Hey, mama! Hi, dad! Yes, you. I see you — pushing that stroller around Lake Nevin, sporting your butterfly wings in the parade at Bugfest, grabbing cake pops at Isaac’s, and brushing off sand as you get in your car after a Playco visit.
I see you packing alllll the snacks and the wipes and the extra clothes, and, inevitably, dealing with the I-don’t-waaaanna-leave meltdowns. I see you doing the sometimes exhausting work of getting yourselves and your children out the door and into nature, and I know it is no small thing to arrive at the forest. You know how important this is for your family!
So how can we make these visits more meaningful, healthy and enjoyable? Years of venturing into the forest with my own daughters and with so many sweet children in the Forest Pals community at Bernheim have taught me some tried-and-trues for families who want to optimize time in nature.
- Get into nature on a regular basis in the same places, throughout the seasons. The more often you go, the easier it will be to get going. And forming a relationship with a place can be magical. You could simply walk down your street to spend time at a specific tree or creek. Or you may decide to get to know one of the wild and wonderous trails at Bernheim; my favorite with small children is Bent Twig, and then, when they’re older, gorgeous Cull Hollow.
- Adjust your expectations to follow your child’s lead, speed and needs, and everybody’s experience is smoother. You may only get down into the creek at Rock Run rather than completing the whole trail, and that is perfectly wonderful.
- Be prepared for the season. In the spring and fall, leave the raincoats in the car! In the summer, tote swimsuits, towels, sunscreen and closed-toe shoes along with the ever-present extra changes-of-clothes. In winter, go ahead and just put everybody in their boots when you leave the house so you’re ready for adventure.
- Pack extra snacks and water. When heading out onto a trail or into wilderness, double or triple whatever snacks and water you normally bring!
- Practice some mindful moments together. Ten seconds of silent noticing, or practicing the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise (5 things you see, 4 things you hear, etc.), can bring your family together in perspective and awe, which builds connections, deepens your experience and has serious mental health benefits.
- Bring nature back home with you. Nope, I don’t mean take home all the rocks and sticks (“but Daa-aaaad, I neeeeed it.”). Instead, notice what grabs your family’s attention and then max out the interest and connection with library books, podcasts, art projects, songs, etc.
- Go ahead and gear up now, so that you’re ready for weather when it comes. If you get hand-me-downs from friends or family, then you’re already winning. But local and online secondhand stores can be excellent sources of quality snow pants, rain boots, wool hats and more.
- Last of all, find or create a group of friends that meets outdoors weekly, so that you have an excuse to get out even when you’re tired or when the weather’s more challenging. Forest Pals, the nature school that I founded six years ago, grew out of this same impulse and we still get outside with dear friends every week.
Thank you for giving your children the incredible gift of time spent in nature! Good luck as you venture onward. See you at the forest.
Amy Hettinger Pascucci is the director of Forest Pals, an arts-inspired nature school that operates at Bernheim. She grew up in a log house that her parents built in the woods nearby and strives to likewise give her own daughters a magical upbringing in nature. Learn more about Forest Pals at www.forestpals.org.
All photos by The Frenchs
