Rainy Day

I am reading "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv, and even though I'm not finished with it yet it has still made my list of favorite books. In the book he talks about getting our kids back to nature. He recommends finding ways to give kids "unstructured" time in nature. By letting kids play on their own outside...with no toys, parents, or rules (besides obvious safety rules) kids are able to really discover nature on their own. It goes beyond the facts of books. Kids need to ask and find out what water feels like, what grass smells like, and what dirt tastes like.


Lucky for me my kids LOVE to play outside in the rain. For whatever reason they can spend hours outside as long as it's raining. (and not freezing!) Maybe it's because we have spent the last 3 years in the desert....this is their first experience with actual weather.

They get really excited to go out. They start hounding me about getting raincoats on...then they go out to the back yard. They make mud in the garden...collect water from the gutters into buckets...stick out their tongues and taste the rain drops. They actually play better and longer if I am inside and not be a "helecopter parent." Part of me wants to tell them to "Stop playing with the gate"...."Don't eat dirt"...."That water is yucky, don't drink it"...."Get off of the chair before you hurt yourself." But I stay inside and keep my mouth shut. They need to learn and experience. There is nothing for them to be seriously hurt by in the backyard....and even in the small space they are still building an intimate relationship with nature.
The best part is coming back in the house drying off and having hot chocolate! Then we wash sticky faces then snuggle up in the big chair to read "The World of Pooh." Rainy days are starting to grow on me.