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Let’s head outside…

It’s raining here and the seasonal transition from the warmth of Summer to the windy, cool air of Fall, has started.

My son caught a falling leaf yesterday which marks for him the  season of his birthday.

Yet, there’s still time to play at the beach, feel the warmth of the sun (it’s one of the best kept secrets about RI- the beaches are best here in September!- shhhh), and last week I went with my son and we made up a new game for playing in the sand called:

Rock Memory- and here’s how to play it.

1) collect some rocks.

2) dig holes in the sand and hide them.

3) try to remember where you hid them and find them!

For an almost four year old this was the “funnest game ever”.

What are your favorite sand games?

** That’s captain Shannon driving the boat!

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Last week I officially decided to really enroll my son in preschool for the upcoming year. He’s almost 4 and has been home with me since he was born.

As I considered the different types of school in our area and what would be best suited for him, and me, I was faced with really delving into my beliefs about education.

See, I like that my son doesn’t know how to write his name; that he’s more interested in building with blocks or running in the forest then learning to read; I like that he can play by himself with a few trucks or trains and be completely content for hours. I wanted to find an environment that would nurture this, rather than just academics.

I was delighted when his future teacher asked me “if I minded that they took a walk to ‘grandfather’ tree each morning”. She cautioned me that the teachers don’t spray the kids with bug spray, if that’s important to me I need to do it before hand.

We discussed the need to limit TV exposure so that my son would have the sounds of nature reverberating through him rather than the jingles of commercials.

Sound like paradise?

When I walk outside with my almost 4 year old and he can name the trees “that’s an oak tree mama!” and the flowers, “aren’t these beautiful tulips, mama” I feel so excited that he loves the natural world like I do. That he distinguishes our chickens by bread: maran, orphington, americana, or RI red and knows the various colorings. He strongly believes that his special chicken {the americana} lays green eggs just for him.

He tells me “I want cow milk” because he knows that milk comes from cows.

He like swiss chard, when I bring it in from the garden he identifies it as “his chard”.

Nature is delicately interwoven into his identity… and I know that Mother Earth will always be important to him, because he feels so close to it.

He’ll learn his letters and numbers and will {hopefully} decide that going to college is important to him in 14 years… maybe he’ll even follow in my foot steps and study the Earth, but in any case what’s important is right now… he feels connected to the greater world, to something bigger than himself. He cares about this world.

A couple weeks ago we were in town walking down the road and he saw some garbage in the bushes. He asked that we go and get some garbage bags so we could clean up the street and then that’s what we did. We picked up cans and wrappers, old drinks and bottles.

That showed me he was ready to go out into the world. He’s already thinking about how to make it a cleaner and more beautiful place … for all.

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Gearing up for a summer weekend? Here are a few ideas for family activities that are fun, healthy, and interesting!

1) Fly a kite! Every time we drive by a flying flag my son says,” Today is a good day to fly a kite!” Although kite flying is a bit of an art, just head your kite into the wind and it will take off! Advanced kite fliers can do tricks, or keep the kite flying for a long time…. but for some kids, the fun is in the take-off, so “failure” leads to great fun and success!

2) Explore tide pools. Bring a bucket and a net, then head out to the coast, turn over rocks looking for crabs, barnacles, feeder fish, snails and other little critters. Wear a hat, bring some pb&j, and make it a family outing! If you want, pick up a field guide and identify all the critters (unless you already know them!)

3) Pick wild flowers.The fields, hills and valley are full of beautiful flowers; spend half a day outside exploring the various types of flowers that grow in different habitats. Bring some home to adorn a nature table or the dinning room table… just keep in mind that these flowers are part of the eco-system and birds, butterflies and bugs rely on them for food and shelter, so always leave at least half the flowers for our animal friends.

4) Follow your nose. Leave a “plan” at home, head out the back (or front) door and off into your neighborhood, community, woods, fields, where ever is around your living area… regardless of an urban, rural or suburban setting… the trick is… leave the car home and just explore. In the city, look for plants growing up between the concrete imaging how much that plant wanted to live in order to grow from a crack in the pavement!

5) Kayak or Canoe. A little expensive if you’ve got a budget, but small boats can be rented or maybe borrowed from a friend- small children can ride in adults laps; nooks and crannies, usually inaccessible by foot or large watercraft, can be discovered and explored. Always wear a life jacket and bring some extra water!

Always remember safety and FUN are the most important ingredients to a great day with kids!

What are your favorite summer activities?

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As a child I spend most daylight hours outside, building forts, digging in the mud or dirt, helping in the garden, playing in our awesome tree house, riding a mountain bike, rolling down hills.

We played “we’re going on a bear (lion, tiger) hunt” everywhere we went.

Now, as an adult, I still turn to these engaging and freeing activities when life is just plain overwhelming. But now, it’s at the beckoning of the children.

That’s why the children and nature movement is so important to me.

Just across the swamp the neighborhood is full of kids, some late summer nights I can hear their noises after dark and Ienjoy hearing their laughter and knowing they are kids being kids.

So moms and dads, caregivers, teachers… lets reach out, take a child by the hand and go explore the forests, rivers, ponds, oceans, mountains, valleys…. or perhaps the best place to investigate is right outside our front or back door.

Share your findings with me! ~ The Backyard Mama

Picture Credit: That’s me as a tiny tyke climbing in Mesa Verde- my parents surely took me by the hand!

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(Video clip of Storytime Yoga)

I am offering classes for children 3-5 and 5-7 at All That Matter’s in Wakefield, RI starting September. Come over and loosen up! Or email me with yoga in the subject line and I can send you a complete listing my yoga classes.

On Saturday I attended a wonderful yoga class in a South Kingstown playground… the setting was awesome. Warming up on the dew covered grass was soothing and cooling to my body then, the sun rose above the pine trees just in time for us to offer Sun Salutations of gratitude. Our bodies warmed from the external heat from the sun and the internal heat of giving time for our inner light to shine.

Family Yoga is a wonderful option for a delightful outdoor activity.

Enjoy! ~ The Backyard Mama

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10.  Dive in the water… any water… play in the hose…. in a kiddy pool…

9. Clear out your freezer. Wet your clothes, put them into the freezer- when frozen- get dressed!

8. Lay in a pool of ice.

7. Go for a run… it’s sure to cool you off when you get back.

6. Run around naked with a wet rag on your head.

5. Sit in front of a fan with a wet towel around you.

4. Go shopping in the frozen section of the grocery store.

3. Head out in an air conditioned car and get some ice cream.

2. Enjoy it! This too shall pass. Watch the birds they’re playing in the water!

1. I’m remembering the fun I had making this snow angel… and am cooling right off!

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Today I honor my mother for it’s her birthday and she has spent a lifetime planting seeds of encouragement, faith, joy, wonder, peas, carrots, broccoli and more… so:

Happy Birthday Mom!

It doesn’t surprise me that her birthday is right after the Great Backyard Campout…. she is a top of the line “nature nut”.

Today we removed some of our “old” peas- the ones that have turned yellow and wilted- and we’re ready to plant more beans!

Here’s our garden last week:

The flowers are stunning! 

The lavender is in full bloom and smells wonderful!

 Butterfly weed- a butterfly attractor that has such a wonderful orange color!

Echinacea, a beautiful medicinal herb and delightful flower for any backyard garden!

Gardening with kids is a great way to teach colors, textures, shapes, responsibility, and even some physics.

Here’s our cucumber tipi we’ll see if it’s strong enough for all these cukes!

Gardening isn’t just about results.

It’s about spending time outside, sharing food, getting excited about the colors, shapes, and sizes of the seeds, being careful and caring and remembering to water the seeds so they will grow.

There’s an African proverb:

If you can talk you can sing and if you can walk you can dance.

I believe, if you can eat you can grow food.

Head out today and plant some beans or chard or kale. Then get a bucket or a watering can or an old milk jug and show your child any age, how to water those seeds-  have faith and trust and encouragement- and let that child and those seeds GROW.

Good luck and let me know how your garden’s going! ~ The Backyard Mama

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My son likes to climb trees and I encourage it.

As he climbs, he is using his whole body: hand- eye coordination, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, both the left and right side of his body are engaged, activating both hemisphere’s of the brain, he enjoys it, is challenged, and the work increases his strength.

He’s totally focused.

Nature play is a whole body learning activity…. and engages children in all learning areas.

Have you played outside today?

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I am excited to have you back for another children and nature blog carnival.

The rules:

1) The carnival is open to all outdoor enthusiasts.

The topic with change weekly but the theme of connecting children (and adults) to nature will remain constant.

2) I will announce the topic each Wednesday for the following weeks.

3) Write your post at your convenience.

Each Wednesday come over and enter your permalink through McLinky. Please include blurb at the end of your post such as “this post is part of the Backyard Mama Children and Nature blog carnival” and link back to me.

And do take the time to read other posts!

Mcklinky closes at 11:59pm May 6th, 2010.

I wrote this post as my contribution to the Steady Mom 30 minute blog challenge this week. Stop over and check out all the great posts there! (Post written in just barely 30 minutes!)

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I turn 33 today.

I was born to two phenomenal people who lived in the Renaissance Community, a hippy commune in Western Massachusetts.  I made my grand entry into the world at 5:35 am and when my parents brought me home from the hospital, their friends had filled the room with lilacs. That’s still my favorite smell.

Growing up we moved a lot- to Rhode Island, Chicago, Michigan, and New York, but we always planted a garden and spent our free time playing outside.

My parents tell stories of our our outdoor adventures when I was little, and I remember camping trips, hikes, nature walks, backyard play, gardening, kayaking, canoeing… all sorts of fun.

I went to Waldorf School, spurred by my parents love of nature and keeping us close to the earth and experiencing the changing seasons.

It’s not surprising that I have decided to commit my life to spreading the word about the importance of nature play.

I am so grateful for my life… for my family… for all the life that continues to sustain me.

Here are 11 things I want to do today on my birthday:

1. call my parents and say thank you!
2. run barefoot in the grass.
3. smell the lilacs.
4. practice yoga.
5. laugh with children.
6. drink a latte.
7. snuggle with my son.
8. pray.
9. listen to the wind.
10.  feel the sun.
11.  plant.

Here are 11 things I want to do this year:

1. grow a large garden and give food away.
2. start a business.
3. get my community excited about nature play.
4. encourage more unstructured play.
5. visit New Mexico.
6. go on an overnight backpacking trip.
7. sleep outside under the stars.
8. find treasures in the forest.
9. read books.
10.  teach yoga.
11.  grow.

And 11 things I want to do in this lifetime:

1. go to Australia (again).
2. deliver a baby.
3. hike (part of) the Appalachian trail.
4. live off the grid for an extended time.
5. be self-sufficient.
6. write at least one book.
7. learn to ride a horse.
8. travel.
9. always serve the highest good.
10.  spend time everyday with children.
11.  blossom.

And I’m off to reflect on what I’ve learned this year… and then snuggle on the couch with a book and some hot cocoa.

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Rainbows occur when sunlight bounces off water- it’s a dance of water fairies and sun (fire) fairies. (Highly technical here!)

The sun rays (light) split as they enter the water and are refracted creating all the colors of the rainbow.

On Earth Day, we were blessed with perfect weather all day and then an evening rain storm just as the sun was setting.

We snuck out for a pizza dinner at our favorite local dive and on our way home we saw a full arching rainbow.

And this one was REALLY special because it was Jeremiah’s first memorable rainbow and I want to share it with you.

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