"Outside! Outside!"

"Outside! Go outside!" said Theo after he had his snack.

The words rang joyfully in grandpa's ears. He commented that going outside is "what we used to always do as kids but it seems these days more and more children would rather watch tv or play with toys inside."

I feel blessed that something our modern family has done has meant that the boys love to be outside. In fact most days I would guess that we spend more time outside than inside. Perhaps it is the blessing of having a small house. Or perhaps it is because we try to greet each day looking out the window or standing on the porch watching the sun come up and each night we scan the sky for the state of the moon.


In searching for how other families have raised kids who love the outdoors I found the Happytrails Family Nature Club that meets in various parks in the Twin Cities. The author has tips on how to connect kids with nature. I think he has done a great job of listing ways to encourage nature loving kids. One of the phrases that he uses and that I have often felt is that by spending time together out of doors and especially in natural settings you are "making memories."