I’m Bringing Nature Play Club to You!

Remember a few weeks ago when I made a  BIG announcement about a BIG Nature Play Club open to all?  Well, we had our first outing on October 13th with only ONE taker. “Why?” I asked myself. Well, it was a school day. It might have been nap time? You could have already committed to sports or a million other things?

How about if I come to your already existing play group instead and talk to you  at the playground of your choice about OC play and nature resources for FREE. I can:

• Give a quick overview about why outdoor play is important
• Hand out an exclusive resource packet (and goodies) about where to find outdoor play opportunities in Orange County
• Then you can all pick my brain with a Q&A about the 160+ play locations we have on our site
• Maybe we can end the play date with a short nature walk?

Why would I choose to do this? Because I must be crazy. I’m already volunteering at my children’s school and keeping up with writing and the blog. But this is important to me and I think I have a lot of knowledge and inspiration to share. I always learn from parents about what you need out of our site.

3 Dates Available in November between 9:30-10:30am

• Monday, November 1st
• Friday, November 5th
• Tuesday, November 9th

Sign up in the comments section (first come, first serve) and I will e-mail you to make detailed plans. I will start an interest list for future dates if more than 3 people sign up.

Nature Play Has No Agenda
Kids need unplanned play time to make discoveries and tune in to their creative side. I run a Nature Play Club, inspired by Nature Rocks and the Children & Nature Network, where families connect with their kids and we all connect to nature together.

The most important part of these outings: There is NO agenda. The kids lead the way. Look at all the things we learned when we opened ourselves up to our surroundings . . .

We learned how to keep cool:

• Cold water feels best on hot days
• Take a break in the shade
• Slow down
• Get your shirt and hat wet in the stream

We learned what to bring:

• As my son says, “Think of how much water you think you’ll need, then double that! It might be heavy, but it’s worth it when you are hot and thirsty.”
• Change of clothes – it’s okay to get dirty and wet – but it’s sure nice to change into dry clothes for the ride home
• Change of shoes – flip-flops feel awesome after a day of exploring in hiking shoes

We learned a lot about hiking and nature:

• Stay on the trail
• Don’t take rocks (Leave No Trace)
• Running water is better than the still water
• Greener plants and cattails mean water is nearby
• How to read a trail map
• Trail etiquette – step to the side to let others pass
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times
• What to look for on the trail: snakes, scat, rocks, poison oak
• You might get blisters if your feet get wet
• How to cross streams and balance on rocks

When you’re out in nature with kids, the end of the trail is where you decide to turn around.

The kids will tell you “It feels like a whole other world.” And you’ll agree it does.

When you turn a corner and see a waterfall, their “Wows!” will make you feel wowed, too. Because it’s not just a waterfall, it’s the sense of wonder you’ve inspired in your kids from a simple, lazy afternoon playing outdoors together.