Nielsen's Grove Park

My friend organized a "park group" for the neighborhood moms.

Each week we go to a different park.

This particular one was amazing.

Nielsens Grove Park

Lots of room to run around,

a big playground area,

a pond with ducks and fish,

fountains to play in,

big flower displays,

etc., etc.

Cannon loved the pond...

Especially being able to watch the fish.

Lincoln preferred the fountain.

Did I mention the fact that it is the size of a small kid pool?

With knee deep water and rubber on the bottom so kids don't slip?

And a plaque that specifically states that this fountain isn't for swimming...

but as you can see it is VERY ignored.

They have a HUGE grass field that runs through the middle of the park.

Which, by the way, it mostly fenced in.

Your kids could run for a while without getting lost.

My boys loved it!

This park seriously has it all.

If you've never been, you've got to go check it out.

Here's how to get there:

- From I15: Get off on University Parkway (UVU exit) and head east

- Turn right onto Sandhill Road (just before Walmart)

- Turn left onto 1840 South

That should take you to the parking lot.

Have fun!

Hiking Dry Canyon

Tate and I both love hiking.

We thought it would be good for Cannon, too.

Anything with uneven terrain is good practice for stretching your feet.

Our boys pretty much love anything that consists of them being outside.

We took them to Dry Canyon the other day... they loved it!

For those of you who have never been, there is a map at the bottom of the trail (you will not get lost!)

It starts out with some 'stairs';

(you can see them at the base of the sandy looking hill on the left).

The trail is very wide and family friendly.

Your kids should have no problem navigating their own way up.

There are some parts with a slight drop off, so you will have to supervise.

Cannon liked trying to throw rocks into the river below.

This trail wraps all the way around to Baldy and connects to the Battlecreek and Grovecreek Canyon trails.

You will obviously not go that far, but you need to at least get up to the rock steps...

That is where the view starts to get good

(not that this picture does any justice).

If you are not afraid of heights (or your kids are older), you can take them up to the cliffs.  There will be a trail that switches back up ahead on your left.

It is an excellent view, but VERY DANGEROUS for younger kids, so be mindful of that.

But don't let that scare you... there is plenty of trial for them to run around safely at the bottom.

So, want to go?

Here are the directions:

From State Street in Orem, take 200 S. (heading East), towards the Mountains.

(200 S. is the next light north of 1600 North)

Follow that road all the way up to the top.

The main road will wrap around to the right and turn into Skyline Drive.

You will want to turn left just before the main road curves to the right (sorry, don't know the street name).

Follow that road and it will take you directly to the trailhead parking lot (the road will turn to gravel just before you get there).

Have fun!

Highland Splash Pad

I have no idea what the actual name of this park is, but we went there the other day and my kids had a blast!

Okay, well Lincoln had a blast.  Cannon preferred to sit in his stoller, but he is a bit of a freak when it comes to water.

I didn't do a great job of taking pictures of the actual park, but hopefully you'll get the idea...

Aside from this area (which as you can tell Lincoln didn't stray far from), there is a man made "river" that your kids can walk around and play in.  This seemed to be popular for the older kids.  Sorry, no picture.

The entire area is pretty small (remember its a park, not a swimming pool), but there is plenty of room to run around.

We'll definitely be going back.

The one down side... there were a lot of people.

Still worth trying out, though.

Want to go?

The park is located just south of Kohlers in Highland (just west of the UCCU).

Here are directions:

(Starting on State Street in Pleasant Grove, heading towards American Fork)

• Start on State Rd/US (State Street)
• Turn right at N 100 E/UT (The AF tabernacle will be on your left)
• Continue to follow UT-74 (Highland Highway)
• Turn left at W 10700 N0 (right before the UCCU)
• Turn right at N 5400 W

Horseback Riding at Courage Reins

Every friday my boys get to go horseback riding!

(another wonderful perk from being involved with kids on the move)

This takes place at

 Courage Reins Therapeutic Riding Center.

 (more info on that later...)

It is a great opportunity for them to branch out and try something new.

And it's really fun as a parent to watch!

Lincoln was lucky enough to get into the program (thanks, Marsha!), even though he doesn't deserve it. He is still very unsure about the whole thing...

The instructor took a special interest in Cannon.

He LOVES horses... until he see's them up close and personal.

It took him a few weeks to work up the courage to touch one.

Each week they had him try something 'harder' than the week before.

After about a month he actually asked if he could "sit on the horse".

(Did I mention that the staff is totally awesome?  And that they really know how to work with kids?)

They work a lot on the individual needs of the children riding.

Lincoln works specifically on "stop" and "go", since he is working on speech.

Cannon worked up to eventually holding the reins all by himself.

And if you haven't noticed they are really good about safety.

Helmets are a must.

(This is probably the funniest picture of Lincoln ever taken).  Makes me laugh out loud every time...

After a while he got used to it.

They also always have at least 3 people with the riders at all times; one leading the horse, and one on both sides.

Depending on the day they get to ride for 10-20 minutes (which is a long time for a toddler).

After each session my kiddo's like to walk around and say goodbye to the other horses.

I still don't think Lincoln cares much for it, but Cannon gets really excited when it is 'horse day'.

So... want to take your kids?

They wouldn't be in the same program (obviously), but Courage Reigns offers a lot of options.

Here is some information taken from their website:

Therapeutic horseback riding differs from traditional therapy in the sense that it offers physical activity combined with the development of a skill. With this skill the students can:

• share their talent with family and friends
• experience the excitement and fun of competition
• enjoy the learning process
• build self-confidence
• improve concentration and attention span
• learn memory and sequencing abilities
• progress in speech
• gain social skills

Riding therapy involves living, breathing animals. So students enjoy the well-documented benefits of pet therapy, including improved socialization, increased compassion and responsibility, and better communication. Each hard-working therapy horse is carefully selected for the individual rider.

Riding is dynamic. The three-dimensional movement of the horse helps to:

• improve posture and balance
• improve spatial orientation and body awareness
• increase circulation
• relax rigid muscles
• stimulate natural hip movement and development in the non-ambulatory
• tone and strengthen muscles
• improve coordination
• improve fine and gross motor skills

 

Riding Lesson for the Non-disabled Rider

The sessions are 60 minutes in duration and will generally include up to fifteen minutes of assisting with caring for or tacking their horse. Sessions are available in both English and Western styles of riding.

 

Group Riding Activity or Event

Horses are rented by the hour along with an instructor at a ratio of no more than 4:1.

The horses are available for on-site riding only. We do have almost 12 acres in large pastures and can sometimes offer a field riding experience after assessing the abilities of each rider. Group riding is great for birthday parties or other special events.

This particular option has been popular with many groups including the Alpine School District Special Needs Program, the Utah School for the Deaf & Blind, the Center for Change and the Alpine Transition & Employment Center, to name a few.

Contact Information:

We would ask that visits to Courage Reins be made by appointment only. Once we get into the lesson schedule things are very busy. By making an appointment we can make sure someone is on hand to give you a tour, ensure your safety and respond immediately to any questions you might have.

 

Barn Office

801-756-8900

Tuesday – Friday 9pm – 5pm

Saturday 9am – 5 pm

(there is an voice messaging system to pick up calls whenever we are not in the office)

Physical Address

5879 W 10400 N

Highland, UT 84003

Grove Creek River Fun

Does your family like to hike?

We are big outdoor fans, so

we love taking our boys out and about in the foothills whenever we get the chance.

There are lots of trails around here that are perfectly reasonable for a 4 and 2 year old to go on (I'll have to get to those later).

There are also a lot of places/trails that include water!

We just went and explored the river at the base of Grove Creek Canyon in Pleasant Grove.

The boys loved it!

Just below the parking lot the river runs out of the canyon and forks into two walkable paths.

With lots of room for exploring...

And plenty of places to splash,

Or take a cookie break,

Or to run and throw rocks...

And everything else two little boys would love to do.

They had a blast, and were sad to leave after an hour and a half.

We will be going back, for sure.

So...

want to take your kids?

If they love to explore and love getting wet,

this is the perfect place!

The water is pretty shallow (there are places that can get up to their waists, but they are easy to avoid), so no worries about that!

Just be sure to bring some good shoes.

And maybe some chairs for you.

Here's How to get there:

From State Street in Orem:

Head south on state street (toward pleasant grove)

Turn right just after "The Purple Turtle" restaurant on 100 East.

Continue on that road, until you take a right onto Grove Creek Drive (a cemetary will be on the left side).

Follow that road all the way up to the base of the canyon and you'll run into a parking lot.

There is a trail just west of the outhouse that will lead you down to the river.

You can follow the water up or down (it will fork off in a new direction if you go up).

Have fun!