Adirondack Family Time™

There are always contests and prizes and ways for marketing companies to gather information about your child, but I do believe that this contest may be something you want to look into. Do your own due diligence.   I've never enjoyed a contest that narrows down entries via social media. I'm not sure that is the standard I want to set for my children. I have voted for other people's entries, videos and contests. I'm on the fence... Even if you just decide to not enter your child, writing the essay is a wonderful exercise.   What is  Kids Moving Mountains ?  A nationwide search for kids who are “Moving Mountains” in the areas S cience, T echnology, E ngineering, A rts, or M athematics (STEAM) Eligibility: Open to legal residents of the 50 US/DC who are 13 years of age or older as of time of entry. Minors must have parent’s/legal guardian’s permission to participate. Entrant’s nominees must be between 5-18 years of age. Contest starts 3/2/15

One March 4, Wednesday, Lakeside School at  Black Kettle Farm  is hosting an observation day for all  parents located in the Adirondack Park near Essex, NY, interested in Waldorf education for their child/children.  The morning will be spent visiting the Main Lesson of the Elementary school (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade), the Kindergarten (age 3-6), and joining the Sprouts (age 1-3) outside. There will be time to speak with the teachers and ask any questions you might have about any of the programs.  Community Observation Day is on March 4 th   from   8:45-10:30am . Sign up in advance with Kathleen Morse or Torunn Lyngroth Aberle by calling 518-963-7385, or e-mailing   info@lakesideschoolinessex.org .  Lakeside School runs from early September to mid-June and is a developing member of the  Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America . It is located on the corners of Cook and Leaning Road in Essex, NY at   Black Kettle Farm .

By Diane Chase Kids are bombarded by negativity on computers, on their phones, in ads, on television shows and that can be without ever leaving the house. How do we present a positive message that isn’t in the form of another lecture? Shine On! was founded in 2011 by SUNY Plattsburgh Professor Colleen Lemza with just those questions in mind. After encountering young women struggling with self-esteem issues driven by a negative media impact, Lemza wanted to raise awareness, communication skills and confidence.  This evolved to an annual day-long conference for fourth and fifth grade girls led by student mentors.  Now in its 5 th  year, Shine On! has grown from a one-day workshop with 90 young girls to an overnight conference for over 200 participants. The spring conference has expanded to include girls in third through fifth grades. The overwhelming response now has Shine On! also offering parent workshops and educational outreach.

Celebrate Winter Day on March 6, 2014 with  discounted tickets at seventeen ski areas! On Thursday March 6, 2014 seventeen* ski areas in New York State will be participating in the first annual "Celebrate Winter Day". This day is intended for skiers and riders as well as those who want to learn to ski or snowboard to enjoy the slopes and celebrate all the splendor of winter. "Celebrate" will feature discounted lift tickets, most for sale at $12 and learn to ski packages, starting at $33, for all to enjoy. You can purchase your "Celebrate Winter Day" vouchers here for the discounted lift ticket or learn to ski or snowboard packages. Purchases can be made through Midnight March 4th 2014 after that there will be no more available, don't delay, buy today! Vouchers can only be purchased through ISKINY and not at the ski area. ( No refunds and Non-Transferable.) If you have any questions please memberservices@iskiny.com . Vouchers can only be

Just mentioning an outhouse and the potty humor starts pouring out. So before I go into a complete downward spiral, I’d like to say “only in the Adirondacks,” but that wouldn’t be true. Across the nation there are numerous wheeled “soapbox derby” races with themed outhouses pushed by costumed racers pitted against their decorated neighbor. The difference from those races and the upcoming Lake George Winter Carnival Outhouse Races is the ice.   The first 2015 Adirondack outhouse race takes place February 7, Saturday, at 12:30 pm on Lake George. There is an alternate location if the ice is considered unsafe. Registration begins at 10 am at Duffy’s Tavern (518-668-5323.) According to Adirondack Studios’ owner Tom Lloyd what started as a quirky competition for his custom design and fabrication firm has grown to be a competitive race. Eight years ago the Adirondack Studios design team took a break from its large-scale projects for the Broadway stage and other elements of the en

The U.S. Greeting Card Association’s website states that about one billion valentines are sent worldwide each year. Not that I am not the sentimental type but most of the time cards end up in the recycling bin. Saving cards seems to create just one more thing to move. There are some items that I do keep that are only significant to me. So for anyone looking to create a different keepsake, here is a paper of felt fortune cookie. Paper or Felt Fortune Cookies Getting ready for Valentine's Day? Need a quick idea to make little treats for your children's friends? Use the template and follow the simple directions to make quick and easy fortune cookies.

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY! © Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™guidebooks have easy Adirondack family hikes, Adirondack swimming holes, Lake Placid Olympic activities, Adirondack trivia, Adirondack horseback rides, Adirondack snowshoe family trails and more. Look for the Adirondack family guidebook online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activities™ guide.

UPDATED!  Recently my family went on an evening Owl Prowl with the Champlain Valley Areas Trails (CATS) . Now on January 30 at 7 pm, they will be conducting another  moonlight hike to explore the woods and experience winter under the evening sky. There is always something magical about getting outside and skiing under a bright Adirondack full moon. Though it is certainly easy enough to visit any trail with a headlamp and proper gear, it is sometimes the camaraderie of an organized event that pulls everything together. Most organized activiies are family-friendly, but if you are in need of night off from the kids then Cascade Ski Center’s Full Moon Skis are the place to be. (Look for more ski/snowshoe options in my Adirondack Family Time guidebooks.) Champlain Valley Areas Trails (CATS) . January 30: 7 pm   - free moonlight hike starting at the Angler Hill Rd trailhead to walk along the new Wildway Passage Trail in Westport. Concluding the snowshoe hike there will be a gath

Every Super Bowl Sunday Lake Placid's The Palace Theatre offers discounted movie theatre passes. You can squeeze in a matinee or skip the game altogether for the amazing price of 99¢ for all shows. Enjoy!    © Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities™ guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time™guidebooks have easy Adirondack family hikes, Adirondack swimming holes, Lake Placid Olympic activities, Adirondack trivia, Adirondack horseback rides, Adirondack snowshoe family trails and more. Look for the Adirondack family guidebook online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activities™ guide.

On our visits to the Adirondack Museum, my family has always found that there really isn’t enough time to see it all in one day. That is why the Adirondack Museum Cabin Fever Sundays present a different way of learning about the vast information tucked within the museum’s buildings in Blue Mountain Lake.  According to Adirondack Museum Marketing Assistant Paige Doerner the second Cabin Fever event will feature Adirondack Life Senior Editor Niki Kouroksky’s tales of “Adirondack Outlaws.” Kouroksky is bringing the Adirondack’s criminal element to light and is highlighting just a few of the scallywags, bandits and fiends from her recently published book,  Adirondack Outlaws: Bad Boys and Lawless Ladies. “We have a lot of variety this year,” states Doerner. “We have Niki’s lecture and book signing on February 1 st  here at the museum. We also have a Mohawk Dance and Cultural Presentation, the Adirondack Wildlife Rehabilitation Refuge will bring a wolf and two musical events in

DEADLINE EXTENDED: February 16 Last year Saranac Lake’s professional theatre company Pendragon Theatre provided a unique opportunity to any high school-aged young adults living within the whole Adirondack Park, The Pendragon Young Playwrights’ Festival. The Festival focuses on a competition for high school students to submit a one-act play (up to three plays per playwright or team) on any subject. The February 1 st  deadline is quickly approaching so I want to encourage young adults to take advantage of the chance to have their winning play performed at the March festival.  I’m always a bit skeptical of writing competitions. There always seems to be some hidden fee involved, but Pendragon Theatre’s competition is free. The winning playwrights are also given the chance to meet with a creative team to further develop their submission for the stage before the March production.  

This week's craft is brought you you by Lauren at Goody-Goody *Handmade . She takes a simple piece of wire and shapes it free form to make this creative craft. This is something that can be done with children of all ages. You can use recycled materials and really let the creativity flow. Have  fun! Materials - paper wrapped wire (how about reuse: take an old wire hanger  - fabric scraps, cut into strips at least 1" wide. Length doesn't matter much. - glue gun - buttons, bits, beads and baubles - cord for hanging Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks (Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities) for the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Jay/Upper Jay, Wilmington, Keene/Keene Valley which is available online or bookstores/museums/sporting good stores. Diane is currently working on the second guidebook in the four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities.

We haven’t been back to Adirondack's Marcy Dam since Tropical Storm Irene hit in late August 2011. We had climbed Marcy just a few days before the storm, resting at the bridge on our way back to our car, snapping pictures that now show an area changed by the storm. We couldn’t have known that it would be the last time we’d see Mt. Colden’s reflection in the pond at Marcy Dam.   A few days later Irene hit, the wooden dam breached and the bridge washed out changing the iconic area forever. The snow is still plentiful as we drive in the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Adirondack Loj area and park at the far lot. We enter past the tent platforms, which looks like a ghost town in winter, using the Old Marcy Dam Trail.    Adirondack Family Time™ guidebook series: Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and the High Peaks with over 33 easy hikes, 19 swimming holes, snowshoe, ski trails trivia, maps and four season activities.  The beginn