Field Trip to the Lake

G's school did a class trip to a nearby lake which also has an outdoor education center. It was a cold and rainy day, but we had fun anyway (although I was relieved that I brought the kids winter coats since we were outside for a long time.)This is part of the class, including S, and one of the teachers. The lake gets a bit of wind and it was pretty cold overlooking the water. We took the picture and headed back right away. The teachers also encouraged the kids to find a rock, a stick and something alive. One of G's classmates even found, and collected, a slug. G was more excited about all the puddles to stomp in, since she was wearing her boots!
We've since been back to the lake with a friend of S's on a warmer day, and had a great time playing on the rocky beach. I think we'll be headed back more often to this delightful spot.

I've also been reading The Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. Its central premise is that children need more exposure to the natural world and that unscheduled time in the natural world helps children think better, learn better and cope better with our world. I'm not yet finished with it, but I find the premise intriguing. As a result, I'm trying to provide the children with more free play opportunities in the natural world. This means not just going to the playground, but visiting places like this awesome lake, and letting them just play.