Weekly play inspiration for free
My reason-for-being is to make sure you have plenty of ideas for unscheduled creative free play to build imagination, resilience, and support healthy child development!
I’m a firm believer that kids don’t need to “be entertained.” However, that is not the case for parents or caregivers! WE are the ones who crave entertainment! Trying new-to-us playgrounds or going on Play Trips that include a library, coffee shop, or a bite at a kid-friendly restaurant helps keep US entertained and more likely to put in time for our kids to play each week.
If we’re going to be regular about play, we need to make sure it’s free or doesn’t cost a lot. I share a lot about those options in this free newsletter, too!
You’ll always get encouragement from me to protect that unscheduled time since you are probably feeling pressures to SCHEDULE every moment through structured activities like classes, calendar events, schooling, adult-led crafting, and academic pursuits at very young ages!
The first 0-5 years are a time for PLAY. Play doesn’t need to have a theme. Play doesn’t need to be managed and produced by an adult. Play doesn’t need to have anything fancy to make it fun. Kids KNOW how to play. It’s intrinsic. We are here together to be the parenting/caregiving community who supports each other while giving the kids time and space to do what they are born to do!
If you are interested in the paid subscription plan starting in 2025, you’ll get full access to:
Play-filled extras hidden at the bottom of each regular weekly email.
Continued access to over 50 OC Tiny Hikes mini trail guides in the Archive.
FOR ANNUAL SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: 2025 seasonal printable guidebooks for OC families to download (Winter, Spring/Summer, Fall).
I appreciate your support so much! I can’t do this without this community!
Want to know about the 50+ mini trail guides available in the Archive?
Between October of 2023 to December of 2024, I created 54 mini trail guides for short & sweet family hikes all over Orange County. Those months encompassed scouting + writing guides from Fall hiking season 2023 through Fall hiking season 2024 with a short break in production/payments for the hottest months of summer in August/September 2024.
I would not have had the motivation or monetary support to create those mini trail guides without the willingness of subscribers like you to invest in them as a PAID add-on/upgrade to this FREE newsletter subscription.
Starting January 2025, my NEW project — dependent upon your support — is to transform those trail guides and even past play trips into actual printable guidebooks! So you can take your mini trail guides with you!
I am planning on creating and producing at least 3 seasonal guides (Winter, Spring/Summer, Fall) that you will be able to download and print as long as you are a paid subscriber. I am going to get survey feedback on exactly what you want!
I will also make them available as a stand-alone purchase option, but they will cost you more ($20 each x 3 = $60) than the subscription ($39/annual). Because I try to make sure that subscribers ALWAYS get a deal!
Hey! What is a tiny hike anyways?
I am always trying to explain my playful style of hiking-with-kids. “Tiny hikes” is the first time I’ve been able to put it into words that make sense the moment you read it.
It immediately tells you it’s something that’s:
outside.
not daunting or strenuous.
in or near nature.
short in distance.
manageable or at least worth a try.
a modification of a noun that typically represents as a big endeavor in terms of energy and effort.
bound to have some unexpected sights.
slower pace.
going to feel good & promote wellness.
maybe best suited for a tiny human?
If you take a toddler perspective — a walk from the front door to the car could qualify as a hike!
The trail guides are something that you will not find ANYWHERE else. (I make these up! Even if you know about the location, you will not get the details that I have or the format which makes up these easy-to-follow trail guides).
If you are comfortable going to a playground with the children in your life, you will need a similar amount of prep (almost none!) and no gear beyond close-toed shoes. Most tiny hikes come in between 30 minutes to an hour with suggestions for how to extend your nature exploration if you feel like it.
You will like these TINY hikes mini trail guides because:
They work for toddlers.
They work when you’re tired and don’t have the energy for an all-day, geared up adventure.
They can work for grandparents to come along.
They work on the sidewalk when you don’t feel like getting dirty.
They work when AllTrails.com is way too much information. When you don’t need the complication of elevations and focus on mileage or distance.
They are especially written for families. I pay attention to different details than regular trail guides. More emphasis on nature connections and play — with LESS emphasis on fitness, elevations, and reaching destinations.
They always have suggestions for extending the play to nearby playgrounds or libraries nearby. You will also get restaurant or picnic suggestions.
They work because a Tiny Hike that allows for play time outside is all you need for the day.
These trail guides are NOT for you if you are already an avid athletic hiking family who wants to get outdoors for the fitness and adventure of it. The primary purpose of these TINY hikes is so you and your children can get out into nearby nature and PLAY along the way with no structure, schedule, or agenda to reach a destination. They are designed for slow mindful wandering, NOT exercise.
Who runs this newsletter?
I’m Michele Whiteaker, a writer mom and nature guide who has been promoting play and empowering OC families to prioritize outside time since I started my FunOrangeCountyParks.com blog in April 2008 when my kids were 6 and 2 years old.
For 17 years, I’ve been maintaining, updating, and improving what I am delivering inside my:
Parks & playgrounds blog (FunOrangeCountyParks.com)
Orange County Playground Map with map markers that take you back to the blog posts
This regular free weekly newsletter featuring parks and signature Play Trips which you can only get as a subscriber to my emails (pairing parks with restaurants, libraries, and simple nature hikes)
Sharing park tips and play trips on my blog, on social media, and through this regular Play Trips newsletter over the years quickly earned me the nickname of “The Park Lady” — because it’s pretty much my passion to serve as a free community resource for families wanting to explore the outdoors in Orange County, CA.
I would not be here without YOU. Whether you are already a longtime subscriber or a caregiver considering subscribing, you bring me so much joy — and when you chime in on your experiences you also help keep this community of supportive park lovers going!
Acknowledgments
I am a privileged white woman. My pronouns are she/her.
The land these parks and hikes are on is the unceded land of the Acjachemen, Tongva, and Kizh.
All children deserve play & nature. Safe, welcoming, inclusive opportunities nearby!
Play and access to nature is a basic human right. (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31)
Childhood can’t wait for policies and playgrounds to catch up! We feel the urgency to share parks and nature spots with each other to benefit every child. Respect and kindness are key.
Please inquire if you want, but cannot afford, access to the paid portion of this newsletter.
Stay up-to-date
You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. You can expect the same sort of park updates you would get every week with me. You ONLY have to pay if you want to support this work and get full access to extras. Paid subscriptions auto-renew. You can also find me at FunOrangeCountyParks.com or @ocplayparks on Instagram.
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