An Everlasting Love of Nature

Earth Day is everyday. Last summer I found a hidden treasure at a local book sale. I scored an aged copy of Exploring Nature with Your Child :: An Introductory to the Enjoyment and Understanding of Nature by Dorothy Edwards Shuttlesworth. I cracked the spine, read the 1952 copyright date, and dug into my nearly free handbook. I was awed by the intro, this my friends is what I feel Earth Day is all about:

“Children are natural explorers. They have the true explorer’s interest in their immediate surroundings as well as far away places, and they are eager to know why things are as they are. If you are a wise parent you will look upon these qualities in your child as a sacred fire–always to be fed, allowed to die out never. An inquiring mind and zest for living are essential for a rich, interesting, and worth-while life. Childhood is a time to nourish and strengthen these fine qualities. Just as your child is a natural explorer, you are a natural guide.

You can be a fellow explorer, too, enriching your own life as well as your child’s. As you look back on your own early years, you may recall the first time you noticed a bud opening into a flower, a bird building its nest, two colonies of ants battling each other. You may remember that such intimate glimpses of nature gave you a real thrill. Now, as a parent, you can find still more pleasure in learning about the ways of animals and the wonders of plants as you share your observing with your child. No need to go on a safari through Central Africa–delightful discoveries await you in your own back yard, in city parks and suburban gardens, along forest trails where you may hike, and by the side of lakes and streams or the ocean where you may vacation.” {Source}

Over the next week we’ll share over 50 tips on how to keep that “sacred fire fed” as well as how to “enrich your own life.” I cannot wait to share our family adventures. The week will conclude with a free downloadable  Screen-Free Week To-Do List. We will be signing off the internet, turning off the TV, and powering down the iPad for 7 days, from April 30th through May 6th, to celebrate the earth, family, friends, and good old fashion offline life. Would you like to join us? Even it is for just a day?

Today join the Kid’s Co-op in honoring Earth Day. Below you’ll find a variety of fun & educational crafts! Check out last week’s collection of projects too. Enjoy celebrating this special day over the weekend, but keep in the back of your mind that Earth Day is everyday.

Come back Monday and join me on this lifelong adventure. Next week we will explore over
50 Simple Tips for Creating an Everlasting Love with Nature.

Catch you on the flip side,

PS: THANK YOU to everyone who shared ideas last Friday.

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You can join the Kids Co-op in two ways:

1. Add a link to your play-based post here and have it shared on all the other blogs who are hosting. Please share a link to this post on your blog, facebook or twitter and invite your readers to join in with the idea swap.
2. Become a Kid’s Co-op host yourself. We would like to grow the link-up as a collaboration of child-focused bloggers. If you’d like to run the Kids Co-op link up along with us and feature it on your blog each week, get in touch and join the gang.

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Notes to Fellow Bloggers:

• We are looking to team up with other fun kid’s blogs to create something we fondly call the Kid’s Co-op. A weekly group of blogging parents who do a joint link-up with their readers to showcase some of the hippest kids projects out on the web. Blogs of all sizes are welcome. If you are interested, request to join our private Facebook group by clicking here.
• Stop by every Friday and add your link. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the community, so it’s like linking up to multiple parties at once! We currently have 60+ bloggers participating.
• Each week we will try to choose favorite posts to feature. By linking up you are giving us permission to use an image and link back to you (if featured). You will also get a ‘Featured on’ button to proudly display on your blog.
• Visit other posts that catch your eye. Keep these other bloggers inspired by commenting on posts that you find interesting or creative.
• The Kid’s Co-op Members will be reviewing links and sharing their favorites on our group Pinterest board which has over 200,000 followers.

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*Photo credit: Thanks to Carly for sharing this amazing photo of her sister under creative commons! It is beautiful & we are honored to be able to use it for today’s post.