Outdoorsy

I love the fact that my girls are the outdoorsy type. I fully believe kids learn these type of things from their parents examples. My husband and I have always enjoyed outdoor activities - skiing, hiking, biking, camping, swimming, etc. So it's no surprise that our daughters love those things too. They've known nothing different since they were born. At 4 months old we brought our youngest along with us to the beach, at 2 months old, we brought our oldest on some hikes in the mountains in NH. It's just a natural thing - having kids didn't change the things we enjoyed, it just changed the way we did them.

Anyway, back to the girls. Now that spring is upon us it's hard to keep them inside! They are constantly asking me to go out and play outdoors. It's absolutely wonderful! It's the only thing that would make me want to move south - to avoid the long, cold winters stuck indoors!

Here are some of their latest outdoor adventures...

At a local library we spotted this cool little pond and bridge - who could resist stopping for some pictures {and the girls were searching for frogs!}

On a lovely day trip to Newport, RI - we walked the Cliff walk and enjoyed this lush lawn overlooking the ocean.

By the garage door the girls have a whole assortment of nature-y stuff. A couple planted flowers they chose at Home Depot, some rocks and shells, a jar with caterpillars in it, and a couple habitats for frogs, bugs or whatever else they find!

Caterpillars ....

Frogs? Toads? I never know the difference ... but the girls just loooove collecting them!

They caught a beautiful butterfly the other day! They kept it in the habitat to observe it for a few hours and then released it again.

Our yard has woods behind it and lately the girls want to play in the woods every day! They have cleared a couple little spots that they call their hide-outs and love playing back there with rocks, sticks or whatever they find. They also love playing 'Tinkerbell' back there. I'm not totally sure what that means, but love that they are using their imaginations AND enjoying nature all at the same time!

I spy a little girl ...

This is my swing, I love the quiet moments just sitting and enjoying the outdoors. Sometimes I have a little girl or two join me there ... sometimes a dog or two as well! The other morning I was up early before everyone else. I brought a blanket and coffee out with me to my swing so I could have my quiet time - even though it was still quite chilly. One by one I was joined by my family members! It was so nice to snuggle with my girls on the swing and enjoy their company.

Dirty hands holding a beautiful butterfly ...

On Saturday the girls found this HUGE toad! Joy was the one who found it and was so super excited about it! That same day they found a total of a DOZEN toads/frogs {whatever!}

With her cousin ... my 3 boy nephews were visiting and didn't know what to think about these crazy toad chasing girls!

The girls put them in this habitat so they can play and swim ...

And keep them in this habitat so they can't get away. Don't worry, we let them go after a day.

When they only had one toad, they gave him a name and a label ... perhaps they were expecting visitors to come see him like in a museum?

And I just had to throw these last two photos in because they were so pretty. I saw another gorgeous butterfly land on my lilies and took a couple pics before it flew away. Love the color of the butterfly against the color of the flower!

So .... do you want your kids to be outdoorsy? Well then get out there yourself! The more you explore and enjoy nature the more your kids will too.

Here are some little tips:

* Get an inexpensive bug catcher from the dollar store. My girls used to be afraid of bugs until they got a bug catcher one summer, then the thrill of the hunt kicked in and they have loved it ever since.

* Establish guidelines. don't laugh. In my home, I am not a fan of critters. So the rule is that they stay outside! I also have rules about playing in the woods. They know where the boundary is and they also know anytime they play in the woods they will have to take showers that night to make sure they don't have any ticks on them.

* Provide lots of books on living things. We have bird books, insect books, reptile books, etc ... it makes it more fun for them when they see something outside and can easily identify it by looking it up.

* Be willing to oooh and aaah over their finds - even when you think they are quite creepy. I do find myself seeing the beauty in many of these little creatures - even if I don't want to touch them and hold them!

* Take lots of pictures. the girls will love printing out the pictures to put in their own scrapbooks.

* Know that the kids are going to be filthy and that's OK. Provide a bin full of junky old 'play' clothes and have the kids where those when they go out to play. Trust me, it will make your life so much easier! And don't worry about dirty, bare feet - have them scrub up in the tub when they come in. it's all a part of childhood!

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. ~Frank Lloyd Wright