A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for kids -- and their parents -- on the joys of outdoor play, exploration, and discovery!

For many kids, there's nothing more fun than the chance to play outside! The winter's thaw has already provided plenty of opportunities for puddle jumping and planning this year's garden, and soon nicer weather and the end of the school year will soon provide more opportunities for hiking, beach trips, and lots of outdoor playtime. Best of all, it’s good for them: research shows how much benefit kids get from unstructured play outside. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of kids' books, toys, and clothing for bug-loving girls!

While the tired, old stereotype may be that girls scream and squeal whenever they see a bug, in reality, plenty of girls are fascinated by these tiny creatures! There are lots of girls (and women!) who love insects, from butterflies and ladybugs to spiders and worms, and want to learn all about the incredibly diverse insect world. To that end, it's important to bust stereotypes and preconceptions, both about bugs themselves and about how girls will react to them. Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top children's books celebrating spring and the joys of gardening!

With warmer weather comes the first hint of the glorious green world to come! Soon, there will be a spring world to explore, flowers and vegetables to plant, and lots more. And what better way to build anticipation for all the joys of spring and the world in bloom than with a few fun spring and gardening-themed stories! Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top books about bike-loving girls and women for preschoolers through adults!

Do you remember the joy you felt when you rode a bike for the first time? The exhilaration of the wind in your face, the whir of the spinning wheels... The freedom that a bicycle offers has changed millions of lives, allowing kids to pedal to their local park or travel quickly and safely to school — and it even has a little-known connection to the Women's Suffrage Movement! In this blog post, we've featured ten of our favorite books about girls and women and the joy brought to them by their beloved bikes. These fun tales are sure to have your Mighty Girl (and you) raring to get back in the (bike) saddle again! Continue reading → Continue reading

From building a birdhouse to playing bird bingo, there are plenty of fun ways to get kids excited about birds and birdwatching!

Happy National Bird Day! From a young age, many kids are fascinated by birds. Whether she loves watching birds in the yard or learning about different types of birds through books or games, there are countless ways to enjoy our feathered friends. To help her get started, in this blog post, we've shared our favorite books about Mighty Girl bird lovers, plus a variety of toys, games, and clothing celebrating birds. For kids interested in birdwatching, we've also recommended a few kid-size binoculars and field guides perfect for young birders! Continue reading → Continue reading

After surviving thirty years of domestic violence, Grandma Gatewood became a record-setting hiking pioneer who helped to save the Appalachian Trail from ruin.

In 1955, at the age of 67, Emma Rowena Gatewood became the first woman to solo hike the entire 2,190 mile (3,524 km) Appalachian Trail — wearing Keds sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, a shower curtain, and a change of clothes in a homemade bag which she slung over one shoulder. For food, she foraged for wild plants, as well as carried dried meat, cheese, nuts, and dried fruit. The mother of 11 and grandmother of 23, Gatewood is now considered a pioneer of ultra-light hiking and one of the first high-profile ambassadors of the Appalachian Trail (AT). Her resilience and determination have inspired generations of hikers, whether they're walking a local state trail or tackling the full AT. "I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was," Gatewood observed after her hike, "but I couldn’t and I wouldn’t quit."  Continue reading → Continue reading

Pearl Johnson scaled the 3,000 foot El Capitan over four days and three nights, becoming the youngest person ever to achieve this climbing feat!

After four days and three nights of climbing, 9-year-old Pearl Johnson became the youngest person to scale Yosemite Valley's famed El Capitan! Pearl reached the 3,000-foot summit in mid-September after scaling the Triple Direct climbing route with her mother, Janet Johnson, and a family friend, Nick Sullens. While scaling El Capitan is a major feat for many seasoned adult climbers, her mother was confident that Pearl, who has been climbing since she could walk, could reach the summit. "Someone asked me if I was nervous, and I said 'No,'" she said after their successful climb. "I knew I was comfortable up there. I’ve climbed a lot with Pearl. I knew what she was capable of." Continue reading → Continue reading

A Mighty Girl's top picks of science toys and kits to encourage outdoor discovery and exploration.

One of the best ways to spark a child's love for science is by allowing her to learn about it in the real world through outdoor play and discovery. Whether she's examining a favorite new insect, gazing at the stars, or cultivating a garden, nature is full of wonders to excite curious kids. And, with a few fun science toys, kits, and tools, kids can do a lot of learning and exploring on their own — and have a ball doing it!

In this blog post, we've showcased two dozen of our favorite toys and kits to help kids get started on their outdoor explorations. From a set of field tools for kids to a rotating star map of the sky, these toys will let kids explore wherever their curiosity takes them. And, whether you have a budding naturalist, entomologist, astronomer, or geologist, there's something here for everyone!

For Mighty Girl books about girls who love to explore the great outdoors, check out our blog post, 30 Mighty Girl Books About Outdoor Discovery, or browse our entire Animals & Nature book collection. Continue reading → Continue reading

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

Summer is here! It’s time to get outside and enjoy the long hours of sunshine! There are so many ways to explore the outdoors with the Mighty Girls in your life, and in this post we recommend a few of our favorite outdoor toys, games, and gear to consider for your adventures. If you'd like to discover more options beyond our recommendations below, you can also visit A Mighty Girl's extensive Outdoor Play section to learn about a wide range of excellent toys and games for children and teens.

INDEPENDENT ACTIVE PLAY

When it’s time to graduate from a ride-on to a two-wheeler, instead of using the typical training wheels, many studies — and more importantly, parents — agree that the best way for a child to learn to ride her own bike is by first mastering balancing. If your child can run, she is ready to try her own balance running bike with the Strider PREbike! She’ll be whizzing up and down the sidewalk in no time, and developing both pre-bicycling skills and confidence, too!

For more wheel-based fun, check out this cherry blossom skateboard from Punisher Skateboards. All that time on her balancing bike will come in handy as she weaves her way around obstacles and over bumps. This board is 31 inches long, made of Canadian Maple, and is sure to delight girls 6 and older. Continue reading → Continue reading