Poetry About the Outdoors

Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, Henry David Thoreau and so many other poets over the years have been inspired to put pen to paper and write about nature.  To wrap up National Poetry Month, here's our attempt to express our love for the great outdoors.  :)  The photo is of beautiful Roxborough State Park in Littleton, CO.

#outdoors #haiku #NationalPoetryMonth: Deep breath in and out/ Outdoors, peace overcomes me/ Feel freedom at last pic.twitter.com/xdG4nsNUXD
— Sun Company (@SunCo_Outdoors) April 29, 2015

Get outside and appreciate nature with our fun products!

Where to Learn about Dinosaurs in Colorado

Dinosaurs are probably the coolest creature to have ever roamed the Earth.  At Sun Company, we’ll always have a place in our heart for dinosaurs – whether it’s a T-rex, Triceratops, Allosaurus, or Velociraptor, we love them all!  

We sell a few different products for our dinosaur fans.  One of them is our extremely popular DinoBryte™ headlamp (equipped with roaring sound!), which was featured in Real Simple magazine and on MSN Living’s website. We also have some smaller T-rex and Allosaurus keychain flashlights. 

We also have the luxury of living and working in beautiful Colorado, home to some excellent dinosaur exploration spots!  In honor of Jurassic World coming out on June 12, here are a few great places to learn about dinosaurs.

1.     Dinosaur Ridge  Located in Morrison, CO, home of Red Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge has a visitor center with a gift shop, as well as two trails where you can view Dinosaur footprints: Dinosaur Ridge Trail and Triceratops Trail. They also offer guided tours and simulated dinosaur digs! 
2.    Dinosaur Journey Museum This is part of the Museum of Western Colorado, located in Fruita.  Here, you will learn about dinosaurs’ place in Colorado’s history through an interactive exhibit.  They even have real bones of Allosaurus! 
3. Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center Another museum to explore and learn about dinosaurs.  There are fossils and skeletons on display, an interactive children’s area and movies.
4.  Denver Museum of Nature and Science  Located by Denver’s City Park, this museum’s dinosaur exhibit is included in the cost of admission.  Better yet, go on one of their free days and don’t spend any money at all. 
5. Dinosaur National Monument  This is actually located on the Colorado/Utah border, but you must venture into Utah to see dinosaur fossils (they even one of our beloved Allosaurus!).  The Colorado side has scenic drives and camping.

Are there any cool dinosaur spots in your state? Let us know in the comments!

9 Uses For Our Animal Flashlights

Our Lifelights and Wildlights are wildly  popular with kids and adults alike!  But they're not just a fun toy; there are also many creative uses for these critter flashlights.  We have some suggestions but use your imagination!

1.  Are you a doctor's office a children's hospital, a paramedic, a pediatrician or an ENT? Do you need to examine scared or anxious children?  Clip a T-rex carabiner flashlight around a lanyard and use it to examine the kiddo's ears, nose and throat.  What kid doesn't like dinosaurs?  And, who knows, they just might look forward to their next visit.  (Or if you're really feeling wild, and want to make them laugh, you could always try one of our Dinosaur headlamps!    

 

2  Lose something in your bag?  It's okay, it happens to the best of us!  Clip one of our Lifelights or Wildlights onto your key chain so you have instant light in a pinch.  (Sorry but we can't help you if you lose your keys... yet!)

3. Sunrise hike? Or how about a sunset hike?  Either way, you're going to be trekking through the dark.  You can wear your grown-up headlamp, but make sure to give your kids some animal flashlights to provide light and courage!

4.  Whether it's an impromptu blanket fort, camping in your backyard, or actual camping in the wilderness, you need a light source.  Whip out one of our animal key chains and tell a ghost story! Or just a bedtime story.  (Check out Real Simple for some great blanket fort ideas!  By the way, our Dino headlamps have been featured in that fabulous magazine!)

5.  Play some flashlight games.  Games are fun for both kids and adults and will keep kids entertained for hours. 

6.  Give some animal flashlights to your kids if you lose power during a summer storm.  It's a lot less scary in the dark when you have your beloved golden retriever (flashlight) with you.  Bonus: this dog doesn't get scared of thunder!

7.  Keep one on your bedside table and use it to guide you to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Much less intrusive than those pesky nightlights that stay on all the time.

8.  Is your kid like your shadow, following you around when you're trying to repair your car or look at the plumbing under the sink?  Put them to work and have them light the area up with a Lifelight or Wildlight.  As Mary Poppins famously said, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, then, SNAP! The job's a game!"

9.  Going on a trip to Cave of the Winds or any other cave tours in Colorado?  If you're not, you should!  And you should absolutely get your kids some allosaurus flashlights ... because what's cooler than dinosaurs AND caves?

If you don't already have these, you can buy them through retailers like REI, EMS, or LL Bean. If you don't have a retailer near you, you can always purchase them directly through our website.

Do you have any creative ideas for using our animal flashlights?  Let us know in the comments!