Spring break play ideas + green hills
Today marks the start of spring with the hills just greening up and wildflower blooms
It’s the first day of spring and it’s finally starting to feel like it. Unfortunately, the wildflower showing is going to be limited this year. We’ll take it, though! I was worried we might not have any at all when the rain wasn’t coming. The small amount we had is making the hills green and the flowers finally pop.
As always, thanks for being a subscriber and hope you get out into the sunshine at this start to spring!
Wishing you time to play,
Michele
As a friendly reminder, make sure you ALWAYS check official sources when you are heading out to any of the locations I share. These are merely suggestions. Only you know what works for your family. Plus, your experience may not be the same as mine — and there can be changes to the hours or unforeseen circumstances or conditions at the suggested locations.
NEW! Question of the Week
Have no idea if the polling function here is going to work! (It didn’t the last time I tried it - so I am starting with a simple question). I thought it would be worth trying again for a little fun factor. Feel free to also reply to this email if you have something to add — and I’ll share the results next week!
Play Trips: Spring break play ideas
Even though spring break is staggered in timing, it can still feel crowded many places for half of March and half of April.
In this blog post, I try to suggest some places to go that are less popular and maybe away from the big crowds.
Jill from Popsicle Blog and I collaborated on this post and it features some classic OC things to do outdoors in spring.
It might not be as lush as some years, but the green hills are here now. It may not last long, though, with the weather heating up.
Each of those blog posts above has lists of play ideas that are mostly free or low cost that will allow you to unplug and unschedule yourself for a bit. The kids need it just as much as you do.
PLAY: Slowing down in a fast moving world
This is the section of the newsletter where we talk about PLAY or connecting to nature each week. I might share a video, an article, a book, or something inspiring. Just trying to help keep you empowered to prioritize play to benefit development and preserve childhood!
Work does not end at 5pm. Extracurriculars and sports sometimes start at sunrise on weekends and fill the day. Always an appointment on the schedule: dentist, doctor, tutoring. Those weeks (months?) when everyone is sick. Anyone can demand your attention at any time via text or the phone in your pocket. Money for childcare is a struggle or maybe not even an option.
I first felt this rush culture as a young parent and I think it’s only become more entrenched over the years to the detriment of childhood.
Slow Parenting is a thing. It’s something that resonated back then for me and it’s something that I can see parents of today seeking to gravitate towards. Or maybe you are already embracing a slower pace and didn’t know it was a movement or parenting style?
My good friend, Susan Sachs Lipman, published a book in 2012 called Fed Up with Frenzy: Slow Parenting in a Fast Moving World. You might have to dig for it online or check it out from your library? I found one copy on ThriftBooks.com. And I also saw that it’s checkout-able as an audiobook.
In the Introduction, she talks about why you might want to become a slow parent. Because, slow parenting:
“creates successful children.
improves physical and psychological health.
allows time for beneficial unstructured play.
allows for valuable downtime.
fosters irreplaceable connection and learning.
allows us to be fully present.
fosters discovery and wonder.
creates family memories.
helps create and pass on beloved family traditions.”
Lastly, “slow families experience purpose and connection.”
I even wrote a blog post and book review about it back then. Here were my key takeaways:
After the Foreward and Introduction, read the last chapter on Slow Parenting first. I think it’s also the shortest chapter, but most important. Suz says: “Because modern life can be poor at marking milestones, honoring free play, and allowing balance and rest, we need to create these things for ourselves. A few intentional changes can help slow your family so you can experience more harmony, joy, quality time, and fond memories.”
Become reaquainted with your own childhood. My kids love it when I share stories of when I was little. I swear, Suz is amazing at remembering all those games we played as kid! She has jump rope chants, hand-clap games, all the classic playground games, and words to campfire songs. Things that I used to know, but forgot. I’m so excited to share these with my kids.
Get in a rhythm. Rhythm and routine are very comforting for me and I know the same is true for my kids. They look forward to family traditions year after year and expect their bedtimes to follow the same pattern every night. Suz suggests even more ways to add little meaningful rhythms to days, seasons, and celebrations.
Go outside. I can tell you where to go, but Suz has some creative ideas on what to do when you get there. A whole chapter on gardening with kids and another on being in nature round out the beauty of this book for me.
Anyways, I’ve been thinking a lot about how it feels like there is no time for childhood these days. You feel like you are always moving fast or planning for the next scheduled event, the next developmental step, the next challenge, the next, the next, the next!
It’s okay to slow down and focus on where you are at for a while. I wasn’t perfect at it, but we sure strived for slowing down every step of the way and I can honestly say that all those benefits she talked about in her introduction were true for our family life. We have no regrets!
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