Wild Child: Embracing the Short Adventure

I often find myself thinking that I don’t have time for an outside adventure. In my mind I need a few hours to take the children to a forested or natural space, plus packing snacks and drinks. Don’t forget the clean up! But do I really?

An adventure is anything that pushes you to look at things a little differently or try something out of your comfort zone. It can be short! 15 minutes is plenty. Just a pause and change of pace.

We can draw with sidewalk chalk before starting our day, or splash in puddles after dinner. We can examine the bugs crawling under our step or make music with sticks. And once we get outside, we usually feel happier, even if it is for a short time.

Recently I took a walk with my youngest son around the grassy space behind our home before starting to make dinner on a very windy (and busy) day. We looked at the thistles poking up through the grass, we noticed beetles on some flowers, and we spotted a baby bird holding on to the fence. It was a short but precious time together as my son shared what he saw. I quickly returned to finishing dinner and working, but that time changed the tone of the evening. Even better that short adventure filled our dinner conversation for several nights.

This is my Newton’s First Law for parenting:  An object (me) at rest will stay at rest (and probably feel tired and maybe a little grumpy) until acted on by an outside force.  So I have learned to embrace the short adventures. Whether we simply play tag, poke sticks into the garden dirt, or toss a ball, the fifteen minutes flies by and the pause in our routine feels refreshing.

If we play before heading to work/childcare in the morning, before dinner time, and before getting ready for bed, we have already spent an extra 45 minutes outside instead of bouncing off the walls inside.

What about you? Can you find time to have a short adventure today?

Written by Tandy Morton, Wild Child Playgroup Facilitator