Earlier this week was officially the first day of spring and I am beyond excited for the flowers and nice weather to stick around. I love transitioning indoor activities to the patio once the weather is decent. Being outside can offer simple joys. We recently took to the picnic table on the patio. I clipped some paper to the table and brought out the paints. We created masterpieces, the likes of which would be sure to inspire Van Gogh himself. I love watching the focus on my little ones' faces as they put brush to paper and bring their imaginations to life. It’s interesting to watch how each of my kids concentrates and creates—their methods unique as their personalities.

I listened to a podcast a while back that discussed nature vs. nurture. Instead of focusing on the age-old debate, the host highlighted a different perspective. What if as parents, we chose to nurture our children’s nature? If we started to focus on the things that bring our kids joy and cultivate that—how beautiful that could be. There is a book we were gifted titled, Scribble Stones, by Diane Alber. The picture book follows a stone’s journey from a pile of rocks to his place as a paperweight. He doesn’t think being a paperweight is very exciting until he meets the scribbles. The scribbles think they know how to bring the rock more joy to his job as a measly ol’ paperweight. They ask if they can scribble on him. Once he gets his color, he realizes he can share his color and positive message with other rocks just like the scribbles did with him.

I loved the message in this book, but I also love how you can create an activity along with it. Read the story and talk about what makes the paperweight stone special. Ask them what makes them special. Think of ways to brighten their scribbles…nurture their nature. And then grab some rocks from the yard, the paints, and brushes, and create your very own scribble stones. This will build a stronger connection with your children and make them feel special in the process.

If you don’t want to paint rocks don’t worry, here are some of our other favorite springtime activities:

·         Have a picnic in the yard.

·         Paint or color on paper outside.

·         Take the Kinetic Sand outside…you could even fill your water table with the sand if it isn’t warm enough for water play.

·         “Wash” toys outside (basically, just let them play in the water with their hands.)

·         Book walks

·         Chalk

·         Elevate your average board games by playing them outside.

·         Bubbles!

I hope to see you all at Busy Bean Play Café today at 10:30 and/or 1:00 for the T-Rex and Tuck Explore Outer Space Immersive Storytime.

Have a great weekend and as always, happy reading.