Taking a Kid to the Park!
Taking your child to a park or nature space can be an unexpectedly daunting task. We’ve all heard of the benefits of exposing children to nature but where do you start? Whether you grew up spending a lot of time outdoors or shied away from it, whether you have an 18-month-old child or a 10 year old - we are here to take some of the stress and unknowns out of nature play! This is a round up of ideas to make going to the park easy, fun and engaging for you and your child. While we know that life - and certainly kids - don’t come with a manual, we hope this will provide you with some guidance.
1. Ease into it
Unlike a playground, or children’s activity zone, nature moves at its own pace- nothing is specifically designed to capture your child’s interest, so it might take them a while to slow down and get engaged. That’s ok! Get comfortable with them being a little whiny or bored and don’t let it make you feel discouraged. Younger kids will pretty quickly take the lead and find a stick to poke around with, or leaves to stomp on, especially once they realize you are not there to stop them, but simply to observe and “be”. Older kids who haven’t yet done much nature exploration might need a little encouragement. You can start with narrating what you are observing: “Oh wow, I can hear some water flowing in the stream,” or “I wonder what made that mark in the mud.” You can follow up by asking them some questions: what do you see? What do you hear? Using a tool like a scavenger hunt or a guided sketch book can also help get them engaged and tuned in.
2. Get dirty
Kids are our best teachers when it comes to living in the present moment. When I see my daughter lean over to investigate a sticky patch of mud, or a crinkly leaf, it’s hard for me to stay in the “now” (sensory exploration! New sensations! curiosity!) and not in the future (laundry! Crying in the car on the way home because of her wet sweater! Trying to put her muddy hand in her mouth!). But I try to take a page out of her book and encourage messiness, exploration, and discovery. I keep the future goblins in my own head at bay by bringing a change of clothes, wet wipes for her hands (after she’s done exploring, but before she eats a snack), and trying to keep it all in perspective. I often take a moment to think about my priorities in the situation: do I want my child to glean all they can from the experience? Or do I care more about how much spot cleaner I may have to use later? It puts things in perspective when my mom brain starts to panic.
3. Slow down
I know we already said this, but slow down! Kids, of any age- even adults!- don’t need to walk far or complete an “activity” in order to have an enriching experience. Certainly running and jumping and being active are great- I don’t mean slow your body down! But make peace with the idea that you might not get far beyond the puddle next to the entrance gate, and that if you end up spending 40 minutes gathering clovers to float in a puddle that is ok. I used to look at outdoor time as a way to get my 10,000 “steps” in until my daughter taught me otherwise. It’s another great reminder to stay in the present and take note of all that your child is experiencing and taking in, no matter the distance (or lack thereof) that they have traveled.
4. Be prepared
Whining about boredom is ok- but if your kid gets cold, hot, thirsty, or sunburned, then they won’t have fun. The same goes for you!! I had to learn to dress much more warmly for winter outings with my daughter because moving at her pace means I get much chillier than on my usual brisk walk to the bus stop. So I layer up with tights under my pants, two sweaters, gloves and a scarf. You are probably already an adept diaper bag packer! But to help keep nature outings fun, make sure you bring bug spray and sunscreen, water, extra gloves in winter in case the first pair gets wet or muddy, and I like to have a small tarp or trash bag to put between my kid and the carseat, stroller, or whatever. This helps ensure I stay relaxed about getting dirty, which after all is part of the goal! No one likes to vacuum out a car seat. Also, and perhaps most importantly, don’t forget the snacks! Not sure about you, but snacks go a long way with our kiddos. We forget that what seems like a short walk for us, is often a lot for them. Keeping healthy energy-packed snacks is a must - whether its cheese sticks, a fruit and nut bar or some homemade trail mix (a fun pre-park activity you can do with your child as well!) and a water bottle, make sure their bodily needs are taken care of.
5. Experiment!
One thing that’s awesome about getting kids out into “nature” (whether that is the muddy patch at the local soccer field or a local natural area) is the ability to investigate and experiment. No matter your child’s age, you can start applying the scientific method. Start with framing a question and making a hypothesis: for a two year old, “will this float?” can be the question. For a four-year-old who is picking up rocks, you might ask “which rock do you think will make a bigger splash?” or “do you think you can throw this rock into the river from here?” Once they make a guess, you can test your hypothesis and discuss what happened.
This can start before you even get to the park, by asking “what do you think we’ll see at the park today?” Try to remember what they said, and point out which of their predictions came true, which didn’t, and why not. And don’t forget the car ride, metro ride, or walk home. Use this as a time to see what your child took away from the experience. “Which rock made the biggest splash?”; “What’s something green that we saw today?”; “what amazed you?” It’s a great way to bring your experience to a close and work on simple recall at the same time.
6. Track the seasons.
Visiting the same park over the year can be a great opportunity to track and learn about seasonal change. Even week to week, weather variations as well as seasons can create observable differences. If there’s a pond or stream, track the height of the water- one time it might even be frozen! Last week’s mud puddle could be today’s dry dusty area- and tomorrow’s mini ice rink. Take photos, or have your child take photos, of a certain area, plant, or object, and ‘favorite’ them to refer to next time you visit- let them lead. It can be just as fascinating to discover that the big rock looks exactly the same every time as it is to see that the dry brown twigs grew flowers. If your child enjoys drawing, have them keep a picture journal. Try going to the same spot each time you go to a specific park and have your child sketch what it looks like - it provides a great visual of seasonal changes, plus it’s a beautiful keepsake of your exploratory experiences.
7. Don’t get discouraged by a bad day
We’ve all experienced it - you have grand ideas for a park visit or time spent outside and your child throws a tantrum before you can even take 5 steps toward your destination. Or you’re outside, and a torrential downpour starts within minutes of your arrival. Days like these happen and it’s not an indication of the experience or your ability to parent or take your child out and about. Take a deep breath in. If your child recovers from the meltdown and you’re able to enjoy the park, great. If they can’t seem to rally and you end up going home - no biggie! Try again a different day! Parenthood is tough and rough times are numerous but every day is a new beginning and a new opportunity to get out and explore. And hey, a rainstorm is just another reminder to remember to pack some rain boots for the next time.
We know that taking a child to a park for what is considered “unstructured/unfacilitated” time can feel daunting and difficult. We hope this guide has illustrated the fact that we often afford our children great learning opportunities when we take a step back, slow down, and follow their - and nature’s - lead. The results may leave you - and your child - pleasantly surprised.