Adirondack Family Time™

Just outside of Saranac Lake is a great family activity for ADK kids of all ages, The Great Adirondack Corn Maze. The view from Tucker Farms, Gabriels, N.Y. Finding the way out of The Great Adirondack Corn Maze Care to try some of Tucker Farm's red and blue potatoes? 

Don't be afraid to wear that Blaze Orange vest. It's a color that goes with everything! It will bring out the safety in your children's eyes.  When I first moved to the Adirondacks I never took in consideration  hunting season  as having an effect on my outdoor activities. Yes, I realize that was naïve of me but I have no experience with hunting and had only hiked in the summer. During those warm months gun safety is not on a non-hunter’s radar. Since I can’t be the only person in this predicament, here are some simple rules to keep in mind. There is room enough in a six-million-acre park for hunters and hikers. My children are well aware of what they need to do to be safe while hiking in the woods. We unpack our blaze orange vests and hats and stick to the trail. It is this time of year that I encourage them to talk loudly and stick together. Playing it safe during hunting season 1)     Don’t be afraid; be cautious. 2)     Be informed of what is “in season.”

It's only October! Is this really necessary? I have just a few more gardening things to button up. 

Puppetry combines elements of problem solving and creativity. It can also segue children from watching television to seeing a live performance. According to  Puppet People   co-founder, Mark Carrigan, puppetry can spark the imagination where watching television can not. “I got into puppetry as a small child. I remember watching a puppet show when I was in third grade, running home and making my own puppets,” says Carrigan. “After receiving a degree in sculpture, I worked with Bennington Marionettes sculpting the marionettes’ faces. I met my wife there.” Read more here 

Is your child interested in theatre? This year Pendragon Theatre , the Adirondack's only year-round professional theatre, will present performances of “A Christmas Carol” as its Holiday production. For the past several years a variety of different plays have been performed but the Theatre felt it time to return to a much loved holiday classic to conclude the 30th year celebration! Auditions and an informational meeting will be held on Saturday the 23rd of October at 1:00 p.m. Kent Streed will direct. The auditions will consist of readings from the script. The production will open on the18th of December and will have a couple of performances at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts after Christmas – the schedule will be available at the auditions. For other information or questions please call the Theatre at 518-891-1854.

The renovated barns at the Almanzo Wilder Homestead Farmer Boy!

This Saturday, October 2nd, there will be a green energy open house around New York and the Adirondacks supported by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association . With over 140 homes to tour across the state, people can find any example of sustainable energy from pellet stoves, geothermal, passive, solar and more. The opportunity to to see how these processes have worked and meet with people that have taken the step toward energy efficiency is invaluable. As a parent, I always try to be a good example for my own family. Taking kids on green energy tours like this may seem like its a bother but the payback will be well worth it. Just like any other activity, be prepared. Depending on the ages of your children inform them of what you want to look for. Are you interested in getting solar panels or just passive solar? What inventive ways are kids able to come up with to solve your own energy issues?  Let them ask questions, follow the tour around and be a part of the solution. Give the

Honorary Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder Most people have heard of the “Little House” books that preserved a personal account of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s frontier life. If you haven't read them it is never too late. Perhaps a trip to the library so you can share these memories of a challenging pioneer lifestyle with your child would be fun. The tie-in to the North Country is the third book in the series,  Farmer Boy , which chronicles the childhood experiences of Laura’s husband Almanzo Wilder.  From 1840 to 1875 the Wilders made Burke, NY (just outside of Malone) their home. Since 1987 the original homestead has been used as a museum and educational center.

You hear these songs all the time. They are some of the first songs your child will learn and it's not "Wheels on the Bus."  Answer is here 

Okay, not really a fly but still trapped in a web. Here nature is at work right on the side of our house. We didn't even need to visit a mountain or trail to see nature at work. My son's only comment, "Wow!" Just waiting for a meal This insect struggles to free itself from the web The spider just patiently waits for the insect to tire out Breakfast, lunch and dinner Fast and efficient There you have it. Just another day in the lives of kids in the Adirondacks.

Steve Hall gives a raptor demonstration By Diane Chase Labor Day weekend in the Adirondacks is a perfect time to be able to have kids get up close and personal with the wildlife that surrounds  them as we hike, walk and play.  Not so long ago my children discovered a baby robin out of its nest and floundering near our front stoop. The mother robin circled nervously. It was a difficult decision to stand back and let nature take its course. My husband and I were operating with a barrage of opinions, a few old wives tales, two crying children and a curious dog. The baby was a fledgling and managed to seek refuge under the deck while its mother continued to feed it. We assume that it flew away one morning like it was supposed to, with no help from us. The most challenging part of those few days was keeping overzealous children from creating a bird sanctuary as the dog whined for a nibble of Robin Red-Breast Tartare. Cree the Wolf This Saturday, September 4, 2010, childre

By Diane Chase Can you name one difference between a damselfly and a dragonfly? Here are two insects that adults and kids can meet walking an  Adirondack nature trail  or canoeing on a pond . It's all in a name! Dragon flies will actually eat Damsel flies if given the chance. It is easy to remember if any fairy tales come to mind where the dragons capture the damsel (another word for young girl) Dragonfly at rest Another difference is that when a dragonfly lands with its wings spread out while the damselfly rests with wings tucked in like a bird. Damselfly at rest