In 2008, myself and a colleague presented at an Early Childhood Conference in Perth called Connecting Children with Nature. We were so excited to share our experiences and passion with other enthusiastic early childhood professionals. We were also priveliged to meet Claire Warden, an amazing educator from Scotland who is a revoluntionary when it comes to nature education
The images I saw and the stories told at this conference have stayed with me and I promised myself that my son would be able to explore the natural world from the moment he arrived. Unfortunately it is winter, so our time outdoors is a little restricted by the weather, but we have been trying to get out and about!
Our latest venture has been exploring a beautiful new section of path that loops the lake and even goes out over the water. We started walking and Bodhi seemed very impressed to be sitting upright in his pram, taking it all in. The sounds of the birds, the smells (some good, some not so much!) and the sights. Although at times, I did wonder about his interest...he seemed happy simply licking his overalls and inspecting the elephant print on his wrap!!
But I figure that if we make it a habit to get outdoors and explore our beautiful lake area, he will start to notice more and more and as he grows older it will become a catalyst for conversation and imagination!!
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