The kids have been asking over and over this week to take a nature walk, but it has been so hot that I have not really wanted to go on one. Today was only 92 degrees compared to the usual 100 this week. So, we went. Bethany, Piper, Tess and Bella wanted to go and they all took their nature journals to write and draw in as we walked around. I decided on a place near the river that we had not previously visited, hoping it would not be crowded. It was great. We only passed about 5 people the entire time we walked and we were there several hours.
This ended up being such a great place to walk and there were so many things they could do. They loved the creeks and all the muddy, marshy places. They were running and playing in the water and hoping to find a few frogs. They did not find any frogs but there was plenty of other stuff to watch and try to catch – butterflies, dragonflies, and tons of bugs and minnows.
They had so much fun that they didn’t even stop to write in their journals. They usually at least like to draw what they have seen, but today was so much running and playing that they saved journal writing for later. It was a great place and they were already asking to go back before we left.
They told me it reminded them of the book Gone Away Lake that we read this spring – the bugs, butterflies and all the mud that they claimed sucked them in and would not let them move. Bethany actually lost her shoe in all the mud and went home without her shoes. At least they were only flip flops.
It was a great day and we will definitely go back. We left and got Happy Meals and ice cream on the way home which is Piper and Tess’s favorite. They will always remember that I bought them Happy Meals in China almost every night and they absolutely loved it. They still love to get a Happy Meal and ice cream.
