Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Ten Great Reasons to Take Your Baby on a Nature Hike

1. If you wear her, you'll get an extra workout.

2. If she walks, you'll get to slow down.

3. Give her an opportunity to explore, and you'll appreciate all the different textures on the ground; soft grass, fuzzy moss, crunchy bark.

4. You'll also appreciate all the interesting snacks on the ground; pointy sticks, crumbly rocks, pinchable Roly Polies.

5. Benches? No, those are climbing structures and diving platforms.

6. Dirt. One can kick it, roll in it, eat it, dump the contents of your water bottle on it and make it into lovely mud... so many possibilities.

7. Where you see an ordinary Gray Squirrel, she'll see an amazing and exotic animal. That or she'll think it's the cat. Either way, it's worthy of The Bloodcurdling Scream of Glee.

8. While she's having this great sensory and educational experience, you're outside in a peaceful place. Consider that at this very moment you could be at a mouse-themed kiddie arcade, trading your money for tokens, greasy pizza, and a splitting headache. Take a deep breath and be thankful.

9. Unless you're wearing a particularly heavy kid up Mt. Washington, you can actually be kind of lazy. Sit for a while and let your kid poke sticks in a hole. Stroll leisurely while she toddles beside you. Feel her snuggle against you in the carrier while bluebirds go zipping by. The entertainment has been provided for you.

10. Love of nature. This is how it starts.

This post brought to you from our porch, where the baby is, again, digging in the dirt.

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