First Outdoor Play

While we are due for one last snowfall tonight, the late day sunlight and blossoming bulbs are proof that Spring is just around the corner. I am a big fan of outdoor/nature play for children so I've been dying to get outside with Kz, especially since he's never crawled on the grass before!

So, when we scored a freak 50 degree day last week, we snagged our chance...

It was so much fun to be able to just plop Kz down and let him roam free. While we've tried to make a pretty expansive play area in our home, there are the inevitable no climb-zones and occasional gates that block off any unsafe areas. I pictured him seeing the front yard as miles and miles of open land just waiting to be explored. Until, of course, he headed straight for the muddy flower beds. Then I was like that annoying GPS lady, recalculating his route at every wrong turn.

Kz LOVED all the crunchy leaves on the ground. He stopped and touched every one he could find. If one was particularly lovely, he would sit up and examine it more closely. Then, inevitably, he would try to taste it. Uh oh. Here comes that annoying lady again...


When Kz was doing something he knew he shouldn't (like eat leaves), he would take off crawling as fast as he could away from me. Like so...

Then, when he thought I wasn't looking, he'd do this...

Yup, that's a leaf.

I distracted him by collecting some special items like a clover, a twig and a rock...

And he found some special things on his own...

Kz also got some quality male bonding time with Daddy. They played ball...

Looked at things from a different perspective...

And rolled around as boys do...

Finally, I stole some precious moments of my own...

 

I can't wait to do some more exploring outdoors with Kz. For younger babies, bring a blanket outside and lie them on their backs. They will love looking up at the moving clouds in the sky and the rustling leaves on the trees. Bringing bubbles outdoors is a guaranteed good time for babies and toddlers alike. Kz was more interested in feeling (and tasting) his way through as much area as he could cover. On the next beautiful day, we will collect some natural materials in a bin to keep. That way we can explore nature indoors even on the gloomiest days!