I know it’s likely due to the fact I am a new mum, but I can’t help being amazed at the sheer number of articles out there preaching the benefits of good ole time in nature for our kids.

I couldn’t agree more.

For me, growing up on a rural property meant a full slather of nature at my door step – a duck pond complete with ducks and better yet, tadpoles to catch, a bubbling brook to sit by and ponder life,  a swamp to sink my feet into, and best of all, a forest filled with trees beckoning to be climbed and explored. There were days where my sister and I would literally be outdoors for the entire day, lost in our imaginative games, only resurfacing when our mum called out to us to come in for meals.

These experiences in nature molded me into who I am today and I so wish to create the same for my own daughter. We might not be living on a rural property (yet) but I have discovered how easy it is to make nature available through daily walks in nature reserves nearby where we pat trees, collect leaves and marvel at butterflies and ants, and playing in our back yard in the grass and getting her involved in our veggie garden and worm farm.

It’s all little stuff but it makes a huge difference in the lives of our children. They’ll get screen time as they grow up, I know I can’t hide my daughter from it, but I know that I also want her exposed to real life experiences in nature.

Speaking of which, we’re taking her for her first camping trip in a few week’s time. Stay posted for the after-camping update.

🙂

Read more here on the magic of outdoor kindergartens:

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/let-em-out-the-many-benefits-of-outdoor-play-in-kindergarten/