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Last Updated: Apr 28th, 2010 - 22:06:40 |
Bringing the Outdoors In
By Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes
Apr 10, 2007, 23:26
There's nothing like a warm, sunny spring day. If you wake up early, take the kids outside at sunrise to watch the sky fill with color. Listen to the birds as they begin their flurry of activity. The grass is wet. The air smells clean. The cycle repeats very morning. Take the time to really appreciate it.
When my kids were small, we would often take a walk, collecting small bits of nature along the way. To make a bracelet, I'd tape a piece of masking tape, sticky side out, on their wrists. As we walked, they pressed colorful petals, grasses, small leaves and stones onto their mosaic bracelet.
My girls are in college now, but I still enjoy an early morning walk. Similar to the bracelets we used to make, I gathered vines, leaves, and flower petals to make spring baskets for Easter this past week. Improvising with whatever I could find, I wrapped double sided carpet tape around a couple of small clear glass bowls, as a base for my nature collection.
To create a fanciful bird's nest, I wrapped ivy vines, like a rope, around the outside of one bowl. I lined the inside with moss to showcase my kid's collection of natural dyed eggs.
To another bowl, I pressed flower petals against the outside. Inside, I floated a few roses. In the afternoon sun, the bowl reflected brightly colored, jewel tones across the table like colored stained glass.
Spring is about rejuvenation. Do you have a favorite outdoor space? Pull out the watercolors, pick a spring bouquet, force a few flowering branches, or just find a quite place in the sun to sit and read. Discover a way to bring a little bit of spring indoors.
Don't forget, every day is a great day to create lasting traditions with your family.
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About
the Author(s) : Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes are the co-authors of the award winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out their website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit www.togetherparenting.com |
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