The first snow of the season is always a special day for me. When I lived in northern Idaho we were guaranteed snow during the winter. In our little town in Idaho we made a special trip down to the cafe for hot chocolate. Here in central Virginia it’s much less certain … so very special when it happens. My point? A snowy day is a wonderful opportunity to get out doors and play with your kids. It can be as simple as just standing in the snow and watching it fall or building snowmen but my favorite is a walk in the woods. My walk in the woods this first snow day took me over a suspension bridge and along a stand of bamboo by the creek. I threw snowballs off of the bridge into the water. For me the fun is retaining that sense of wonder little kids have about discovering their universe and keeping it for life.

I play with babies and read to 3 year olds once a week at Elizabeth’s Early Learning Center. I love to read to the kids about animals. (surprise) There is a wonderful new series of books put out by Capstone Press in their Pebble Plus collection about sea life. Here is a link to their site. Sponges, Jody Rake, Capstone Press

What a fantastic find - a series of books about sponges, manta rays, jelly fish, lobsters, puffer fish and more (20 titles total) designed for very young kids. The large format, library bound books feature one very large photo per spread and about four lines of large text. Easy to read and easy to digest. Pre-readers will be fascinated by the topic and the photos. A fun related activity is to have the kids mimic the ways these various animals move around…or don’t more around for that matter. We were using our hands to make lobster claws, slithering like eels and flapping our arms like manta rays.

It is so critical that we teach our children about the importance of biodiversity for all life on earth. What better way to do that then to share the fascinating stories of sea creatures with our preschool children.

A recent article in the Washington Post lamented we may be raising the first generation of “indoor children”. A study by Sandra Hofferth at the University of Maryland found a 50% decline from 1997 to 2003 in the amount of time kids spent outdoors in unstructured play (team sports not included). A growing number of children’s advocates, environmentalists and others are concerned about long term consequences that may affect emotional well being, physical health, learninging abilities and environmental consciousness.

I had the good fortune to grow up on an 40 acre farm. I loved being outdoors and it was easy and safe for me. As a general rule this is not the case today for most kids. The younger children are, the more protective we become in even a suburban environment. That is why parents can make such a difference.

My current animation project is “Who Lives In My Yard?” I love the idea of connecting kids with the myriad of creatures who share our homes with us. Cats, dogs, ant, crickets and squirrels are usually easy to find. Some rather exotic critters can be seen as well. I still get excited when I see a praying mantis, a brilliant green and so regal. The last one I saw was in my garden this summer. I get a fleeting view of a skink now and again as it scurries off. Some kind of critter is usually easy to find in any yard, parking lot or the park. Taking a moment with your child to really observe and appreciate those creatures goes a long way to expanding their universe in a very personal way.