Letting our kids participate in messy play outdoors is SO good for them- it lets them have an enhanced sensory experience and paves the way for their creativity. But as easy as it is for kids to get dirty, it's hard for moms to cope with the mess. Being totally okay with kids getting messy outside means that most likely, some of that mess will get … [Read more...]
Schemas of Play In the Great Outdoors
I love to watch my children play. A lot of the time, I don't get on the ground and play with them. There is value in independent play, and there's value in observing our children's play. Children demonstrate natural play schemas (or schemata, to get technical!) through the stuff they find in nature. Schemas of play follow a child's developmental … [Read more...]
Classic Hymns for Nature Study
I'm holding my newborn baby close to me on a Sunday morning. He squirms gently in my arms, ready for sleep, but too enthralled with the world around him to dare shut his eyes. The gentle and familiar tune, All Creatures of Our God and King fills the chapel. This is a song that I've been singing to him the past few weeks when I want to calm him. … [Read more...]
The Indoorsy Mom’s Guide to Getting Outside
When Miss H was a baby, I was what you might call an "indoorsy" mom. We rarely ventured outside together, unless it was for a quick spin around the neighborhood to get some exercise. My husband was concerned. He thought a child, even a very small baby, should be rescued from artificial lighting and recycled air. Thankfully, a lot has changed in the … [Read more...]
How to Start A Family Nature Journal
Over the past year, the time we spend outside has increased, and so has my appreciation of nature. I used to just look- but now I see. I see the different shades on the petal of a flower, and the shapes that compose a tree's sprawling branch. The habit of observation has finally struck me. It fills me with joy to think that it most likely won't … [Read more...]
