Summertime is a wonderful opportunity for parents to explore and play with their children.
For children, summertime is synonymous with exploration and play. Play is an act of imagining. When children go outside to run, skip, and jump, they create a different form of knowing.
The benefits children receive from the hands-on play process are true for adults too and it creates wonderful moments of togetherness which is understood as quality time, and you may find you awaken your own inner child.
Hands-on creative play can come through open-ended reusable materials such as fabric, ribbons, buttons, plastic caps, straws, toothpicks, washers, wire, wood, mat board, foam, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, etc. Many of these supplies can be gathered by a family over time and kept in plastic bins
with lids. Many local businesses have supplies they can no longer use, and it can be quite fun to search for these things with your children. Creating a "maker space" in your home of supplies in bins is easy to do.
Summer is also a great time for nature walks and living in the moment. Children are curious and have a natural desire to explore the world around them and are continuously discovering new environments, and ideas that shape their understanding of the world.
The discovery process is a cornerstone of childhood development. Through play, observation, and experimentation, they learn about cause and effect, relationships, and their own capabilities. This process often requires open-ended exploration, encouraging problem-solving skills and inspiring a
lifelong love of learning.
Exploring nature with your child;: An introduction to the enjoyment and understanding of nature Hardcover by Dorothy Edwards Shuttlesworth is a wonderful resource for exploring nature in a safe and appropriate way.
Enjoy your time with your children this summer and rediscover your own inner child.