One of our favorite family activities is geocaching. My husband and I started geocaching long before we had kids - the modern-day treasure hunt was a perfect excuse to get out and discover new trails and parks in our own backyard that we didn't know existed.

Now that we have kids, they absolutely love searching for and finding geocaches, and barely notice the exercise they are getting in the process.

What is geocaching?

Someone hides a geocache somewhere (typically on a trail or in the woods) and using a GPS notes the coordinates of the geocache location. That person then logs the geocache coordinates and info on www.geocaching.com for others to look up and find. A geocache is something like an ammo box or a waterproof container. The owner can put whatever he/she wants in it, but we typically find a log to sign and random trinkets. You can take something from the box as long as you replace it with something of equal or greater value. Watch this video and visit www.geocaching.com for more info.

If you are looking for a new, fun family activity, definitely give it a try!

Here is my daughter Mia navigating with the gps on my husband's phone:

And the kids finding and pulling out the geocache.

Winter weather in the Pacific Northwest can get you down for sure. We spent all day yesterday with the kids cooped up in the house, trying to figure out what to do. They were bored and let their energy out by fighting with each other. This made us realize once again that our kids really need a good amount of daily exercise, and we decided that no matter what the weather, we were going to go on a hike today.

It was pouring when we woke up, but we were determined to go on our hike. We prepared with rain jackets and hiking shoes and hit the trails. The rain was really warm and refreshing, and the kids loved having permission to get soaked and muddy. It felt so nice to get some fresh air and exercise, and the pace that the kids kept reminded us again how much it was needed.

We hiked one of our favorite trails in Corvallis - the Homestead Trail loop from the Oak Creek parking lot of the McDonald Forest. It's about 1.5 miles of relatively flat terrain (I truly believe my kids end up doing an extra mile with all the zig-zagging and back tracking they do, though), and ends with a bridge perfect for throwing Pooh sticks.

Here they are, soaking wet and having a blast:

If the winter weather has you and your kids down, make the extra effort to get out and get some exercise. What is your family's favorite way to get exercise in the winter?