March 2021 - 44
8
Allow the use of electronics within reason. Kids
9
Measure success in different ways. Too often
10
Get outside! Zach got this right. While the day he picked
are as wired as adults these days. If your kid is old enough
to have a cell phone and you forbid its use while outdoors,
you risk starting the outing on a negative note. There's
a balance, of course.
If kids are only interested in the cell phone and are disengaged
from fishing, instead of taking it away work to gain their attention.
Hand them a rod. Have them pick a lure and put it on. Get them
involved in the day from the get-go, including planning it, then
it's their day instead of yours. In addition, encourage them to take
photos, post them on social media if they're old enough and send
them to friends. Then they're telling their peer group, " Look at me!
I'm doing something fun! " If they get a bunch of interaction online,
chances are they'll do it again.
A young angler tries her luck from the front of a canoe on a calm day. (Photo by Lisa Ballard)
outdoorsy parents measure the success of a day in terms
of the number or size of fish they catch, the size of the
deer they shot or the number of birds they bagged. But
quantity and size are not the only way to measure the day.
Wildlife intrigues children. Take Lily when Zach fileted the bass.
In the case of fishing, take the time to examine a fish and show a
child the unique characteristics. Look at parts like its eyes, gills, fins,
inside its mouth, even where its poop comes out.
Fishing also offers opportunities to teach kids about the environment, boating skills and water safety. It can be as fun as catching a
fish for a child to witness an osprey dive 100 feet into the water and
then take to the air again with a trout in its talons. It's part of the
positive experience they come to associate with fishing.
might not have been the best, he still went - something a
lot of people don't do. Getting your children outside can
really help shape how they view the outdoors. Just getting
out there is the first step.
If you avoid some of these common mistakes and get your kids
outdoors, your child will have fun and want to go again. After all,
the first step toward creating the next generation of anglers, hunters,
paddlers and wildlife watchers is literally stepping outside.
A young angler celebrates his catch. Using equipment appropriate for a child's age
and experience level can help that kid to have fun when participating in new
activities outside. (WGFD photo)
44 | March 2021
- An award-winning writer and photographer and a long-time contributor to
Wyoming Wildlife, Lisa Ballard is the mother of one son and three stepchildren, all of
whom are proficient hikers, hunters, anglers and paddlers. She writes extensively about
taking kids outdoors for magazines coast to coast. www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com
http://www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com
March 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2021
Cover
From the Director
In this issue
A couple pennies
Mailbag
Opening shot
News
Ask Game and Fish
Project profiles
Case files
In the field
Tracking the rarest carnivores
Seeking the slam
A family matter
Getting kids outside
Wild country dispatch
Backpage
March 2021 - Cover
March 2021 - From the Director
March 2021 - In this issue
March 2021 - A couple pennies
March 2021 - Mailbag
March 2021 - Opening shot
March 2021 - 7
March 2021 - News
March 2021 - 9
March 2021 - 10
March 2021 - 11
March 2021 - Ask Game and Fish
March 2021 - Project profiles
March 2021 - Case files
March 2021 - 15
March 2021 - In the field
March 2021 - 17
March 2021 - Tracking the rarest carnivores
March 2021 - 19
March 2021 - 20
March 2021 - 21
March 2021 - 22
March 2021 - 23
March 2021 - 24
March 2021 - 25
March 2021 - Seeking the slam
March 2021 - 27
March 2021 - 28
March 2021 - 29
March 2021 - 30
March 2021 - 31
March 2021 - A family matter
March 2021 - 33
March 2021 - 34
March 2021 - 35
March 2021 - 36
March 2021 - 37
March 2021 - Getting kids outside
March 2021 - 39
March 2021 - 40
March 2021 - 41
March 2021 - 42
March 2021 - 43
March 2021 - 44
March 2021 - 45
March 2021 - Wild country dispatch
March 2021 - 47
March 2021 - Backpage
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