Get Outside ANYWAY: Balancing Caution and Confidence, Part 2

After completing my post on Part 1 of Balancing Caution and Confidence , I had one more question for my Facebook Hive-mind: What kind of outdoor leader are you? Are you a hovering helicopter or a free-range adventurist?
The responses spanned the nation, life stage, came from both females and males and included a variety of career, geographical, and social backgrounds. I particularly loved the response below from one friend of mine who is a mother of children ranging from school aged to adulthood and now a grandmother as well.

" I live in Alaska. I am a city slicker by nature and a helicopter parent when it comes to little kids outside... But I have been careful to not instill in them a sense of fear. One of them, my most princess-y of all daughters is now a United States Marine! Another one is an agriculture teacher in the wilds of Tennessee. Several do triathlons. One of my sons is a distance runner. They did not get this way because I made them fearful! I made them aware.

I tell you all of this because you can be cautious while not creating fear. I suppose that I was more of a scout of a parent? I would come up with projects to teach the kids. All the while being aware and telling them why we needed to make noise. We would play games, what would we do if we saw a bear? What would we do if we saw a baby moose in front of us and realized that the momma moose was behind us? O look! Cow parsnip-- this is why we wear pants and long socks!"

You can be cautious without creating fear is probably a line that will follow me into the woods with my kids forever more!

Here were some of the other responses:

" Free range constantly borderline crazy but the creativity from my boys has been awesome- homemade zip line/ self made tree house they take great chances and succeed."

"Free range for sure. I want my kids to explore and discover the world with freedom. As long as they’re in the gate and I’ve got an eye out."

"Free range. "Please don't come to me unless you're bleeding."

"5 kids ago, I was a Class A hoverer! I’ve gotten older, more mellow - and more tired - now. And the twins definitely benefit from my (slightly!) more free range-ish style."

"Free rangish. Within reason today kids had to wear life vests when on boat, or know how to recognize poison ivy, etc."

"Free range. 

First rule of boys is: don't look."

"If its a contained field free range, if not I hover."--the mom....and the dad: "I mean sometimes we need to use leashes and tranq guns but we are raising a shark, a bear, a cat, and a lion"

" Free range unless we are in an unknown place where I don't know all the potential dangers, then I hover but at a distance."

" Free range! If you don’t fall you don’t learn and grow."

Here's what I take away from it: two categories was not enough. I am personally a Distant Hoverer. I feel best being vigilant from afar. And while we must travel light on the trail, it's important to carry with us an adequate supply of caution and sense of humor. Those most prone toward hovering still see and value the importance of outdoor play being an opportunity for space, trial and error, problem solving and confidence/competence building. And those most prone toward standing back and enjoying the show still take precautions whether it's protective gear, a vigilant eye, an enclosed area or the ability and knowledge to identify potential dangers in nature. And another very important idea surfaced: how does our own behavior and demeanor outdoors affect the children in our care?

The Darker Side of Caution: Fear

Everyone is afraid of something. Some of us are afraid of many things! When it comes to children, fears are a natural part of development. Some are longer lived than others. Some are "logical." Some are not. Some can be explained or experienced away. Others may last a lifetime. I asked the group to tap in on their own children's fears outdoors:

"My kids now? The 16 yo who wants to be a doctor rages, "You really need a concealed weapons permit if we are out here. What if we see a bear?" (I give my kids my keys. They just need to run faster than me. We go to peopled areas, low risk, but I think ahead.)

When they were all younger, they were loud, "WHAT DO WE DO IF WE SEE A BEAR? HAHAHAHA! I'D RUN LIKE THIS... [demo maniacal run]"

"I JUST NEED TO RUN FASTER THAT ALL OF YOU AND I AM! HAHA"

We spoke of real scenarios and all but one, the one who wants to repair people, handled their fears with humour. (They were so loud the wild life would leave us alone.)

We spoke of dangers of hypothermia and they stayed away from going more that 5 steps into lakes, and were just intelligent on bridges, etc., and we stuck together."

"Bugs and dogs not on leashes."

"Bees are really their only fear. We have taught them how to calmly walk away and that only wasps are the ones to really fear and that honey and bumblebees are our friends. Considering bees are a huge fear of mine that is one I struggle with as well."

Childhood fears evolve and fluctuate throughout life. Some are developed through experience, some through lack of experience, some through exposure and some inherited (whether by nature, nurture, or a combination of the two). 

Both S and Y have their own fears. Some come and go quickly and some last a while. S used to be very afraid of dogs and now is far less so. Y is not afraid of dogs and needs to be reminded he must ask before he pets one. Y sometimes fears uneven terrain outdoors, likely because his vision makes it harder to navigate. Nonetheless, he is very creative in navigating these spaces and while at times he may cry and ask to hold a hand, other times, he will crouch and bend his knees and bounce his way down a slippery and muddy hill independently. 

S has grown into quite the young naturalist. He is wholly himself outdoors. And while he is prone to more of a nervous nature overall, outside is usually a place that inspires self confidence. So a few weeks ago when some sort of bug crawled up his shirt and supposedly bit his tummy (I looked and saw an ant but not evidence of a bite), and he became paralyzed with fear and wanted to leave the park, I was ready to support him but also concerned about his response. We sat together, took deep breaths, talked and sometimes just sat in silence. Again and again as he thought about the incident, he would become overwhelmed again with fear at just remembering it. 

I am cautious in my language about fear with children. I do not like the words "that's not scary" or "don't be scared" when talking to children about fear. For them, in this moment, it is scary and they are scared. S once coined the phrase "I'm scared and brave," and it's one we still use. The language I use is "it feels very scary and you are safe." We did eventually make our way home from the park. S later wanted to talk about the ant and he began to refer to it (and still does) as "The Bug That Surprised Me."

Fast forward to the following week when we attended a group hike with our local chapter of Free Forest School. S, who had been in several outdoor locations since The Bug That Surprised Him suddenly remembered the incident while we were there and decided he felt safest to stand on our picnic blanket. And not move. Maybe not even ever. Again, I tried not to be reactive to this. The mom in me felt so sad for the level of loss he would experience if he truly stopped being able to be outside and feel secure. And the child still in me also knew that fears come and fears go and right now S was safe on the dinosaur blanket, but he would somehow, someday get off and keep going. And sure enough that day came on the same day at about noon when it was time for us to go. S didn't want to get off the blanket. He didn't want to walk back. (He didn't see the ants crawling on the blanket either, phew!) So I held his hand to step off the blanket as I shook it out and folded it up. And we started to walk back. He wanted to go slowly, I said that was fine. And slowly, slowly we walked. He was scared. He had to stop a lot. Y was picking up on the fear signals and also started crying. And I started singing a little scavenger hunt on our walk, wearing C, lamenting the sweat dripping into my eyes and hoping my own parental angst wasn't pouring out with it.

We found a brown leaf. A green leaf. A big rock. A little stick. We talked about cold, hard facts and evidence. Yes, there was a Bug That Surprised You at the park last week. But this is not that park. And we also went to that park a number of other times and no Surprising Bugs happened at those times. The bug was surprising and it was scary and remembering something scary can make you feel scared all over again. You are safe. I am here and look, what do you know, we made it to the car!

I didn't go on and on about how proud I was of him (I was, though, because honestly if anyone could stand on a dinosaur blanket maybe forever, it would be S), but I did point out that he seemed pretty proud of himself. And in the car on our drive back, we talked some more about the best way to feel better about feeling afraid: get confident. Confidence comes when we try something that feels really hard and experience success. That day, confidence came when S experienced a really hard emotion and walked right through it. And one week later, he went back to Forest School, got off that blanket, into the creek and squealed so loudly with joy and pride it literally echoed through the forest.

I am a big believer in being honest with children. I'm not the one to say a shot won't hurt or that it won't hurt to take a splinter out. I'm not going to tell them that bugs never bite or that there's no poison ivy in the woods. Honesty is important. I am also a human who carries her own fears, both rational and irrational. One of my greatest worries is that I will impart my worries onto my kids! It is an area of constant vigilance, awareness and growth for me. I talk to my kids about the things I used to be afraid of and am no longer. I find it a little harder to talk to them about the things I'm still afraid of or newly afraid of. 

And yet, being outdoors with my children has provided a venue where we can all stretch out of those comfort zones. Risky play is all about navigating those boundaries of being just a little bit scared and still being safe. And while getting out there is half the battle, the narrative we build around these experiences also matters greatly. Every person's threshold is different. There's no right ratio of helicoptering to free-ranging and truly these are extremes we need to constantly assess and balance again and again, whether it's over the course of a year or even a day. We do need to be cautious; we do not need to be afraid. We do want opportunities for building competence in outdoor experience because we know that this builds confidence in all areas of life, in and outside four walls and a roof. The language we use, the energy we impart, the reactions we have--all matter. Most children inherently have good "risk assessment" skills and won't try something that is beyond their comfort (ergo ability) level. Some will. Know your audience. Know their boundaries and limitations and know your own. More and more I try to build a narrative around outdoor play for my own children and myself and even for the friends and families we meet with in my nature based playgroup that is positive and encouraging. It takes effort to learn a new language, but I love some of the phrases in this list from Backwoods Mama. Fostering awareness and building problem solving skills are lifelong processes; the outdoors is a fabulous venue for working on it.

I have a saying when it comes to my experiences outdoors (and inside for that matter) with my kids: Different day, different adventure. One benefit to visiting the same outdoor spaces again and again is the ability to see that in action. My own sense of balance when it comes to caution and confidence is a work in progress. It is my hope that this makes me more compassionate and patient as my children navigate this as well. 

So different day, different adventure. What will you do differently tomorrow or the next time you head outside with kids? What works well for you now? How did your own early experiences build the narrative that follows you today as you hit the trail and how will your own narrative shape that of your children's? What would you change? What would you keep the same? One thing is for sure, I'll be outside ANYWAY and you can find me hovering from a distance...

Happy Playing!

Get Outside ANYWAY: Balancing Caution and Confidence, Part 1

I was at a birthday party the other day, chatting with some other moms when the topic of cute kid foods came up. Everything tastes better on a stick, just go to any county fair and prove me wrong. "I just saw an idea to make grape popsicles. You just freeze grapes and stick a toothpick in," I began, and then as I thought about it, I added "and then your kid can poke his eye out and choke on a grape at the same time." Risk assessment is an inherent part of parenting and working with children. Safety is a factor we must address in any space, in any moment and in every decision. Within the confines of four walls and a roof, we can imagine that we have some level of control over that and indeed, we implement a variety of tools to "childproof" these spaces. But what happens when those walls and roof are behind us? What happens when we take our children outdoors into nature?

"Put down that stick!"

"Don't talk to strangers!"

"Don't walk up the slide!"

"You need to drink water or you'll get dehydrated!"

"Don't drink too much or you'll have to pee!"

"Bees can sting!"

"You'll get a sunburn!"

"Don't pet that dog!"

"No climbing on rocks!"

"No throwing the sand!"

"Be careful!"

When I started to think about this topic, I imagined writing one post on the issue, but I think it's worthy of more and we will still barely scratch the surface! One of the greatest barriers we all face outdoors for ourselves and as we lead our children is the issue of safety. Indeed, ideas around safety in our society have changed the face of outdoor play altogether. Gone are the days of playing unaccompanied around most neighborhoods. Gone are the days of my own childhood of playing unaccompanied even in a fenced in backyard. It is rare that I drive through suburban neighborhoods where we live and see children playing in front yards or riding bikes on the street. If and when I do, they are nearly always accompanied by an adult.

Even the landscape of nature spaces has changed.

Here I am wearing leather boots,
a pencil skirt, a sheitel (wig)
 and a baby S, hiking up a gosh darn
mountain. Not because I planned to,
but because we googled a "park"
and this is where we ended up. It was
the scariest hike of my life and one
of the most confidence building
experiences as well.

Parks are carefully and intricately designed. Much of children's experience outside is likely on a playground. The surfaces are often synthetic, to cushion falls. The equipment is often designed and labeled with age ranges in mind. Plastics have replaced much of the metal or wooden equipment that playgrounds were constructed of when I was small. No more burning your tush on the slide on a summer day and no more splinters from climbing up the stairs to the top of the castle. Gates surround most playgrounds, some even have childproof locks.

When you know more, you do more. We know more about safety and children than we once did. Take car seats for instance. We also live in a day and age with new and emerging concerns that perhaps were not relevant even 10 or 20 years ago. How has this affected nature play for our growing generation? And how has it affected our own view of being outdoors? In an effort to protect ourselves and our children from danger, have we hijacked a vital experience in developing the skills needed to assess whether something is dangerous or not?

In preparing this post, I asked my Facebook Hive-mind the following questions:

• Which is safer? Indoor or outdoor play?
• What is your outdoor leadership style? Helicopter or free range leader?
• What do you worry about outdoors?
• What do you feel confident about outdoors?

In the past two weeks alone, I came across a variety of interesting articles on the topic. I think it is telling that these themes are coming up in social networking groups just as the school year begins. For some children, that might mean a significant decrease in outdoor time, while for others it may actually mean an increase in nature based opportunities. One article put out by the CBC is titled "It's Never Been Safer For Kids to Play Outside or More Dangerous to Be Inside." The author (based in Canada) sites that children are sedentary for roughly 7.5 hours a day. From a physical health standpoint, the article continues on to address the concerns of a sedentary, indoor lifestyle and the benefits of nature based risky play for physical health and development.

Author and nature activist, Richard Louv is another powerful voice behind the topic and if you've not yet read it, I highly recommend his book Last Child in the Woods. In it, he says:

"Our society is teaching young people to avoid direct experience in nature. That lesson is delivered in schools, families, even organizations devoted to the outdoors, and codified into the legal and regulatory structures of many of our communities. Our institutions, urban/suburban design, and cultural attitudes unconsciously associate nature with doom—while disassociating the outdoors from joy and solitude. Wellmeaning public-school systems, media, and parents are effectively scaring children straight out of the woods and fields. In the patent-or-perish environment of higher education, we see the death of natural history as the more hands-on disciplines, such as zoology, give way to more theoretical and remunerative microbiology and genetic engineering. Rapidly advancing technologies are blurring the lines between humans, other animals, and machines. The postmodern notion that reality is only a construct—that we are what we program—suggests limitless human possibilities; but as the young spend less and less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically, and this reduces the richness of human experience."


I believe that caution and confidence are two sides of the same coin. What exactly are we supposed to do from here? It is not realistic to simply ignore the factors that do make aspects of outdoor play risky and even dangerous. In fact, it is negligent. And restricting the experience altogether is also risky and potentially negligent. I think when it comes to assessing a situation like this, it's best to begin with what it is we are most afraid of with the goal in mind of striking some sort of balance. Here are some of the responses I received when asking which is safer--indoor or outdoor play?

"Define safe. Define the parameters of play." was one response I got and it speaks volumes. I personally attribute some of the fear mentality toward outdoor play to not having these boundaries clearly defined and the fact that they mean different things for different people. Even the structural changes to nature spaces and outdoor play experiences are dictated by how adults view and define both safety and play.

Take a few snapshots from the standard public park scenario, for instance:

Most public parks have a playground based on the belief that in order to play children need this equipment. Playground equipment has a lot of potential benefits:

• Children can work and develop a variety of skills including gross motor and muscle strength development, social skills in peer interactions, building self confidence, spacial awareness and more.
• Safety features like shaded and covered areas, synthetic turf, and age range recommendations can prevent injuries.

Some potential downfalls include:

• Playgrounds typically provide equipment with a single function. There is less likelihood to engage in creative and abstract play and potentially less likelihood to engage with natural materials found outdoors.
• Safety features can provide a "false sense of security" about falls and injuries that can occur. Children who engage in risky play like jumping off of high equipment won't necessarily learn what happens when you jump off a high surface if they land on a cushioned surface below them.

Well, since I am me, I usually answer a question with a question, and I let my friend give her own definitions of play and safety:

Safe to me implies less risk of physical injury.
Play often is used to mean lightly supervised recreation within a specific area and often with provided materials.

With those definitions in mind, indoor would be safer.

But risks are way more fun.

Yes, the risks are fun! And while I can remember creating my own risky play scenarios indoors (think a set of carpeted stairs and bean bag chairs...) as well as outside (think "skiing" down my backyard hill on a plastic saucer sled into the woodpile at the bottom), there are documented benefits to this type of play. One benefit is the skill of risk assessment, or a child's ability to navigate their personal and physical as well as environmental limitations. That involves all kinds of problem solving and critical thinking skills! And while I do not condone staircase surfing or backyard saucer skiing, I did live to tell about them both. (Also, don't tell my parents I did this if you happen to see them....)

Here are some more responses from my friends. The group includes parents in all stages, educators, a school principal, folks with children who have special needs, and respondents range geographically across the nations from the east coast to the west coast and even Alaska:

"Bubble wrap and tv watching. 
It's not about safety. It's about trusting your body in space." 

"Should 'safe' be the lead guiding determinant in play? A friend of mine (with children much younger than my own) does something that really impresses me...when her then-toddler boys were playing, and doing something that could result in injury (something that makes a mom inclined to say 'careful!) she would ask them, 'what could happen?'. This encouraged them to stop and think, do a risk assessment (she often helped with this part) and then let them decide for themselves. (She also kept bandages in her purse.)"

" I feel like outdoor play (in areas away from roads) is safer for my extremely energetic 4.5 year old. He needs space to run and jump and he just can't do it inside without breaking something!"

And then it was time to talk about what exactly we were afraid of outdoors...responses poured in, including the following, which I've broken down into categories:

Stranger Danger, Busy Streets, Running Away and Getting Lost:
"My kids running off with a stranger with a cute puppy."

"I never go to isolated areas. I would take the kids at busy times."

"That my kids will run into the street."

Stranger danger was a pop phrase of my own childhood. We had a secret family password in case someone other than my parents came to pick us up from school. We grew into latch key kids but the front door was always locked and we had a home alarm system. One night early into this phase, the alarm was set to motion detection by mistake. When the alarm went off, my sister (then 11) and I (7) panicked. The police arrived but we'd been told never to open the door for a stranger and we did not believe with confidence that the police officer was for sure a police officer and not a "stranger" in disguise. Faces on the backside of our chocolate milk cartons had created a fear that was larger than life, but I don't think I could have even defined what a "stranger" was. 

In many ways, I feel the "danger" has increased now with the advances in technology, social networking, camera phones and more. And while my firstborn gave me false confidence in my ability to keep track of my own offspring my second-born has a habit of elopement. Not long enough ago, I lost sight of him at our botanical garden center. I was not on my phone, I didn't even realize I was distracted at all. He was right next to me and then he wasn't. I put on my best "calm" persona and started looking. I was afraid he'd gone into the water he was so curious about the week before. I was afraid someone might have found him and would judge me harshly or even worse that someone might have found him who was not safe. It was no longer than 5 minutes. I walked by him no fewer than 5 times. Why? Because I had told my children if they ever got lost to stop and stay in one place and wait for me to find them. I had not told them to also call "Mommy! Mommy!" until I found them. There were no cute puppies that day, but there was a picnic table Y had never sat in before and there he sat, looking quite guilty and just a little bit scared until I got there.

Wouldn't it be safer to just put them in strollers? Or on a leash? I'm not lost in the mall today because I was put on a leash. But did this give me a false sense of security and fail to give me an opportunity to learn how to stay by my adults? At the end of the day, I think you must do what you must do as a parent and for your child's well being. I have not put Y on a leash or restricted him to a stroller at this point. I also no longer use the words "I will never" when it comes to parenting decisions. Right now, I have a chant I use: "all hands on deck!" and my boys will come and hold my hand or the stroller that C is in. If that stops working, I'll go to plan B...

And indeed, on the other side of the stranger danger coin is the perspective that today's children lack the skills to assess "stranger safety" since they are rarely or never exposed to life opportunities in which this issue might come up. Do our children have the skills to navigate a scenario in which they are in a crowded public place or a location in which they could become separated from their family or group? Milk cartons have been replaced by Facebook walls and in situations where timing is everything, this is highly efficient. And at the same time, it opens up a whole new can of worms...

Speaking of worms, critters and poisonous plants...

"We have encountered loose dogs , I also hate wasps and snakes. We go out most days anyways." And this amazing Momma reported just the next day that one of her daughters got stung by a bee...

"Ticks, we have found them on our clothes. I carry a good spray and a tick spoon and we are outdoors all the time."

"Ticks and poison ivy."

"Ugh...ticks."

Boy, those ticks really tick people off. And while I grew up learning about tick protection and identification and was sprayed with 100% Deet (and only a few lingering side effects...) with leggings tucked into my socks, I tested positive for Lyme disease at the age of 15. I'd never had a bulls eye rash nor had I found a tick on my body. Fast forward to the first year of our marriage and my husband had become inexplicably ill. Nothing seemed to help him and test after test came back negative. I mentioned Lyme and his doctor begrudgingly obliged to run the panel. High on every marker. No tick found, no bulls eye rash. Indeed, tick born illnesses are a valid concern. Loose dogs, stinging insects, snakes (S found one in our backyard bucket of mud and that is a story for another day) and poisonous plants are some of the many concerns we face in nature. And even when we are vigilant and cautious, things happen.

Injuries outdoors can range from those inflicted by flora or fauna to skinned knees, splinters, or broken bones to sunburns to dehydration (a topic you'll see come up next...) to heat exhaustion in hot temperatures or frostbite and hypothermia in cold ones. Injuries and illness related to outdoor causes can range from mild to severe. It's hard as a parent and educator to even think about the severe ones. I've been a teacher in a school where a child escaped the playground and was found (safe, thank G-d) running down a busy street. I recently visited the beach with my family this summer and watched S play gleefully by the shoreline. Literally days after we arrived home, a father and rabbi in a community we know well passed away after trying to rescue a drowning student in a different part of the same beach. I could not sleep for nights afterward. But when it comes to those easier to wrap our brain around (or at least a bandaid around) boo-boos, a friend of mine mentioned how important it is for her children to learn how to work through minor injuries and this was a really enlightening spin on the topic. 

So back to the "number one" issue (pun intended)...

"Not bringing enough water. 
Related: a kid needing to use a bathroom."

"Dehydration and bathroom needs."

A couple of months ago, we had quite a scare with S on a very hot day when we walked to and from synagogue on Shabbos. He vomited several times and although we typically do not use phones or cars on Shabbos, we called the pediatrician and rushed him to pediatric urgent care with fear that he was suffering from heat exhaustion. He did get some Zofran, a lollipop and a Gatorade and reported back that it was "the best day ever." He was OK and his vomiting had been more food related than heat related. Nonetheless, in related news, he also recently took his first pee in the woods because this Mommy is going to have her kids hydrate whether or not there is a bathroom nearby...


And now that we're all shaking in our sloggers just a bit, let's talk about the things we feel confident in outdoors:

"I feel confident about being allowed to make as much noise as the kids feel like making! So long as they are crying and making people question my parenting abilities, I feel confident the bears won't come after us!"

"We will find something interesting, be it a bug, plant, geocache, or water."

" I feel confident in making as big of a mess as the kids desire. I also never wonder whether we will discover something amazing whether it's a butterfly in the flowers, a bird nest in the grass, what color the water turns when different colors of chalk are added or what kind of bug is hanging out in the herbs."

It doesn't matter what your WHY is, just that you have one. That you get outside ANYWAY because wherever you are, you're here and this parenting and working with kids thing totally requires a lot of patience, bravery and resilience. In balancing caution and confidence, we work within ourselves. We also impart this onto our children as they grow to strike their own sense of balance. What really struck a chord with me as I collected data and ideas for this series of posts is how, like in so many other areas of life with kids and parenthood, we are faced with so many decisions to make and so many potential risks that it really could become paralyzing. But somehow, we get out there anyway. Whether it's the benefits we see or the wonder we still hold in the great outdoors, time and time again, we get outside ANYWAY. We wipe off tears. We kiss and clean wounded elbows. We nurture wounded egos and celebrate strides in confidence. We live in an era where we could wrap in bubble wrap and plop in front of the TV (wait, isn't bubble wrap an asphyxiation risk? And isn't screen time bad for the eyes and harmful to sleep hygiene? Oh no, more to worry about...) We could ask Alexa what's under a rock outside. We could tell and show our children what's under a rock outside. Or our children could walk into the woods with us and find a big rock and discover how heavy it is to move and then discover a whole hidden city of bugs and worms that were underneath it. All of those experiences have value, but the one they are most likely to recall is the latter.

So how about that fourth question: What kind of outdoor leader are you? Join us in our next post to hear from the hovering helicopters, the free range adventurers and the hybrid hover-rangers... We'll walk the walk and talk the talk and until then...

Happy Playing!

Mad Science Monday: Lemon Volcanoes

Nothing says summer to me quite like the smell of freshly squeezed lemons, so when life gives you lemons--make lemon volcanoes?! Well, that's what we did, anyway for this week's Mad Science Monday as a continuation to our exploration of fizzy science experiments. But unlike our other baking soda and vinegar science activities, this one has no vinegar (and in my opinion, a much better smell).

I was very excited when I found The Best Smelling Science Activity: How To Make a Lemon Volcano on Babble Dabble Do. Truth be told, I've never done fizzy science here with anything other than baking soda and vinegar, so I was just as eager to try it out as my junior scientists, S and Y. I also love that the author of the post explains and expands upon the science behind why lemon juice reacts with baking soda. S has been so interested in volcanoes lately and we had a bag of lemons on the move list in our fridge, so we were ready to go today!

We set up shop with a little prep by me for the sake of saving time, but kids can help with just about every step here as is age appropriate. I cut the bottom off of two lemons for each of the participating scientists so they could sit flat in our trays. Next I cored the top. I squeezed a couple of drops of food coloring into each lemon, a different color in each one to add some color mixing action. Your scientists can choose their colors. I squeezed the juice out of the remaining lemons we had and poured it into squeeze bottles. Little hands love juicing lemons and other citrus fruits, so feel free to include them. I poured a bit of baking soda into a container and added a plastic spoon and a wooden craft stick for scooping and mixing action. Lastly, I added a drop of dish soap into each lemon for extra bubbling action, but you can leave this step out altogether if you want your experiment to be completely taste safe. (That being said, one of our scientists did ask if he could taste the combo of lemon juice and baking soda and declared it was not very yummy!)

And it was volcano time! The boys like to have safety goggles for fizzy science and it's not a bad idea to protect their eyes from splashes that may erupt...

This experiment totally impressed everyone involved! We started by scooping some baking soda into the lemons and the boys got right down to squeezing in some added lemon juice for more bubbling action. Mixing the concoction inside of the lemon volcanoes increased the eruption as well. 

Colors mixed, bubbles emerged, baking soda was added and more lemon juice. When S ran out of juice in his bottle, he decided to test out squeezing the lemon volcanoes and it worked! Y was curious what adding water might do and asked if he could fill up his bottle with some and pour it in. Sure! I always say that fizzy science is self cleaning science. That said, it's messy in action. The bonus is that when it is time to clean it up, you don't need to add any cleaners to the process. A wet rag (and maybe a few dry ones as well) will do the trick. Food coloring can stain, so take the necessary precaution to protect clothing and surfaces, though ours was so diluted by the time it bubbled to the surface, I wasn't worried. S dug right in with his hands and played in the concoction for quite some time, declaring that it felt like soap in his hands! Y poured the remaining baking soda into his tray and mixed it all together. A great time was had by all! 

In related news, we need more lemons...

Happy Playing!

Troubleshooting Tuesday: Get Outside ANYWAY

Late this past spring, I wrote a post titled "I Run a Nature-based Playgroup and I Did Not (and Still Do Not) Always Enjoy Being Outdoor? It is now late in August and with the end of summer closing in, I'm really thinking about the time ahead and reflecting on our time together here at Sprout Scouts Playcamp. In just a couple of weeks, S will be off to full-day kindergarten. Y will begin half-day preschool, three days a week. My nature based playgroup will sprout a new offshoot, our first Forest Story Time session geared toward the play-at-home crowd of children ages 0-3. And, for the first time ever, I'm testing out my grand dream scheme of taking our playgroup across the seasons and year with a monthly session for families and children of all ages all year round. I've read and studied the benefits of time spent outdoors for children of all ages as well as adults. This summer, I've truly experienced how good it is for me and for my family to get out there in the heat, in the rain, in the humidity, with friends, all alone, at the park, in the forest, at the beach, in our yard, at a rest stop to stretch our legs. This summer, I really lived my mantra to get outside anyway. Even when it's hot. Even when it takes 30 minutes to get 3 kids in the car and we only stay at the park for 20. And in looking ahead and reflecting back, I realize how important it is to break down some of these barriers toward getting outside and maybe even liking it.

Carrying an umbrella protects from
a summer drizzle and also provides
traveling shade...

So today I am starting a new series of posts on troubleshooting outdoor challenges. My hope is for these to be more interactive, to learn from others and to gain support in putting the outdoors back into play and the play back into childhood (and adulthood for that matter, but perhaps that's a different blog altogether). And to start us of on a very relevant topic, let's talk HEAT.

The Problem: It's HOT Out There! This summer has been an epic one when it comes to heat. Virginia has its hot summers, for sure, but this year has given us seemingly little break in between those scalding days of summer. In many locations, mornings and evenings are cooler, not necessarily so for this one. But here are some of my own troubleshooting tips for still getting outdoors in the heat of summer:

It's hot out there, but the mud and water in this
creek are nice and cool. Even the rocks feel
smooth and cold in our hands and the trees
provide plenty of shade from the sun.

• Seek shade: wooded areas, parks, places and spaces to splash and play in the mud are often cooler and more tolerable for players of all ages. If you are in a space that does not have shade, can you create it by placing a large blanket or tarp overhead between some trees or stakes or playground equipment? Can you bring an umbrella or tent?

• Dress to Protect: sun protection and in wooded areas, bug protection are important. This might include sunscreen, lightweight clothing with adequate coverage, hats, sunglasses and insect repellent. 



Free sprinkler parks are among
our favorite destinations each
summer for plenty of outdoor
play even when it's hot

Dress for Success: on the comfort end of clothing, choose fabrics that are lightweight and comfortable to you. Waterproof and moisture-wicking materials can be more comfortable when it comes to rising temperatures. Consider footwear as well and if water will be involved in play, having a towel might be useful. Bringing clothing to change into might also be helpful if you or your crew are prone to feeling uncomfortable in wet, sweaty clothing after play.

• Water to Hydrate: having enough to drink is really important in this heat. We need to be mindful to keep ourselves hydrated. We also need to be mindful of little ones who may be so engaged in play they don't remember to stop and drink. Take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool off. Keeping water cool is a little tough in this heat, but planning a little ahead and popping a partially filled water bottle in the freezer can help and many of the new water bottles on the market do a great job of insulating.
• Water to Play: pools, sprinkler pads, safe natural areas for wading and splashing are great ways to keep cool outdoors on a hot day. Consider water in other forms as well--ice is a great play activity for outdoors! Water balloons, squirt toys and other waterplay activities and games can keep everyone cool and happy on a hot day.
• Take it Slow: We are often in a rush to get to a destination, but allowing for a time when outside is the destination and the pace can be slower is important in the heat. Allow for extra time to take breaks, to take drinks, to move more slowly, to sit in the shade.

• Proximity to an Indoor Location: Some public parks have indoor venues. Many libraries have outdoor venues. Consider taking your outdoor play to a space that's near an indoor venue you can use to cool off in.
• Timing and Location: can also be a useful tool. If you're located in a place where it is cooler in the mornings or later in the afternoon/early evening, use that time to your advantage. Similarly, if you know a location that is in full sun during a particular time of day, it may be better to move to another spot. Our apartment gets full sun exposure in our backyard each morning and full exposure in the front year each afternoon. We play accordingly!
• Cool Treats: like popsicles are a great way to cool off outdoors. You can even freeze yogurt or smoothies made at home for an extra pop of protein and nutrition.
• Mobility: how you get there and how you'll move around are all things to consider when setting out for an outdoor adventure on a hot day. It's great to be able to carry a backpack and wear a baby, but it definitely adds to the heat and sweat factor. I recommend traveling as light as possible in the heat, particularly if you'll be walking or hiking. Make room for water and easily transportable snacks (keeping in mind that higher temps lead to faster spoilage if something is perishable). Will your location be stroller friendly or able to accommodate a wagon or will you need to wear and carry your belongings with you?
• Quality over Quantity: on the days is relentlessly hot, take an outdoor "snack" instead of an outdoor "meal." In other words, get outside a few times for 10 or 15 minutes rather than one chunk of lengthy outdoor play. I definitely do tout the value in being in nature long enough for deep play and exploration to occur, but sometimes if it feels like a choice of just staying in rather than getting out for a shorter amount of time, I'd say choose the latter! 

Here are some words of wisdom from others on the topic:

Action Precedes Motivation:

"One day I had a litany of reasons to not go outside. The big reasons for going outside still trumped the little reasons to not go. Still, I had had a baby not too long ago and I was just tired. I decided that I would drive the kids to a place that I liked, and if all we did was get out of the car and walk the parameter of the parking lot, I was going to call it good.

We got there and of course way leads on to way and we ended up walking in the obstacle course. The kids had a good time, and I was able to push the stroller and kind of lean on it. Getting out did the kids good and it did me wonders."--K. Marie, a resident of Alaska and experienced Mom

Find an Activity You Love:

"Kayaking!" was the immediate response of my good friend, Christopher, who lives in Massachusetts. Water sports are a great way to get outside and still keep cool if you live in a location with access to them.

Just Add Water...and Shade!

"I am all about water play when it's hot! I also am blessed with lots of shady places to walk and explore so the heat isn't too unbearable." --Rebekah, a mom of two and early childhood educator, who indeed has designed and set up beautiful outdoor spaces in her own yard as well as an amazing outdoor classroom for her students in Washington state.

Helpful Hints, Fun Activities and Take-alongs:

"My kids use cooling towels meant for golfers on their necks when I remember to bring them." --Adina, a mom and teacher in New York

"...a spray bottle (bonus with built in fan) or even wetting hands and then wetting face with it works... 

frozen apple sauce pouches make a refreshing cool treat afetr being out in the heat a while - they become a cool slush type of consistency." -- Rozee, a mom and teacher in New York City

"...letting the kids play with a water hose with bowls and buckets, ice cube sensory play or eating popsicles, hiding a toy or small car in ice and letting your kids use something to dig it out" are some of the ways Kristen, a mom of 2 in Virginia makes this heat not only barable, but fun.

What are your tried and true methods of getting outside when it's uncomfortably hot?

What are some of the barriers that keep you from getting outside and liking it?

S has found a bit of refuge from the sun in this little playhouse at our botanical garden center.

In our next post of this series, we'll talk about caution and confidence. Taking children outdoors, especially groups of children and those of mixed ages and abilities can come with a set of inherent challenges and concerns. There is a whole world of risky play when it comes to exploring outdoor terrains and with it, opportunities to instill appropriate levels of caution and confidence. How do we navigate this as adults and balance our own sense of fear with our children's need for appropriate and safe levels of independence? 

Stay Cool & Happy Playing!

Mad Science Monday: Volcano Fizzy Science

If the idea of something 'sploding on a Monday morning gets you all warm and fizzy, then this Mad Science Monday post is for you! Whether you are at home with your kids, in a classroom setting or looking for a great take-along for your next outdoor adventure, baking soda and vinegar never disappoint. In fact, last Monday, we took our show on the road at my nature-based play group and held a pop-up laboratory for children of all ages at a local park and sprayground. When it comes to teaching children about science, I often tell parents and educators that you don't need to really teach at all; children are inherently scientific in the way they wonder, discover, observe and explore. Allowing space and time for this to occur naturally is just the fuel that is needed to ignite a lifelong love of learning and to develop the skills necessary for critical thinking.




That being said, a directed experiment or even a set up to explore materials (like those found in nature, or chemical reactions between baking soda and vinegar) can be a great way to bring a little science into your child's life. After a couple of hours of fizzy fun at the park, many children went home slightly colorful from food coloring and begging for more. S was especially interested in making a volcano after seeing a version of this experiment depicted in a Starwars activity book we checked out of the library and after visiting an exhibit on Pompeii at our local science museum with his Poppa last month. Both boys dug right into our blob of potter's clay to build our volcanic mountain. You can also use playdough or even build your mountain from paper mache. It would be really cool to build your mountain outdoors using mud or sand. Since clay was what we had on hand today, it's what we used. The boys smoothed the sides, and pressed a large dent deeper and deeper into the center. I helped pinch up the edges until we were happy with the shape of our mountain. I poured a bit of baking soda into the bottom.

It was time for our eruption to begin! I set out some safety goggles and Y chose to wear his lab coat as well. S discovered he has a unique talent for getting baking soda and vinegar into his eyes last week, so safety goggles are not a bad idea here! We found these at our dollar tree in the hardware/auto care aisle. I filled a couple of empty condiment bottles with vinegar dyed orange with food coloring. I also filled a small container and added a couple of pipettes. The boys got busy with the squeeze bottles first, watching it bubble higher and higher in the volcano until our lava ran right over top!

I can tell you, I've done this experiment many times in my life and it's still fun and exciting! Baking soda and vinegar are inexpensive, easy to obtain and I often call it "self-cleaning" science--it does have a tendency to bubble over, but it likely won't damage your surfaces or clothing. We used a clear plastic file bin to contain the science residue and you can also opt to take this outdoors if the thought of an indoor explosion seems over the top.

 Happy Playing!

This experiment is great for a rainy day. It's a sure to impress an audience if you need an activity for a playgroup, classroom or birthday party. It's budget friendly and pretty fail proof. And the best part? You can do fizzy science again and again and again and it's still fun every time! S and Y have both already requested more fizzy science experiments next Monday--so we'll be back with more! Until then...

A Peek Inside Our Playroom: Late Summer Nature Table

Ah, August. For some, it's the end of the summer. Others are already headed back to school. Here, we are savoring these last drops of the sweet slower pace, but with an eye toward the events to come--beginning kindergarten for S, part-time preschool for Y, some undivided attention for C, and some new adventures and undertakings in my nature based playgroup.

Teachers are busy setting up classrooms. Homeschool teachers are busy setting up learning spaces. And if you're still at home with your crew, you're likely setting up, cleaning up, and repeating daily, multiple times! I had noticed our Nature Table, although holding a collection of several summertime treasures, was still set up from late spring! And here we are, late into the summer, busily investigating the remains of our mammoth sunflowers, reaping this season's fruitful harvest and splashing in the muddy creek in the area where our local chapter of Free Forest School meets up. Yes, we are in full summer swing here!

Part of me is so ready for the season to come. I love Autumn. And part of me is not yet ready to let go of Summer--or all of us being here at home together (even though it is also quite challenging at times).And that part of me likes to plan and set stuff up!  So I've been planning my playgroup's Fall events and today, I decided to spruce up our Nature Table. But let's veer off course just for a minute and touch upon the hows and whys of a Nature Table in your home or classroom...

The Third Teacher: There is a concept in Reggio Emilia based education that talks about the classroom or a child's surrounding environment being the "third teacher" in the room. As early childhood educators set up their spaces right now, many classrooms or learning spaces are set up with a calendar, a space for science, a space for math, a space for literacy... Many teachers will spend time in each of their days talking, singing or chanting about the days of the week, the seasons of the year, the weather outside. And for many this is a struggle. A struggle of maintaining the interest (not to mention the classroom management) of a group of young people not designed for sitting still for long periods of time. Many will wonder why some children "get" it with those pesky concepts of before and after, today, tomorrow and yesterday or why little Billy says it's snowing every single day he is the Class Meteorologist. There is current support and evidence to show that these rituals, while common in classrooms, are not as effective and beneficial to learning as we had previously thought. For most children, the best way to learn about time is to experience it and connect to events in their life. For most children, the best way to learn about the weather is to go outside and be in it. And for most children, the best way to learn to sit still is to move around. Math, science and literacy are all around us, and while having a space and a place for everything is valuable (and necessary) it is also possible for children to develop these skills in all spaces and places quite naturally. A Nature Table, commonly found in most Waldorf inspired classrooms and homes, is a space that can hold it all (albeit on a scale of how much space you actually have). You can experience the season, your geographical location or places you have traveled, local flora and fauna (science), measurement, counting and other mathematical concepts, literacy, vocabulary and more. It is also a space to inspire play and wonder.
Inspiring Play and Wonder in your Nature Table is an act of balance. As with many areas and spaces that adults set up for children, there is the propensity to claim ownership of it, whether intentionally or inadvertently. Oftentimes I set up the Nature Table when the children are asleep. Even once it is set up, I will every so often go over to it in the evening, and arrange something with our loose parts, peg people or fairies. It is a little way in which I communicate a silent message of play and wonder to my kids. And often, when I return a few nights later, I will notice that someone has responded to my playful message and made a change of his own. These little love letters to one another are expressed purely through small world play and it is a whimsical and magical way to connect. That said, I also am aware that my "setting up" this space can also give the impression that it is my space rather than our space. Initially when I first started keeping our top toy shelf as a Nature Table, S didn't even realize he could play with it (and Y couldn't reach it yet). Bit by bit, I've learned to let go of the need to solely control playroom design here. It's not easy because I like a certain aspect of tidiness. But I also have a sincere appreciation for the aesthetics of childhood wonder and play residue. I actually find a child's sense of intention in design to be truly beautiful and artistic.
To encourage engagement with our Nature Table as well as play and movement of materials, I invite the children to choose what we put out, to assist with initial design and set up, to bring things from outside indoors, or from inside to our table. It can be items found from nature or items that are man-made. It can be items that are fragile and require gentle touch. It can be items intended for carrying off the shelf to use (like our mortar and pestle, currently filled with parts of a sunflower). It can be baskets, tins, trays or bowls for filling, holding, observing. Small world play props do not have to be on scale--a bumblebee puppet can be giant compared to a tiny garden gnome. A friendly green caterpillar can be just as big as a Mother Earth pegdoll. Some sunflowers can be artificial; some can be real!


Reflecting the Season is somewhat about what is happening outdoors and in nature where we live, but it is also about what we find interesting and inspiring at the moment.
Last month, the boys were intrigued by sharks. We added a magnifying box with two collected shark teeth to our Nature Table, even though we do not live so near the ocean. And we also added some shells we did find at the ocean while visiting Virginia Beach. And yesterday, while the Sprout Scouts were on first Forest School hike, S found a yellow leaf on the ground. He wanted to know which type of tree it came from. We pulled out our copy of Into the Field Guide: A Walk in the Woods to look up types of leaves and trees. He wanted to know even more about this leaf along with another one we found and an acorn, and so we grabbed another field guide all about trees off our bookshelf at home and set it out at our Nature Table along with our collection of discovered treasures.

Reflecting the People in your room or home is perhaps the most important aspect of a Nature Table. There's no right or wrong. To some, it is important that everything be natural or to some it might be important that small world props be true to scale or made from only natural materials or that this space contain only generic loose parts and not toys with a single function or purpose. To me, it is most meaningful that the space be one for sharing. And with props and materials contributed by all of us from a variety of sources, we can easily accomplish that. It is not a sedentary spot--just like us, it is constantly in motion. Y wanted to bring a wooden prism looking glass and a wooden window block with a sunflower inside. S wanted the field guide about trees to be there and our thrifted tin with pictures of each season is filled with his favorite collection of flocked bears. I added quite a lot of sunflowers! And at the very end, I nestled a couple of books about sunflowers off to the side to inspire some literacy and shared reading. Our Nature Table is very full. Most of the time, I'm a less is more kinda gal. But I'm also OK when more is more. And shifts and tweaks can happen (and will happen) as play and time go on.
Elements of texture, color and curiosity are fun to play with as you design a space for a Nature Table. This time, I added some silk scarves to the bottom. They give a burst of color and a softer feel than just the wood plank of the shelf. A round mirror creates a flat surface that reflects the props on top of it. It will encourage a different way of viewing objects the children use on top of it. Wood, wicker and the earth tones of sticks, stones, seed pods, cones, leaves and acorns all found outdoors set against the more vibrant hues of some of our toys and props creates a pleasing balance. I know we are "ready" with a Nature Table when we all feel drawn to go see what's different. What has moved? What story is being told? What little love letter is being conveyed?
Movement is a key element in our Nature Table. Although it definitely has an element of stillness to it and even a lure to slow down, it's OK--even encouraged--to take things from it elsewhere for play, to bring things to it as they are discovered and collected. It is a picture in motion of life here as we experience it through each day. It is a celebration of each season, of each person and of our most valuable teacher, the world around us.

Happy Playing!