Outside Every Day
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We had a fabulous weather this morning with the sun shining and the birds chirping all around. So many people came out to ride and play together as well as have a nice, tasty picnic. The kids took over the park, roaming the paths on their bikes and scooters and stopping at the playground for a little slide or see-saw action. They taught each other how to play hopscotch using the sidewalk chalk. They also couldn't resist climbing up to the path along the esker and running back down the hill. A good time was had by all- we must do it again! Next week we'll be at Beals Park at 3:30pm on Tuesday. Hope to see you then.
Its pouring rain. One of those days that 9am feels like 5pm and is-it-time-for-bed-yet? *Yawn* One of the kids is sleeping, one is playing with playdoh and the other is bored out of his mind.
"Want to color?"
"NO."
"Want to play cars?"
"NO."
"Well, what would you like to do?"
"BUBBLES!"
Yeah, OK. We've got a covered porch, sure, why not? Out we go.
For awhile, this situation is great. I blow giant bubbles, kid is happy. But this kid, MY kid, loves adventure...and water...and neither is on the porch. But when its pouring just a foot away...
One step down the stairs and he gets a taste of spring rain on his fluffy head.
Two steps down and he is getting pretty wet, shoulders, arms, chubby toes and giggling like an idiot.
A few more steps and the kid is soaked.
AND HAPPY!
Oh my GOSH, JACKPOT! He looks as me like I must have lost my mind. No coat? Umbrella? Pants? Boots? Nothing....? I imagine the dialog to a conversation that I note to have with him when he is much older:
"Back in MY day, we used plastic bags if we didn't have coats and when we got wet anyway, we pretended they were sleds on wet grassy hills and yeah, we were muddy, soaked and completely, totally, utterly, blissfully happy. Like, your face hurts from smiling, HAPPY."
He finds a puddle to jump in, squats down and SPRINGS into the air, water flying all around him, and me, and he lets out a SHREEEEEEEK! of excitement.
I don't think I'll need to give him any ideas as to what to do on a day like today. My face hurts from smiling, so does his.
Its so easy to get caught up in the everyday of every. day. Sometimes its easy to forget that kids don't need much more than a puddle and their able little bodies, a willing Mommy, and they're just fine.
Best.morning.ever. Courtesy of Mother Nature
…just painting in the rain. What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again.
Trail report
There are two ways to play this game: painting with the rain or painting in the rain. You choose. Or, go a little wild and try both. I dare you.
In your pack
Rain
Muddy puddle
Painting paper (watercolor paper works well)
Watercolor paints
Paintbrush
Getting there
Painting in the rain: Next time it rains (or better yet, drizzles), grab a piece of thick paper and a couple paintbrushes. Sit next to a puddle and use the muddy water as paint. Paint a scene or an abstract design. When you’re done, let your muddy masterpiece dry out inside.
Painting in the rain: While still inside, create a lovely watercolor painting. Or an ugly one, whatever strikes your fancy. Take the painting outside and let the rain mix and spread the colors. Depending on how heavy the rain is and how long you hold your painting under the dripping sky, your colors may spread a little or a lot. Try a few seconds at first and then add more time as desired.
Taking it farther
If it is raining too hard to paint outside, collect puddle water in containers and paint indoors.
Use sidewalk chalk and draw up a storm on the driveway or sidewalk. If it isn’t raining, dip the chalk in a puddle for a whole new chalking experience.
Originally posted at YourWildChild.
We've had plenty of rainy days around here, but we finally got a rainy day with somewhat temperate weather where we could go out and enjoy the rain! Today is a drizzly day, though we were prepared for the worst. We set out to a nearby park which might not be your typical pick on a drizzly, windy day since it is a small peninsula and the weather is more extreme there, but it's a favorite place of ours. The boys set off pretending to be knights in the forest with the swords they brought along that our neighbor gave them- a little imagination always dulls the bite of the wind and weather, I think!
We played some of our usual favorite games like hide and go seek and found some nice, big puddles to stomp in and we started spotting buds on the trees, but the best thing was what we discovered in the puddles, or what my son discovered, I should say. The puddle was filled with earthworms! He picked one up and this little guy was really active. My son started telling me what letters and numbers that the worm was making with his body and a new game was born. We each had to hunt for a worm and then we'd hold them in our hands and decipher the shapes that the worms were making- a perfect rainy day activity that involves everything from getting down into the dirt and water to sounding out letters and counting. The worms started to get less active as they dried out in our hands, so we also talked about how they need to be in a moist environment to be healthy and what our bodies need to be healthy as well.
Unfortunately my camera battery died before we got to the worms, but we still got some pictures of our morning!
Add this rainy day scavenger hunt to your bag of tricks for some puddle stomping fun! All that's required are some kiddos that aren't afraid to get wet and muddy and this rainy day scavenger hunt! Other fun rainy day activities are included.
So what are you waiting for? Don't hole up inside to escape the rain, head outside and let your children play in the rain!
Hingham Playground, April 5th and Bike Party April 7th
Written by CourtneyHello! We're planning on meeting at the Hingham Playground behind the fire station on Main Street at 3:30, but there's a good chance of rain and it's not too warm out, so keep an eye on the meetup site to see if this event is held or not.
http://www.meetup.com/south-shore-playgroup-massachusetts/events/17080141/
Also, we'll be having a bike/scooter/ride-on party at Esker Park (at the end of Elva Road in Weymouth) on Thursday, April 7th at 10am. Bring your favorite thing to ride and a snack to share.
http://www.meetup.com/south-shore-playgroup-massachusetts/events/17171755/
When: Wednesdays 9am-10:30am
Where: Four Mile Creek Greenway
(Directions 1-485 to Johnston rd.
Take Johnston Rd. North
Parking is on the right after the bridge that crosses the greenway.)
We walk, talk, run, skip, chase each other, play swords, dig for bugs...all until the kids are tired! Come join us! 
***whoops! If you missed us today 4/6 its because we were out at 8am! Sorry about that! See you next week!
We are having an Easter party and we would like you and your kids to come.
When: April 16 at
Where:
We will be making a craft, having an Easter egg hunt and other spring fun.
Please email me if you plan to attend. This is important to ensure we have enough eggs for all the kids to find. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Hope to see you there,
Kristen
"The Sun didn't shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day." -Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat
While Dr. Seuss may have been a master at opening children's eyes to the wonders of reading, he seems to have been a bit lacking in the outdoor adventure department...
- "Oh boy Mommy! Let's play!"
I don't know about you, but here in our neck of the woods, our spring fever has been put on hold in favor of cold, wet nastiness. Weekend climbing plans were thwarted, which to be perfectly honest probably worked out for the best, considering that Cragbaby and his Daddy were recovering from a nasty stomach bug, and I was smack dab in the middle of a cold (which I will gladly take any day over the stomach bug...).
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But by the time Monday rolled around, Cragbaby and I had both come down with a bad case of the stir-crazies from being stuck inside all weekend. By no means was it a beautiful spring day. The sun was most certainly NOT shining, and even though the rain had stopped for a few hours, most would probably have assumed it was too wet to play. But instead of sitting around in the house, Cragbaby and I had a wonderful afternoon at the Blakeney Plaza. Blakeney is a giant shopping center filled with all sorts of shops and restaurants. The Plaza is a 2 acre enclosed park that has a playground, an open area for live music during summer evenings, as well as a large outdoor eating area. We were the ONLY ones there. That meant that C had the whole area to himself without worrying about being trampled on by the big boys. We explored every inch of the park! Cragbaby was mesmerized by the big fountain in the middle, and had to take many laps around it to check it out from EVERY angle. And of course we had to hit the playground - but this just wasn't any playground. They say it's a "blend of modern design and exceptional play value." I say it looks like the sort of playground a climber would invent...
- Stopping just long enough to check out the fountain
But the best part was watching Cragbaby's latest discovery - PUDDLES! As he was toddling along the sidewalk, C stumbled into the puddle unknowingly at first, then took a few tentative splashing steps, and by the end he was tromping around with glee! Both his shoes and socks were completely soaked through (thankfully I had some extra with me like a good Mommy), but it was worth all the mess to share that special moment with him. Even though this wasn't our best Green Hour weather day by far, I'm really glad we didn't let the so-so weather keep us inside!
What about you? Any cool Green Hour stories from the less than ideal weather we've been having?
Hi all,
Tomorrow a photographer from the Globe and Mail will be coming to take some pictures – your consent is required. The images will accompany an article, written by Tralee Pearce addresses the “art of play,” and increasing interest in carving out time for kids’ freeplay. The piece will be in Fridays paper in the Life section.
See you all tomorrow it's looking like a beautiful day to get outside.
Kristen