Greenville Zoo Nature Play had a wonderful outing this past weekend with the family nature club! We met up at Paris Mountain state Park and just took some time out of our busy schedules to be together in nature. Old friends met up and new friends were made. After we explored the mile long trail and watched the younger club members test the shores of the lake, we hopped into paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks. What fun!  I had the pleasure of kayaking with one of our teen members and she made a comment that stuck with me. She said that she felt peaceful out in nature and that whenever she went into the woods or forest, she felt like she was going on an adventure. I thought that this was a profound feeling for a thirteen year old to have. She was able to transport into a different world. She said her uncle’s house became a place of adventures because it was in the middle of nowhere.

When was the last time that you had an adventure? Adventures are easy to have when your imagination will let you. It seems that children are more open to adventure than the foggier minds of adults. Take to the woods and watch your child’s world unfold. Do they talk to the trees as if they are old friends? To grownups, the woods may only be found in large clumps of forested land, but to a child, the woods can be just past the porch. Perhaps those woods are in the fort under the bed? Let your child find their special place to have an adventure.

I would encourage parents to read David Sobel’s book, Children's Special Places: Exploring the Role of Forts, Dens, and Bush Houses in Middle Childhood. It can be very eye opening to just how important adventures are in your child’s life.

The zoo had a powerful storm come through this weekend that caused a lengthy power outage, but no real damage. Out of the thousands of trees that call the zoo home, only one succumbed to the storm. Wind is a truly awesome element. It can be gentle enough to tickle the skin and yet fierce enough to level buildings.

Teaching our children how to appreciate the elements is an important step in their development as a young child. Knowing about the components of their natural world can help them to connect to it and aid in fostering a connection to nature. As children become more aware of their world they begin to put pieces together. Help them to explore the wind. How does wind plant new flowers? Is it strong enough to move ships? Can the wind build up structures as well as it can break them down?

Try some of these activities as you embrace the wind!

Let’s go fly a kite!  All it takes is a few materials and a sunny day.  From Make and Takes blog by Sara of Creative Jewish Mom.

Sweet Music! See how this mom made wind chimes with her toddler to create beautiful music with the wind. From Lovin’ Our Chaos blog by Abigail Peterson.

Sail Away! Using only paper, you can create a sail boat. Try out various objects to test their buoyancy. Is your own breath a strong enough wind to push them across the bathtub?

Back to the Grindstone

I’m back! 

Do you ever realize how time just gets away from us? We never mean to take time for granted, but it starts off with an innocent “Oh, I’ll get to that tomorrow.” Then, before you know it the whole summer has gone by and you didn’t even stop to catch a firefly. When was it that we, as adults, lost the desire to make time to play? When did we stop being care free? A care free summer is one of the most splendid benefits of being a child! Free play in the summer gave me some of my most memorable moments: running around making forts, wading in the creek, or staying out until the street lights came on. Free play helps to increase problem solving, confidence, imagination, and language skills just to list a few. Now that school has geared up, don’t be afraid to let your little ones take time to play! Children need to be children. It seems today, that their every minute is scheduled for them. Parents somehow think that their children must constantly be engaged in some group activity or they will never get into that Ivy League college or perfect charter school. But the ironic thing about it is that, when children go off on their own, they don’t know how to be on their own!

Studies have shown that taking time to play outdoors before completing homework decreases stress and increases concentration. I know that we all have a hundred different items on the to-do list but don’t forget that time is the most precious commodity. Allow your child to soak up time outside simply being a kid. Your children will never get to be children again! Soccer practice or the swim team trials are great ways to meet friends and to stay physically active, but there is something about having free time that teaches children about independence, and other skills that no study group can teach them.

There is a way to put school and homework first while still embracing the outdoors.   Check out this simple way to make a teepee! Teepees can serve as a special place for your child where they can even have a homework hotspot outside. It is super easy to make, only $20.00 and a weekend will make your child’s dream a reality!

Learn how here:

http://www.fawnoverbaby.com/2013/07/diy-no-sew-teepee.html

Check out these articles to inspire your little Einstein’s natural play!

http://www.portlandfamily.com/posts/20-reasons-why-playing-outdoors-makes-children-smarter/

http://www.nwf.org/What-We-Do/Kids-and-Nature/Why-Get-Kids-Outside/Health-Benefits.aspx

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_25181071/does-outdoor-play-make-kids-smarter