Naturally Wild

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.