Trigger Happy Fall Memories for you and Create New Memories for your children

When you think of fall as a child, what do you remember? As a child growing up on the East Coast and in the Midwest, I remember the sound my new school shoes made as they crunched on fallen leaves in the gutter. Then the crushed leaves gave off such pungent smells that they sometimes made me sneeze. I can recall watching wisps of smoke coming out of chimneys and wafting through the neighborhood. These are happy nature memories of autumn that get triggered every year about this time.

What are your childhood experiences from this time of year? What memories can you see, hear, smell, and feel? Are they positive memories? Then think… What do you want your child to remember about fall?

Parents today have to work harder now to give our children the same seasonal experiences we had. I don’t know many parents who push their children out to play with the neighborhood kids the way my mom did. On the other hand I don’t think my mom had to work very hard to make that happen. There was always a kickball game going on down the block or a Martian invasion next door in the play structure. We built extensive cities in the sand box then stopped by the rhubarb plant for a quick, super sour bite. We would be gone for hours until we were called into dinner.

As an outdoor educator, I am lucky enough to spend part of each day in nature with young children. In my Tiny Treks adult/child classes I am often told by parents that Tiny Treks forces them to get outside, even when the weather tells them to stay indoors. And that once they are out, with all of the “right” clothing on, they get a dose of “nature happiness.” That is when we take a deep breath of fresh, damp air and hear the leaves as they fall around us. Or maybe we are listening to the birds and the dripping of the rain on the puddles. Regardless of the weather, we need to get ourselves out the door and into nature for our children and for ourselves as well! As we continue to trigger our own happy fall memories we are also building positive nature fall memories for our children.

With Tiny Treks we are outdoors with a different lesson and location each week. This fall we have themes such as “Farms!” At Farrel McWhirter and “Salmon” at a local salmon filled stream. We’ll also search for bugs imbedded in spider webs and seeds in the field. There are still a few spaces left for September classes. Don’t miss out on the fun! Classes run Mondays or Fridays from 10-1130am.

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