Walking with a Toddler Takes So Long Because There’s So Much to Learn

When my son was 2, a walk around my neighborhood could take an hour. There were multiple steps leading up to each house to test one’s strength and agility. We counted each set of steps, sometimes more than once. We looked up at the sky to see clouds and, sometimes, the moon.
Each day something was different in the out-of-doors, in a neighbor’s garden or in the weather. There were sticks to collect, leaves to kick, shadows to jump over, and birds and squirrels to follow with our eyes. Insects and other tiny animals invited close observation with a magnifying glass and my enforcement of the “Do not stomp” rule.
As my son grew older and learned to ride tricycles, he experienced the force of gravity as he worked hard to ride uphill and went heart-stoppingly (mine) fast downhill.
These walks were nature walks, building my child’s knowledge of the natural and human-constructed world through direct experience.
Read Peggy's article, Turn Any Walk into a Nature Walk.
I hope you’ll share your own ideas about learning from nature and observation.
I look forward to hearing your ideas.
Peggy Ashbrook is the author of Science Is Simple: Over 250 Activities for Preschoolers. She teaches preschool science in Alexandria, Virginia, and leads workshops for early childhood teachers.
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flowers
fully experiencing flowers
Looking Flower
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Movement and nature