Invitation to Play

Snow is amazing in that it invites exploration. The first day it snowed T just marched in circles stomping his feet and smiling while the neighbor boy did basically the same, occasionally picking some snow up and throwing it, brushing a tree, shouting out with glee. Sledding downhill got even the slightly timid of snow S to smile hugely. My boys and the neighbor played and played. Then we worked on building snowmen. At almost age 3, Frosty the Snowman has been an important seasonal song and story in our house. The boys were thrilled to build snowmen even though they did notice and comment later that they didn't come alive and play.

A neighbor who was walking by saw my children sledding with their dad and I and said that these will be great memories. I said I wasn't sure if my children will remember the snow. She said, surely they will remember the joy and each time it snows they will be happy. I thought that was a beautiful statement.

It made me appreciate my own comfort and love of snow. It makes it easy to present snow as something wonderful for my own children. However, this reflection also made me wonder how could I inspire some of our friends who may not be so comfortable in snow to get outside with their kids. Today, I followed through on this challenge and knocked on a neighbors' door with an invitation to play. Their child is scared of the snow they said. I think we often fear those things that we have not experienced. In this case both the parents and the child are new to snow. I will knock again, bearing extra warm clothes.

Snow Days!

2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Snow was a natural few days for play, joy and community. Since snow in Seattle disappears quickly our family took advantage of every moment and the boys had a great time.

Then today the snow was back. It is amazing how many more neighbors you see and are able to stop and talk to when people are not in cars. It makes me wonder how can we continue to make our neighborhoods more car free?

How can we foster community the way snow brings people together?

Stop and smell the roses: oh, and don't forget to stop and see the pictures

Yesterday we got off the light rail and had made it almost across the busy street surrounding the light rail train when I heard a disgruntled T. T said " the picture! " we had forgotten to look at the picture of the train and art as we got off. So we went back and this time T noticed that it was just part of the train.

I noticed the great description of why the art is there: It says: "Through exploration we create our worlds. Through community we hold them together." It fit perfectly into my thoughts for a parent discussion that night in how to raise an anti- bias child.

Thank you T for reminding me to slow down.

Just get outside

Today we went to Seward Park for a little nature hike. It was a lovely welcome especially since as we go off the bus the bus driver allowed the boys to pull the "next stop" bell several times each. We were the only ones on the # 39 at that point.

The Audubon Center was hosting craft activities inside to keep people warm and in preparation for the holidays. My boys loved the activity of making a reindeer out of a toilet paper roll. Just as we were finishing at that station the other kids from cooperative preschool and their parents arrived at the center. It looked like it might be a challenge to get everyone hiking. One of the kids was really wanting to go to the playground and not go on a hike and soon S. was ready to go play out on the playgroound too. However, we got everyone to go upstairs and hike out the back door of the center. I had brought a bag of finger puppets and had each child grab one out of a bag: holding a cozy robin, or bear, or wren seemed to help encourage the kids to think that there was a lot to see out in the woods and we started off.

The hike went well although we mostly saw signs of animals and not the animals themselves. When we got tired we did tree bark rubbings and this re-engaged drifters.

I think that creating a habit of hiking is probably what is best for wee ones. Then adults don't need to be so guiding, also kids develop confidence to investigate and scurry about.

We emerged from the woods to sprinkles and then sunshine- yet another reason to just get out of doors.

No stroller : Yet over a mile

Yesterday I realized that my 2 1/2 year old boys and I did our first no stroller, over a mile, walk. Typically I have always brought it as back up, but yesterday the sun was shining and we skipped out the door away from our house. All I know is that we may might be beginning a new era of hands free!

I realize I have not been writing as much lately. Mostly it is because I have been taking early childhood education classes and planning an outdoor preschool. I don't know if it will take off the ground as I do not have a location or a sponsoring organization, but I have a strong vision. Meanwhile, I am leading a nature play day for my cooperative preschool. I realize that I harbor insecurities about having the whole activity be out of door rain or shine. But, I think this fear is my own. Children would do just fine for one morning all out of doors. Secondly, it is my nature that I want to over plan.

Here is my brainstorm of how a rainy day walk in the woods could go with kids who have not spent a lot of time out of doors.

1) First I think I will bring a few puppet animals and ask the kids if they think we might find one of these? Ask them what we might find. I can bring the "inchanimal" sticks and see if we can find something each size.

2). Then we check if we are ready. Do we have on coats, mittens, boots, do we have dry socks, dry pants and a couple of layers? Do adults have: at least one first aid kit, hot cocoa or hot tea? snacks?

3). Then we just start hiking. If we find something interesting we can go look at it.
When we get to my favorite tree we stop and maybe sing a tree song.

The following ideas came from:
http://www.rifamiliesinnature.org/games-for-the-trails/

Games for the Trails

Use games, songs, and activities to keep your kids from getting bored or tired.

Distractions from simply trudging along in the woods will help your kids (and you) stay interested and motivated. Here are some ideas:

• Play “I Spy” or”20 Questions.”
• Sing your favorite songs or make up words about the hike to fit into a familiar tune.
• Count birds, flowers, or clouds.
• Search for anything that is blue (or red or yellow or…).
• Take turns using a camera to document the trip.
• Play the alphabet game: find something on the trail that starts with the letter a, then b, and so on.
• Create your own – or simply use or modify RIFIN’s – hiking scavenger hunt.
• Collect leaves, shells, rocks, or acorns – and then remember to return them before going home.
• Imagine you are living in the forest long, long ago and pretend to hunt or gather food.
• Bring paper and crayons to draw animals, plants, or favorite scenes. Older children might enjoy keeping a “nature journal” of your adventures together.
• Ask simple, open ended questions about objects in nature.
• Work together to make up silly poems or stories.
• Let children create their own games – they will most likely impress you!

Finally, my own mantra needs to be let the children lead! They will do a great job. Then, set this nature experience up as a regular play group time.

Health Care Providers Making the Nature Connection

Currently I am taking an Early Childhood Educational Leadership Class. I am afraid that most of my free moments are spent reading articles on early childhood and doing research in order to plan my dream of creating an urban nature preschool. It is exciting to see that there is so much concern these days about children and nature. There are excellent resources that explain how many personal and-I believe -community illnesses can be prevented. It is exciting to see health care providers making the connection between lack of time in nature and asthma, myopia, obesity and even the mental health of youngsters. It is also exciting to see that there are ways to change this that will be good for individuals and communities. I am hoping my preschool could be a start, but with attention communities can organize to change the landscape of their communities to be healthier, greener, and beneficial for all.

Translucent leaves shining in the sunlight

Today we went on leaf hike. We made tree trunk vests out of paper bags and later did tree rubbings by holding the paper up to trees and running a crayon over it. We may make the tree vests fancier tomorrow by adding roots (strings) to the bottom of the vest and possibly stick xylem and phloem. In any case I was thrilled to have my kids initiate the hike we took today. For a few minutes before the rush hour sounds came back- loud and jolting- all I could hear was their singing and humming as they played with leaves and meandered along the trail of our local urban forest.