New Year's Resolution

 Whether it is once a week or an hour a day... Resolve to make spending more time outside a priority for you and your family in 2015. You won't regret it! It's good for the heart, mind, body and moral of the whole clan!

 

A Part of the Whole

Did you know JOFN is part of a bigger statewide community? 

Currently there are three Alaska Outdoor Family Networks in Anchorage, Kodiak & Juneau. Together we have a membership of over just over 1,200 Alaskan families across the state and reach many more with our various webpages, blogs and facebook groups. We have hosted over 1,300 events/outings since the first group in Anchorage was founded in October of 2010.

Thank you to all the families that participate and are eager to provide their kids and themselves with engaging outdoor opportunities! An even bigger thank you to the families that step up and help organize all our activities. Simply posting a time, activity and a place is a powerful tool providing not only your family, but others with avenues to connect with each other and nature!

Feel free to contact us if you are interested in creating a similar group in your community. We might be able to save you some errors in the trial and error department as an enormous amount has been learned through the process!

If you happen to find yourself in one of the towns look up the local chapter to connect with other Outdoor Families. We have met so many families and learned so much about each of the amazing places we have lived in this amazing state! 

It is truly outstanding how powerful connecting with peers in nature is for the physical, cognitive and emotional well being of children and parents alike. So much wonderful insight has been gained from the other parents I've covered miles with on the trail, or chatted with on the beach while our kids throw rocks into the waves. It is important to not feel alone in this journey.

 

Keep the Holiday Cheer Alive - Go Outside!

Winter Break Planning

Winter break is just around the corner. The Juneau Outdoor Family Network Facebook page is a great place to plan outdoor activities with other families! You can create your own event by going to the "Events" tab at the top of the groups FB page or you can just post where you're headed and when. I can be as simple as "My family and I are heading to Sandy Beach... or the Airport Trail at 10:30 tomorrow morning and would love to have other families join us." Activities could be, but are not limited to ice skating, sledding, snowshoing, skiing, playdate at the park...

JOFN is designed to be a place where parents are empowered with the tools and the venue to create their own outings that fit their own family's schedule. Part of the reason why I created this group and similar ones in Anchorage and Kodiak, was to make sure I had things I knew my boys and I would love to do at a time that met our needs, while making new friends. I'd like to extend that luxury to other families.

2nd Annual Lantern Walk

Our 2nd Annual Lantern Walk was a great success! Mother Nature bestowed us with a starry, calm night. We had about 20 families attend. Thank you to everyone who brought, food, drink and firewood to share! We were able to gather around the fire before and after the walk and the kids happily played at the playground. Next year I'll have to enlist a parent beforehand to lead us in song along the trail. My raspy, out of tune voice was just too quiet while recovering from a nasty cold to rouse any joiners. Right as we left the forecasted clouds moved in and we got our first snow dump of the season later that night.