Kids and nature

On the weekend we went walking in Mt Canobolas State Conservation Area.  It was great to get out into the bush - the first time we have for a while.  We were beginning to feel very house bound with all the cold wet weather we have been having lately. 

We went walking through the snow that was still on the ground from the snow dump earlier in the week....

the kids made snowballs.... and then... 

.. the snowball fights were on for young and old alike....

...some of the ice crystals we found on the damp shady section of the walking track.

We had so much fun as a family out walking and exploring the outdoors that  I agreed with the kids to make more of a commitment to get outdoors and into nature more regularly.

So I would like to set a challenge for us as a family to take the kids out into our natural world every second weekend - no excuses about cold winter weather - just make it happen.  It feels like a more of a sustainable approach to the Great Outdoors Challenge that we participated in earlier in the year where we aimed to get the kids outdoors every day for a month.  I hope that this challenge will bring a deeper connection to nature for the kids and me alike and being every fortnight maybe it will just become part of our family routine.

On recommendation from a friend and reader of our blog I have also just borrowed "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" by Ricahrd Louv from the local library.  I am looking forward to finding out more about Louv's argument for a return to an awareness and appreciation of the natural world.