A few suggestions for getting outside with kids, with a healthy dose of paranoia.

There’s nothing like enjoying the outdoors with your kids to make you fearful of nature. Here are a few local ways that families can enjoy the experience in a fun (and, of course, safe) manner. Or at least make it back alive, and open to future adventures.

HIKING. An endurance contest with ephemeral rewards.

There are a plethora of local hikes that get kids acquainted with nature, but are still rugged enough to let them know that this isn’t the teen lounge at the library. Point Lobos, Toro Park, Garland Ranch, Fort Ord Dunes are breathtaking and accessible, and still outdoorsy enough – with cliffs, dunes and surf – to be the setting for a Jack London wilderness story. You do not want to re-create a Jack London wilderness story, however. Keep an eye on the little ones. Bring a stroller or wagon for when they get tired of walking; their weight means extra resistance for your own exercise. Everybody wins.

WALKING. Sounds simple, but will the kids buy it?

“Outside” doesn’t only mean the wilds of the woods or an idyllic pasture near a babbling brook. You can take your kids for a walk around the neighborhood. God is in the details. And those details often reveals themselves on a leisurely walk – like the slowly changing colors of the sky at twilight, or the march of ants across the sidewalk, or the anatomy of a brightly colored wildflower. If the kids are not sold on the experience, spice it up by making up stories about your neighbors: “The dog in that house has its own room, with a TV and sofa. I hung out there once.”

KAYAKING. You can’t spell “adventure” without “fear.”

There are two-person kayaks that can seat a child in the middle, but at 3 years old a kid may be ready for their own cockpit (in the front, so you can keep an eye on them) and kid-size paddle. Depart from Lovers Point, Del Monte Beach or Elkhorn Slough, and get close-up views of otters, seals, birds, fish and jellies. (Just try not to think about that viral video of the girl getting snatched into a harbor by a sea lion; it will mess with your mind.) And the best advice about capsizing is something along of the lines of… try not to.

BIKING. Slower than driving, more expensive than walking.

There are bike trailers of varying cost. All of them seemingly designed to put kids to sleep instantaneously, their helmeted heads lolling about, so they’re not even enjoying the ride. There are child bike seats that affix to the front or back of bikes, but they are considered more likely to injure the child in the event of a crash or fall. Kids not quite ready to strike out on their own bike can opt for a tandem attachment, which gives them the feeling of bike riding with less of the freedom. That will cost about $70 to $100, and will last about three rides before they want their own bike. Another user-friendly option worth visiting: surrey bike rentals.

CAMPING. Remind yourself how comfortable civilization is.

Camping is the ultimate outdoor activity, combining the vigor of hiking with the discomfort of bug bites and not sleeping right. It’s an immersion in nature of varying degrees, from 1) commitment-phobic glamping where you may actually bring household furniture like a reading lamp and easy chair, to 2) RV camping next to parks hosting kids birthday parties and campsites of folks momentarily between homes, to 3) so-called “roughing it” wherein a gung-ho parent tries to re-create ancient Spartan coming-of-age rites. Here’s a fun and maybe meaningful game the family can play at night: It’s called “What was that sound?” In the end, you get to go home smelling of dust, sweat and campfire smoke, and bask in the plentiful glow of your open refrigerator.

THE BEACH. It’s free. Sort of.

The beach is why we locals live in a high cost-of-living area unmatched by the prevailing salaries. You gotta take your kids to the beach a few times a year, at least to justify the expense of everything else. They are a scenic and accessible bunch: the windswept Marina Dunes, the white sands of Carmel. For shelter, you can take along a pop-up tent, which starts in the shape of a 2-foot-round disc, and once unfolded, never again assumes that shape. You’ve got to pack in everything and pack it back out again. That means sandwich wrappers and soiled diapers. Bring extra bags for said refuse. Try to avoid spots where runoff from the streets flows to the bay. And watch for surprise waves and rip currents. Otherwise, enjoy.