We had a nature day today. There's a neat park not too far from our house, that has winding hiking paths and a nice clearing with picnic tables. I love parks that don't have play structures. It really makes the kids bond with the outdoors and nature so much more. Plus, Elise is at the age where she really wants to be pushed on the swings all the time, so it's really nice to come to parks like this where she gets more involved in playing with the other children.
I had the idea for Lola to find random things around us and compare how they felt, smelled, looked, etc...
She seemed really into it at first, but starting losing interest about halfway through. Here are some of the things that we talked about:
First, the leaves: The leaves were brown and felt very dry. They made a crunching noise when you crumpled them. They smelled like dust.
The rocks: There were different rocks and some felt smooth and some were bumpy. They were hard and gritty. They smelled like dirt.
Pine needles: These were long and green. They felt smooth and left your fingers sticky. They smelled like our Christmas tree.
Afterwards, Lola had fun playing with a magnifying glass and looking for clues. I'm really excited for Christmas because I got her a kids geology set that I think she will really enjoy!
