Hooked on Nature!

I've been freshly inspired of late after reading Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder to make sure that my boys have plenty of time enjoying and exploring the outdoors. Unstructured time to explore nature is a critical childhood experience. This book is a powerful plea for people to take the healing power of nature seriously – for kids, and also adults as well. The latest research demonstrates that when children have hands-on experiences with nature, even if it is simply in the weed lot at the end of the street, they reap the benefits. Researchers cite diminishment in levels of ADHD, fewer incidents of anxiety and depression, improved self-esteem, enhanced brain development, higher levels of curiosity and creativity, and a sense of connectedness to the community and the environment. I know for me, time out in nature continues to have a powerfully calming effect. It is where I unwind, relax and have sweet communion with God!

As a child, one of the ways, we enjoyed the great outdoors was by going to the zoo almost weekly. We live a little further from the Phoenix Zoo than I did growing up, so I've been trying to make it there at least once a month. Due to the cooler weather this last week, we made it twice in four days.

The boys and I enjoyed going on Wednesday before we picked up Evie from the airport! The weather was beautiful and we explored the Children's Zoo. We ended our day playing in the creek at the front of the zoo. They have an amazing little park area with a cool tree house, several tunnels and bridges and a shallow creek. Xander just loved taking his shoes off and wading in the creek looking for rocks, sticks and BUGS!

The boys are checking out the Amazon River Rays on our way into the Zoo!

Pretending to be Wallaby babies!

Playing in his creek!

We enjoyed ourselves so much and talked to Daddy about it almost non-stop that evening, that he suggested we return on Saturday morning! It was a little bit warmer, but well worth the trip. The giraffe's were right up close and the cheetahs were more active than I've ever seen them. It was a real treat. But of course, I think the highlight for the boys (and I mean ALL of my boys) was the creek play area. Rich loved playing with Xander and was quite enamored with the tree house!

Another wonderful resource that a friend of mine just sent me is The Green Hour. It is affiliated with the National Wildlife Foundation. This site has many wonderful ideas about how to help your children engage with the nature. This same organization publishes Wild Animal Baby, a magazine for toddlers that MiMa sent to Alexander as a gift last year. Each issue is always among his favorite reads...
If anyone has any creative ideas on how I can help my boys experience nature more, especially since we live in the confines of the city, I'd love to hear them.