Hiking has always has always been one of my first loves. Before I had kids, I always told my husband that I wanted my kids to love and appreciate hiking and the outdoors as much as I do.

It’s never too early to start hiking and exposing your children to nature, but sometimes it can be a challenge to hike with a toddler. Adventures with Toddlers is a program that focuses on hiking “toddler style.” This program explores some of our local beaches, lakes, and creeks through short nature walks, where stopping to look at things like ladybugs and any other creepy-crawlies is encouraged. Social interaction and making friends is also part of the program. Adventures with Toddlers is led by Lonnie Greenfied, who was trained at Audubon Canyon Ranch as a nature guide, and Donna Simonsen, who has led numerous hikes with Adventures for Women. These classes are for children 18 months to 5 years. You need to bring a picnic lunch and one parent. You can sign up for this class by contacting your local recreation department or by calling 707.933.8882. The classes are $90-$115 per child accompanied by one parent.

I'm always on the search for kids' music that's more than your average Raffi-Barney-Wiggles stuff, so when I stumbled across the Wee Hairy Beasties on iTunes I was pretty excited. So were the kids, too, when they heard the music! Wee Hairy Beasties is a product of former Mekons punkers and subsequent alt-country gurus Sally Timms and Jon Langford, so they've got plenty of "coolness" credibility for parents who need that kind of thing.

When the rain stops and you simply have to get out of the house and back to nature, head to Pierce Point Ranch on the Pt. Reyes peninsula for a perfect day outing. At the north end of Pt. Reyes, Pierce Point Ranch dates back to 1858 and was at one time a successful dairy ranch. It's been preserved by the park service, and it's a great place to take the kids to see some wildlife and learn about ranching life in the old days.

Those looking for more to do can head out on nearby Tomales Point Trail, which affords breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and Tomales Bay as seen in the picture above. It's about 9 miles round trip to Tomales Point, so it's probably not suitable for little kids. Also nearby is McClure's Beach, located at the end of a short trail.

You'll see a variety of wildlife out there, including tule elk (there's a large herd that lives out there), as well as bobcats, hawks, deer, and more.

It's so refreshing to find some kids' music that doesn't make you want to run screaming from the room. Thanks to The Poop parenting blog on SFGate.com for pointing out Frances England and her album "Fascinating Creatures". An indie- and folk-inspired take on music for children, it's a lot of fun. Plus, she's a mom herself! You can buy Fascinating Creatures on iTunes.