Hiking for the bling - using virtual challenges for fun and learning | oliverandtara.com

Tuesday Tips: We hike for the bling – using virtual races for fun and learning

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Last year, when everything shut down, I signed up for a Disney Virtual Race. I love the Disney Races and have flown to Florida for a few of them in person over the past 4+ years. It seemed like nice motivation to keep active while the world stopped.

Add in a few treatment hiccups and I was not able to run. So, I started upping our hiking game to distances that matched my medals. I brought them along to take a photo of myself when I completed each leg.

The first time I pulled out a medal, Liv’s eyes sparkled and she asked “Did we earn that?!”

Why yes, baby. We did.

We began taking photos with the medals at the end of each hike. And it became our “thing”. They were very disappointed when we ran out of medals and continued to ask when we could do it again.

Clearly, Facebook was listening. Because multiple virtual race challenges began filling my feed. Ha!

After scanning a few The Conqueror came up, and the homeschool mom in me cheered.

Understatement of the year…

Hiking for the bling - using virtual challenges for fun and learning | oliverandtara.com

The Conqueror is a virtual challenge you can walk, run, cycle, row, swim… the goal is to stay active! Each challenge is based on a key location around the world. There are currently 18 different challenges you can pick from including The English Channel, Mount Everest, Inca Trail, and Grand Canyon. Once you sign up for the challenge you hop on to the app.

The app is fantastic, with really fun built in features!

  • SYNCING: It connected to many apps to automatically update your progress or you can manually enter each in
  • TIME: You can set your own timeframe, so no rush!
  • STREET VIEW: along the challenge route lets you “walk” the trail virtually and see amazing sites from around the world.
  • COMMUNITY: When you log-in, you can see how many others are at the same point as you along the virtual route on the map – and there is a great Facebook group too!
  • MAIL: At regular intervals you receive virtual postcards, giving you information about the route and key landmarks you have passed.
  • TREES: The company plants a real tree every time a participant passes 20% increments on their route and you are notified each time

We’ve started off with Everest and are currently less than 8 miles from completion! After every hike we sit down and enter our miles together.

It has been an adventure like none other..

We have landed at the most dangerous airport in the world, crossed rickety rope bridges that sway in the wind, passed beautiful tea houses where hikers stop for refreshments, and walked between beautiful monasteries tucked into the mountainsides.

I thought it would be educational, but I had had no idea how fantastic this experience really would be. It’s become a unit study all on its own! We’ve switched over to Google Maps to explore some of our favorite stops more, like the Hillary Bridge. We’ve researched stops of interest and have a growing bucket list!

As soon as we finish this trail our medal will be mailed to us and we will begin Mount Fuji. Let the learning continue!

Care to join? Click here to sign up, save 10%, and let us know where you are exploring this year!

Know of another great virtual challenge that is also educational? Please let us know!


❤ Tara


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