When I get a spare moment here or there, I've recently started reading Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from Nature Deficit Disorder. While I wouldn't say it's one of those books that just grabs you with its page-turning prose, I appreciate conceptually where he is going with the book. Particularly the idea that kids need to be out in nature just being, and not always engaged in some type of big or structured activity.
In that spirit - when it isn't raining - we've been getting out for some freeform nature exploration. Since Cassidy isn't walking yet and the ground is too soggy for crawling, I'm still the vehicle for Cassidy's nature discovery; but given her adept pointing skills, I usually have a pretty good idea of where she wants to go. The other day when the sun came out we took a slow walk around a few blocks of our neighborhood, looking for interesting bark textures, soft seed pods and smooth leaves. I discovered that English ivy might just serve one useful purpose - entertaining babies. Cassidy wanted to touch the little seed heads again and again.
When it is raining (which it often is these days), we have to forego our nature explorations and find other ways to keep busy at home...
making funny faces
or pensive faces
doing ballet on chairs
reading cards upside down
eating bread in drawers
or bringing nature inside, in the form of our CSA box
When she's outside I feel that she's more peaceful and engaged, but it's fun watching her discover the little things around the house that captivate her interest too.
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