Rebecca Cohen (3)Reseñas

This book is broken down by season, which I thought was great - when you need an idea, it's quick to flip to the section that is relevant. A few of the specific ideas were also creative, but most were quite generic, like "Take a nature walk", and the book is very repetitive. "Take a nature walk in the winter", "Take a nature walk in the fall", etc.

There were little nuggets here and there that I enjoyed, and I think they simply would have been better if condensed and made into a blog post, or even a short series. But a book? The author simply didn't have enough to say to fill a book.

In the day and age of technology, getting outside, learning the seasons, and different things like that are always a good idea. The author walks you through, and offers ideas for getting the kids (and yourself) outside more often.

I picked this book up on a whim during one of our weekly trips to Barnes & Noble for story time. I needed some inspiration. The winter has been long and cold. For weeks at a stretch the only time we would be outside was to walk from our home to our car, from the car to our destination. I'm a library person who doesn't re-read, so I buy very few of my books in physical format, but I knew this was a reference book, it wouldn't do any good to check-it out from the library and read it, only to return it in three weeks.

All I can say is that I'm really glad this little book caught my eye. The author is herself the mother of two boys and like me felt like they just weren't getting enough time out of doors. So she made a resolution to spend 15 minutes outside, every day, no matter what the temperature and whether. And then she wrote this book for me. I mean for other families who felt like they were stuck in the same rut. She has divided the book first by season, and then further by month. For each month she has one activity listed for each day. Many of them revolve around her passion for gardening and ideas on how to involve the children. Hopefully someday I'll have somewhere to put a garden, but as an apartment dweller who has a balcony that gets no sun, those ideas will have to wait. Many of the rest of the ideas involved such things as taking walks, exploring the natural world, studying the night sky, learning about animals and plants, picnicking, and playing games together. Some of the ideas were simple - sit under a small tree and think small thoughts then sit under a big tree and think big thoughts and then discuss with everyone else (good for a humid summer day when you don't want to be moving around a lot). Others were inventive, solar s'mores without the use of a campfire comes to mind. Not to mention the ones I just plain wouldn't have thought of, like letting the big kids take their homework outside.

However, It is the games I'm most grateful for, though I enjoyed many of her other offerings as well. Growing up on the edge of town in a large family on a large piece of property, we rarely had friends over and rarely spent time in the company of others. I never learned many of these game such as jump the river, ghost in the graveyard, faucet tag (or toilet tag if you ask her kids), crocodile, sharks and minnows. I know that with three boys all of these games will get lots of play.

This book was every thing I expected it to be and more. I know that I will be reaching for it time after time when I need a little push or inspiration. It has also inspired me to resolve to get my own family out doors every day, even if just for 15 minutes.

This is as much about WHY to spend more time outside as HOW. Cohen's suggestions range from super-simple (take a walk) to more involved (find a farm that offers sleigh rides), but most can be accomplished with items most families already have on hand. She offers general tips for each season and each month, then offers specific activities (one for each day in the month). The activities definitely reflect her own suburban location (there are plenty of parks, but not much actual "nature" in my neck of the woods, for instance), but many--like drinking hot cocoa outside in the winter--will work for anyone. Definitely worth reading if you are someone who needs concrete suggestions and reminders to get moving.

This book exists because parent Rebecca Cohen asked herself: "What if I got outside every single day, and what if I could get my kids to come along? It would be easier to pull this off in the middle of summer, but what if we did it all year round, no matter what the weather was like?"

This book provides a different activity for children and parents to do outdoors for each day of the year. The book presumes one has a large yard and a mild climate (the author lives in Virginia), so one may have to adapt a few things to one's own circumstances. Cohen is also really into gardening so probably about a quarter of the suggestion have to do with planting, weeding, and harvesting vegetables. Nevertheless, this book is chock full of creative suggestions to make spending time outdoors a fun daily activity varying by season. As a parent, it's good to have a reference to help get started because sometimes you just can't think of a convincing reason to go outside, especially when it's too cold or too hot.

I listed some of my favorite suggestions below. One may also download "50 Outdoor Activities for Busy Families" from Cohen's website (email required).

Cohen also provides a number of websites to go to for more ideas:

• Look up pictures of animals to look for by region of the United States at: www.nwf.org/WildlifeWatch


• Monarch Watch: www.monarch watch.org/waystations


• Composting: www.composting 101.com


• "Games Children Play(ed)” by Stanley Ransom.


• www.AllAboutBirds.org


• www.Backyardnature.net


• www.RockHounds.com/rockshop/rockkey


• www.nwf.org/ naturefind


• www.backyardcampout.org


• www.Dragonfly-Site.com


• www.Bats4Kids.org


• www.WhatsThatBug.com


• www.Wildflower.org


• www.FriendsOfTheCreeks.org


• www.HelpTheHoneyBees.com


• www.SwimmingHoles.info


• www.BeOutThere.org


• www.KidsPlayParks.com


• www.Discover-TheForest.org


• www.Insecta-Inspecta.com


• www.A-Z-animals.com


• GoExploreNature.blogspot.com

Favorite Passages:

"While your kids are outside enjoying sunshine and physical exercise, why not have them exercise their imaginations as well? Encourage them to climb a hill and pretend it’s Mount Everest, build a fort with tree branches, or prepare a pretend feast using leaves as plates and wild berries as the main course. Ask them about stories they are reading at school and at home, and join them in acting out their favorite parts. Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series is perfect for this, but there are hundreds—even thousands—of great children’s books (and movies and even video games) to draw on. Folk tales like “The Three Little Pigs,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” and “The Gingerbread Man,” or children’s favorite board books such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury are a great place to start."

"Close your eyes and have your child lead you to a tree. Use your senses—touch, smell, and hearing—to learn all you can about your tree. The bark will have its own texture, tiny buds may be forming on branches, and the trunk will be easy or hard to get your arms around. With your eyes still closed, have your child lead you back to where you started. Open your eyes and try to find your tree. Now it’s your child’s turn!"

"A female entrepreneur once told me that when she was a kid, her mom would tell her to sit under a small tree and have small thoughts, and then sit under a big tree and think big thoughts. Try it with your kids, and have fun discovering what each of you thinks about."

"Some days are so dreary, you find yourself wishing for even a little brightness and beauty. Trust me, even in February, it’s out there—but sometimes your family has to work together to find it. Bring in everyone’s perspectives and head out to find something that is beautiful. Each person’s job is to look until they find something in nature that they like and to share why."

"Red-tailed hawks mate in March and April and usually make their nests in the tallest trees, and they might even take over a nest that a great horned owl used in January and February. I learned this tip from David Mizejewski, naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation. And sure enough, for several days in March I heard loud and unusual birdcalls. When I looked up, there were hawks locking talons in flight. Find out from your local nature center when to look for hawks."

"As the leaves fill the trees, it may not be as obvious that there are large sections or large branches that have fallen from trees. As you walk, notice fallen branches; see if your child (perhaps with your help) can find which tree a specific branch fell from by looking."

"A cousin in France once said that she did a sociology experiment in college and asked people to purposefully look up and around for a day. What she found was that it not only opened people’s perspective to the physical beauty around them, but also to a more psychological openness of possibilities. Take this idea into play with your child when you walk outside and start looking at what is above your eye level, and take turns pointing out what you see."

"This one is adapted from a tennis camp game, and it works whether you have two people or ten. The “coach” throws a tennis ball across an imaginary line to each person standing and lined up in a row facing the coach. If you do not catch the ball each time the coach throws it to you, you lose a limb (e.g., put an arm behind your back, then stand on one foot or sit down, until finally you have no limbs left and are out). The last person left wins and becomes the coach."

"Pick a day every week to go out to the same spot with a notepad and pencil and write about or draw the changes you notice that are taking place in nature. Or keep a notepad and colored pencils in the car for your child to sketch the changing landscape as you travel around. Have them present their art to you, and write down their story beside their art if they can’t do it themselves."