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As kids head back to school 鈥� in person, hybrid or remote 鈥� a wistfulness for the missed opportunities of summer might be setting in. That trip to the beach didn鈥檛 materialize, the crowded local hiking trails were nerve-wracking and even visits to Gram鈥檚 house had to be curtailed. But that doesn鈥檛 mean the time for adventure has passed.

Winter is coming鈥�and so is adventure.

The in Islip, New York, is a conservation organization with popular outdoor education offerings that Long Island families rely on for connection and inspiration. The pandemic鈥檚 sudden arrival forced a quick reassessment of how to stay connected to the children and families.

Starting with the premise that many families might not have easy access to even ordinary items like binoculars or magnifying glasses, the team created a series of daily nature challenges. Their venture 鈥� and the enthusiastic responses it provoked 鈥� can create a template for any of us seeking to keep adventure alive even as winter approaches.

For those wishing to create mini field trips to nurture their children鈥檚 connection with nature, Seatuck鈥檚 Education Director Peter Walsh advises to start small and close at hand.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really just about exploring and it can be something as simple as, 鈥楪o watch the sunset. Tonight, try to see it from your yard or window or somewhere safe, and take a picture of it or draw it. Don鈥檛 do anything else: just enjoy a sunset.鈥欌��

The operating principle in these mini adventures is wonder, he says, and wonder doesn鈥檛 require anything except presence. Just be there and notice what鈥檚 there to be noticed. Some examples:

• Observe different kinds of birds, then draw a picture of them (adults, too: pick up those colored pencils and give it a go!) or have a conversation while describing the birds in as much detail as each of you can remember: the size of the bird, its colors, the shape of the feathers, beaks and feet.
• If you have any leftover color swatches from the paint store, let the children take them along on their walk and see if they can find those colors in nature.
• Find an anthill and, from a respectful distance, sit back and watch them work. If that doesn鈥檛 provoke at least a little wonder, well, pay closer attention.
• Listen to the sound of your sneakers walking over crisp fallen leaves.
• How would you describe the smell of freshly mown grass?

Don鈥檛 make the adventure a test (鈥淟et鈥檚 see how much you remember, Jenny鈥�), an opportunity for a lecture or a chore. The second it becomes a 鈥渉ave to,鈥� is the moment it quits being an adventure. Children don鈥檛 need to be instructed every moment they鈥檙e outdoors to 鈥済et them to learn.鈥� When they鈥檙e outdoors and they鈥檙e looking, they鈥檙e learning. Maybe synthesize some of that when you get back to the house, but don鈥檛 let your drive to pack education into every moment keep them (and you) from actually being in the moment.

Remember that adventures can be had in all kinds of weather. There鈥檚 an old joke from the Midwest, where people play hockey, curling, go ice fishing, cross-country skiing and ice caving in the worst weather: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no bad weather, only bad clothes.鈥� So dress your kiddos well and take them out year-round. Kids love holding their wee faces up to the rain, letting snowflakes hit the tongue, splashing in puddles, building snow forts, and sledding or tubing down snowy hills. Do you remember that you used to love that, too?

The Seatuck team鈥檚 challenges frequently center around becoming aware of the beauty that surrounds all of us, every day.

鈥淥ne of the experiments is, 鈥業t鈥檚 going to be clear tonight, so watch the sky at sunset and notice how many different colors you can see in 10 minutes,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淲hen we did it, we found five different shades of blue.鈥�

If you鈥檙e really observing and not just passing by, nature presents an abundance of beautiful objets d鈥檃rt. Make a frame from an old box or paper; create an artwork by placing the frame around that incredible rock or shiny bug your preschooler found, then take a picture. Maybe no one had noticed before how gorgeous those beetle鈥檚 wings are, but once a child really sees them, they will never forget that iridescence.

Quests fuel many adventures, and the quest can be for something as mundane as 鈥淔ind five different shades of green,鈥� or 鈥淔ind three different kinds of bugs,鈥� or 鈥淐an we find two different kinds of pinecones today?鈥� 鈥淔ind five kinds of leaves. Look how different they are from each other.鈥�

If you find an abundance of green leaves, let the kids gather some up and smush them with a mortar and pestle (or DIY equivalent, such as a big rock and a little rock), then add water and let the children paint with the chlorophyll. The paint will have the color and consistency of watercolor, so don鈥檛 expect vibrant pigment. But it will be cool.

Add a community element by creating a scavenger hunt that the children design themselves. Leave the things where you and the kids spotted them, then give the list to your neighbors or other family members and see how many they can find. (Then celebrate the win no matter how small. As any Greek hero would tell us, a victory isn鈥檛 a victory without some festivity.)

Save your toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls because those things are adventurer treasure. One alone becomes a telescope, two taped together make binoculars (鈥淭he kids will swear it makes everything closer,鈥� Walsh says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 OK. It鈥檚 all about getting them to focus on an object and really look at that one specific thing.鈥�). A single paper towel roll becomes a 鈥渢oot-da-doo!鈥� because who can resist holding one up and toodling triumphantly? Several being 鈥減layed鈥� at once becomes a cacophony and sometimes, a little cacophony is good for the soul.

When you head out, remember to take a paper bag or backpack to schlep items for the collection 鈥� because nine times out of ten, there will be a collection. Practically every kid everywhere will want to collect something 鈥� rocks, bug carcasses, sticks, shells, feathers, bark, acorns, pinecones, leaves 鈥� and you want to make sure the artifacts end up in the bag and not in your pockets (though, tell the truth: Can you go on a hike or visit the beach without coming back with rocks in your pockets?).

For those with very little children, Walsh and his team recommend the 30-foot hike.

鈥淲ith the 18-months to 3-year-old group, just let the kids lead the walk,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e in charge of the hike. You make sure they鈥檙e safe, but you follow their lead and help them explore the things they鈥檙e touching and looking at. You don鈥檛 have to go anywhere big or far. Just let them lead.鈥�

British adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys coined the term 鈥渕icroadventure鈥� to describe these small-scale outings. In his book, 鈥淢icroadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes,鈥� he laid out the elements of a great adventure for children.

鈥淚f it involves food, getting wet or muddy, fire or breaking the rules, the kids will love it. 鈥� Involve kids in the planning and talk to them when you鈥檙e doing it. Point out things that even you take for granted and point out to the children what鈥檚 safe and what isn鈥檛. They take in way more than you think. What鈥檚 the worst that could happen? Plan accordingly and pack a change of clothes.鈥�

To which Walsh adds, 鈥淎nd a towel!鈥�

Walsh stresses that there is no right or wrong way to create a mini adventure 鈥� the point is just to get outside and to feel connected to other people in the world by sharing their experiences and discoveries. The important thing is to interact with the environment, not to just passively sit in it. Especially don鈥檛 sit in the environment and scroll on your device. This is mutual discovery, not nature as babysitter.

鈥淲e see so much of that,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 this real passive thing of not investigating, not playing with their environment, just walking past it. I think a lot of it is that the younger parents grew up as part of this generation that just didn鈥檛 go out and explore outdoor spaces with free, unstructured time. So, when they go somewhere, they don鈥檛 really know how to interact with the physical world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 true with some of the younger teachers as well 鈥� the idea of exploring is really foreign to them. We say, 鈥楾ry to find five different kinds of rocks,鈥� and teachers come back and say, 鈥楧o you really think we鈥檒l be able to find five different kinds of rocks?鈥� and then they鈥檙e amazed that they found 10.

鈥淲e want to keep the idea of these nature challenges really open-ended. If we give them a worksheet or tell them, 鈥楾ry to identify these five kinds of clouds,鈥� they will spend all their time trying to answer the question correctly and then feel that they weren鈥檛 successful if they didn鈥檛 find exactly those things.

鈥淪o, keep it about wonder and fun,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f the kids really love it, they鈥檒l want more.鈥�

As long as you stay focused on those two things 鈥� wonder and fun 鈥� neither you nor the kids will feel inadequate or unprepared. Just by being there, you have everything you need.

Though you might want to bring your toot-da-doo.

 

 

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 麻豆精品. Learn more here.