracks. I really like this trail."
11-YEAR-OLD: "This trail used to be a looooong ride but with the pavement it doesn't feel so long. I like to see the horses and I like to look at the river. I am also happy I can visit the Blue Seal store because they always have animals to visit. And me and my mom and my sister really like the caramels they sell there."
Mountain Division Trail - 2009
GREENBELT TRAIL, SOUTH PORTLAND
This urban trail requires more "stop and go" than other trails we've visited because of the many street crossings. Even though most were in quiet, residential areas with no cars in sight, my husband and I feel it is simply good policy when riding with the kids to stop and look both ways before crossing every street.
There are two major intersections – one at Mill Creek (Broadway and Route 77) and the other on Broadway and Evans Street. The first time we rode this trail, we found one part a bit confusing simply because we are not very familiar with the city. The off-the-road trail ends at Pearl Street with no trail markers to confirm that you follow Chestnut Street (we did spot a small arrow on the road at the end of Pearl Street veering to the left, so we knew which way to go). We continued along the road for a short time before we picked up the trail again.
Not a big deal, but be aware there is a short section of on-the-road riding on a quiet street. The diversity of sights along this trail is fun – from a view of the water and lovely backyard gardens (the trail abuts quite a few homes) to the woods and open fields. And Mill Creek Park and Bug Light are great spots for a picnic lunch.
TRAIL: Greenbelt Trail, which is part of the East Coast Greenway
LENGTH: 5.7 miles one way
TERRAIN: Paved
TOWN: South Portland
TRAIL HEAD: Bug Light Park, Madison Street (off Broadway) in South Portland
BATHROOM: There are businesses with public bathrooms along the route.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash.
FUN STOP: There is a grocery store, fast-food chain (with ice cream shakes) and other stores to purchase sweet treats and drinks just off the trail in the Mill Creek area, which can be handy when you need an additional incentive with your young riders.
13-YEAR-OLD: "I like how the pavement is smooth. You can hear a lot of birds on this trail. I like seeing Bug Light and taking pictures of the ducks and birds at the pond at Mill Creek. There are a lot of places where you have to cross the street so you have to stop, then go a lot. I don't like that too much but it is OK."
11-YEAR-OLD: "I like this trail because I can see lots of birds like cranes and sea gulls. I like seeing all the mallard ducks at the pond (at Mill Creek Park) too. And the trail is wide so I can bike next to my mom. I like to visit Bug Light because I can run to the lighthouse and touch it and look over the edge at the water."
South Portland Greenbelt Trail
KENNEBEC RIVER RAIL TRAIL, AUGUSTA
This 6.5-mile trail runs through the towns of Augusta, Hallowell, Farmingdale and Gardiner. We typically use the Capitol City Park in Augusta trail head. In Hallowell's business district, my family opts to walk our bikes because this portion of the trail is on the road.
The kids enjoy the window shopping and wood carvings before resuming our ride on the trail just outside the village. This short walk makes for a nice break from the bike seats. There is a semi-steep hill in Hallowell that my kids climb fairly easily by managing their gears, but kids riding bikes without gears may opt to walk up the short hill instead. At the end of the trail in Gardiner, there is a shopping plaza with plenty of bathroom options and a bench in a small grassy area to sit and eat lunch.
TRAIL: Kennebec River Rail Trail
LENGTH: 6.5 miles one way
TERRAIN: Mostly paved (about half a mile between Augusta and Hallowell is packed gravel)
TOWNS: Augusta, Hallowell, Farmingdale, Gardiner
TRAIL HEAD: There are several access points. Capital City Park in Augusta and Hannaford shopping plaza on Route 24 in Gardiner are the main points of entry with plenty of parking.
BATHROOM: There are nearby businesses at both trail heads that have public bathrooms. There are also some in downtown Hallowell.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash.
FUN STOP: There are several interesting shops in downtown Hallowell, including stops for sweets and ice cream. My kids will also tell you that stopping at the Hi-Hat (diner) for onion rings and fries is a must.
13-YEAR-OLD: "I like the bike path because it is smooth. I also like passing by all the pretty shops in Hallowell."
11-YEAR-OLD: "The pavement is easy to ride on and I like the railroad track crossings. I like the wooden bridge with the brook under it. I also like stopping for onion rings at the Hi-Hat Diner!"
Kennebec River Rail Trail
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram Sun., November 1, 2009
MOUNTAIN DIVISION TRAIL, STANDISH
A formerly packed gravel trail, the 5.7 miles of the Mountain Division Trail from Standish to Windham is now paved, and offers a smooth easy ride. The 0.9-mile Jeep trail in Standish connecting the Johnson Field trail head to the Mountain Division Trail is still packed gravel, but the trail heads in Gorham and Windham have paved trail spurs. There is one big hill near Otter Pond (on the Jeep trail in Standish) that younger bikers may choose to walk their bikes up (or down) because it's a bit steep. But once at the pavement by the rails, it's a fairly level trail.
There are four road crossings from Standish to Windham, and all but one are quiet roads (one road may take a couple of minutes to cross because of fast-moving cars). There are a lot of benches at various points along the trail for water breaks and picnic lunches.
Very often, we share the trail with horses (near the Johnson Field trail head), and my kids think that makes this trail extra special. For mountain bikers, the trail continues over Route 202 in Windham to Bridge Street in Westbrook on a rough gravel surface.
TRAIL: Mountain Division Trail
LENGTH: 5.7 miles one way
TERRAIN: Paved
TOWNS: Standish, Gorham and Windham
TRAIL HEAD: Johnson Field on Route 35 in Standish, Gambo Recreational Center on Gambo Road in Windham and Shaw Park on Route 237 in Gorham.
BATHROOM: Porta-potty at each trail head
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash.
FUN STOP: The Blue Seal store at the end of the trail on Route 202 in Windham usually has a resident animal in the store (depending on the time of year, it could be baby chicks, bunnies, a lamb, dog or cat). There are also some tasty candy caramels at the counter that are worth the sweet indulgence after a fun ride with the family.
13-YEAR-OLD: "I really like the new pavement. It is sooo easy to ride on now. I also like seeing the horses on this trail. It's pretty easy except for the giant hill before the railroad tracks. I really like this trail."
11-YEAR-OLD: "This trail used to be a looooong ride but with the pavement it doesn't feel so long. I like to see the horses and I like to look at the river. I am also happy I can visit the Blue Seal store because they always have animals to visit. And me and my mom and my sister really like the caramels they sell there."
Mountain Division Trail - 2009
GREENBELT TRAIL, SOUTH PORTLAND
This urban trail requires more "stop and go" than other trails we've visited because of the many street crossings. Even though most were in quiet, residential areas with no cars in sight, my husband and I feel it is simply good policy when riding with the kids to stop and look both ways before crossing every street.
There are two major intersections – one at Mill Creek (Broadway and Route 77) and the other on Broadway and Evans Street. The first time we rode this trail, we found one part a bit confusing simply because we are not very familiar with the city. The off-the-road trail ends at Pearl Street with no trail markers to confirm that you follow Chestnut Street (we did spot a small arrow on the road at the end of Pearl Street veering to the left, so we knew which way to go). We continued along the road for a short time before we picked up the trail again.
Not a big deal, but be aware there is a short section of on-the-road riding on a quiet street. The diversity of sights along this trail is fun – from a view of the water and lovely backyard gardens (the trail abuts quite a few homes) to the woods and open fields. And Mill Creek Park and Bug Light are great spots for a picnic lunch.
TRAIL: Greenbelt Trail, which is part of the East Coast Greenway
LENGTH: 5.7 miles one way
TERRAIN: Paved
TOWN: South Portland
TRAIL HEAD: Bug Light Park, Madison Street (off Broadway) in South Portland
BATHROOM: There are businesses with public bathrooms along the route.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash.
FUN STOP: There is a grocery store, fast-food chain (with ice cream shakes) and other stores to purchase sweet treats and drinks just off the trail in the Mill Creek area, which can be handy when you need an additional incentive with your young riders.
13-YEAR-OLD: "I like how the pavement is smooth. You can hear a lot of birds on this trail. I like seeing Bug Light and taking pictures of the ducks and birds at the pond at Mill Creek. There are a lot of places where you have to cross the street so you have to stop, then go a lot. I don't like that too much but it is OK."
11-YEAR-OLD: "I like this trail because I can see lots of birds like cranes and sea gulls. I like seeing all the mallard ducks at the pond (at Mill Creek Park) too. And the trail is wide so I can bike next to my mom. I like to visit Bug Light because I can run to the lighthouse and touch it and look over the edge at the water."
South Portland Greenbelt Trail
KENNEBEC RIVER RAIL TRAIL, AUGUSTA
This 6.5-mile trail runs through the towns of Augusta, Hallowell, Farmingdale and Gardiner. We typically use the Capitol City Park in Augusta trail head. In Hallowell's business district, my family opts to walk our bikes because this portion of the trail is on the road.
The kids enjoy the window shopping and wood carvings before resuming our ride on the trail just outside the village. This short walk makes for a nice break from the bike seats. There is a semi-steep hill in Hallowell that my kids climb fairly easily by managing their gears, but kids riding bikes without gears may opt to walk up the short hill instead. At the end of the trail in Gardiner, there is a shopping plaza with plenty of bathroom options and a bench in a small grassy area to sit and eat lunch.
TRAIL: Kennebec River Rail Trail
LENGTH: 6.5 miles one way
TERRAIN: Mostly paved (about half a mile between Augusta and Hallowell is packed gravel)
TOWNS: Augusta, Hallowell, Farmingdale, Gardiner
TRAIL HEAD: There are several access points. Capital City Park in Augusta and Hannaford shopping plaza on Route 24 in Gardiner are the main points of entry with plenty of parking.
BATHROOM: There are nearby businesses at both trail heads that have public bathrooms. There are also some in downtown Hallowell.
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash.
FUN STOP: There are several interesting shops in downtown Hallowell, including stops for sweets and ice cream. My kids will also tell you that stopping at the Hi-Hat (diner) for onion rings and fries is a must.
13-YEAR-OLD: "I like the bike path because it is smooth. I also like passing by all the pretty shops in Hallowell."
11-YEAR-OLD: "The pavement is easy to ride on and I like the railroad track crossings. I like the wooden bridge with the brook under it. I also like stopping for onion rings at the Hi-Hat Diner!"
Kennebec River Rail Trail
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram Sun., November 1, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Kid Tracks Column: The best plans are flexible
Sometimes a day starts out on a downward slope and picks up speed as the day progresses. That was the kind of day I had when the kids and I planned our biking trip to Lake Auburn.
We took a friend's suggestion to bike the trail at Lake Auburn and ran into a few snafus that started with us not getting on the road on time.
First I couldn't find the strap for the bike rack.
Then I realized the car's fuel gauge was on empty and I needed gas.
Then I saw that both my bike tires were flat when the kids rolled it out of the shed.
I'm a glass half-full type so I figured a trip to the gas station could not only fill up the car tank, but the bike tires as well and that all would be fine once we actually got on the road. I secured the bikes on the car rack with the strap I did manage to track down in the basement and printed out driving directions to the trail head in Auburn.
The directions seemed straight forward but I am familiar with the city of Auburn in only one way – driving to Mt. Apatite (the kids' favorite spot to mine for gems). What I did not anticipate was a road work detour that threw me off course and had me driving in circles before I figured out where I had taken a wrong turn.
The kids were mostly silent in the backseat while I was navigating our misguided way to Lake Auburn because they have learned to keep their comments to themselves rather than face a snippy mother while she's driving. Their lessons started as preschoolers when they had a tendency to voice their backseat driving thoughts. I did not find it all that cute then and I still don't have a very good sense of humor when I hear the, “You should have gone the other way instead” from the child who still has trouble finding a favorite toy, in plain site, on her own bedroom floor. Sometimes kids need a little perspective and I'm all too happy to offer some when I'm stressed about driving to a new location. Hence, the girls have learned to keep their mouths zipped in the backseat.
It was not that Lake Auburn's trail head was actually all that hard to find but there are some slight bends in the roads and unless you're paying attention to the changing street names (the last road changes name before you get to the trail head), or are familiar with the city of Auburn, you could get off track.
My missed turns only set us back about 15 minutes from our original plan but with clouds looming we unloaded the bikes quickly so we could hit the trail to get our ride in before the rain started.
The girls liked the rocky trail even though it was not graded like most of the other trails we have ventured on. Comments about “fun bumps” on this trail had me thinking that we should give a beginner mountain biking trail a whirl sometime soon.
The changing leaves on trees around the lake made this a really nice spot to take in the fall colors, and we enjoyed a great ride for about a mile and a half. Then we ran into a “Men Working” sign and large logging trucks blocking the trail. It was not passable and we were forced to turn around and head back to the car.
The kids were not overly disappointed with the shortened trip since it meant they could get to the nearby Wallingford's Fruit Stand for donuts and hot apple cider (a promised treat after our ride) that much faster.
I chalked the whole experience up to a day that I should have just spent at home. My stars were simply not aligned for an outdoor adventure. But the glass half-full side of me reflected that at least we didn't encounter to any leeches (Lake Auburn is actually a public drinking water supply so no bodily contact is permitted anyhow) or poison ivy. Nor were we swarmed by yellow jackets. (We've had “incidents” with each of these things previously).
Maybe I had a couple of small lucky stars on my side after all.
KID'S TRAIL REVIEW OF LAKE AUBURN
The 13-year-old: "I liked the trail. It had a nice view of the lake. There were a lot of bumps but they were fun bumps to go over on my bike. It was a good biking trail if you have been biking for a while. But if you are new at biking, this is not a trail you should go on yet. The bumps can be rough at some points. But it is a fun biking place overall. The donut place (Wallingford's) was close to this trail and those donuts were really good."
The 11-year-old: "The trail was bumpy and had a lot of little hills. It was a little too hilly for me because I haven't ridden my bike much this year and my legs got tired. But then we had to stop because they were logging (on the trail) but that was OK. I didn't mind going early to get donuts."
Biking at Lake Auburn
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, November 2009
We took a friend's suggestion to bike the trail at Lake Auburn and ran into a few snafus that started with us not getting on the road on time.
First I couldn't find the strap for the bike rack.
Then I realized the car's fuel gauge was on empty and I needed gas.
Then I saw that both my bike tires were flat when the kids rolled it out of the shed.
I'm a glass half-full type so I figured a trip to the gas station could not only fill up the car tank, but the bike tires as well and that all would be fine once we actually got on the road. I secured the bikes on the car rack with the strap I did manage to track down in the basement and printed out driving directions to the trail head in Auburn.
The directions seemed straight forward but I am familiar with the city of Auburn in only one way – driving to Mt. Apatite (the kids' favorite spot to mine for gems). What I did not anticipate was a road work detour that threw me off course and had me driving in circles before I figured out where I had taken a wrong turn.
The kids were mostly silent in the backseat while I was navigating our misguided way to Lake Auburn because they have learned to keep their comments to themselves rather than face a snippy mother while she's driving. Their lessons started as preschoolers when they had a tendency to voice their backseat driving thoughts. I did not find it all that cute then and I still don't have a very good sense of humor when I hear the, “You should have gone the other way instead” from the child who still has trouble finding a favorite toy, in plain site, on her own bedroom floor. Sometimes kids need a little perspective and I'm all too happy to offer some when I'm stressed about driving to a new location. Hence, the girls have learned to keep their mouths zipped in the backseat.
It was not that Lake Auburn's trail head was actually all that hard to find but there are some slight bends in the roads and unless you're paying attention to the changing street names (the last road changes name before you get to the trail head), or are familiar with the city of Auburn, you could get off track.
My missed turns only set us back about 15 minutes from our original plan but with clouds looming we unloaded the bikes quickly so we could hit the trail to get our ride in before the rain started.
The girls liked the rocky trail even though it was not graded like most of the other trails we have ventured on. Comments about “fun bumps” on this trail had me thinking that we should give a beginner mountain biking trail a whirl sometime soon.
The changing leaves on trees around the lake made this a really nice spot to take in the fall colors, and we enjoyed a great ride for about a mile and a half. Then we ran into a “Men Working” sign and large logging trucks blocking the trail. It was not passable and we were forced to turn around and head back to the car.
The kids were not overly disappointed with the shortened trip since it meant they could get to the nearby Wallingford's Fruit Stand for donuts and hot apple cider (a promised treat after our ride) that much faster.
I chalked the whole experience up to a day that I should have just spent at home. My stars were simply not aligned for an outdoor adventure. But the glass half-full side of me reflected that at least we didn't encounter to any leeches (Lake Auburn is actually a public drinking water supply so no bodily contact is permitted anyhow) or poison ivy. Nor were we swarmed by yellow jackets. (We've had “incidents” with each of these things previously).
Maybe I had a couple of small lucky stars on my side after all.
KID'S TRAIL REVIEW OF LAKE AUBURN
The 13-year-old: "I liked the trail. It had a nice view of the lake. There were a lot of bumps but they were fun bumps to go over on my bike. It was a good biking trail if you have been biking for a while. But if you are new at biking, this is not a trail you should go on yet. The bumps can be rough at some points. But it is a fun biking place overall. The donut place (Wallingford's) was close to this trail and those donuts were really good."
The 11-year-old: "The trail was bumpy and had a lot of little hills. It was a little too hilly for me because I haven't ridden my bike much this year and my legs got tired. But then we had to stop because they were logging (on the trail) but that was OK. I didn't mind going early to get donuts."
Biking at Lake Auburn
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, November 2009
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