Playing outside

As a teacher I used to tell the parents the first week of school... dress your child to play outside everyday. We will be going out unless the weather is really bad! I then went on often to explain what dressing to play outside means, for some reason parents don't always understand that frilly dresses and sandals make climbing and running very hard! Now, for all you parents of little girls, I have/had no issue with dresses (I did encourage parents to have their daughter wear shorts underneath), but would rather see slip ons, or buckle shoes rather than sandals (yes even her in FL).

Blake LOVESSSS to play outside. If he had a choice, I think he'd stay out for hours on end! Most of my best pictures are of him running and playing outside. I know there are parents who do not take their little ones outside and I just don't get it. Blake loves to play in the grass. He brings out his wagon and some of his trucks, but would be just as happy to run around and look at the birds, the sky and feel the wind blow his hair.

There is so much learning that takes place when he plays outside. He learns the colors when we talk about the things that he sees. He learns that sticks should not be chewed on even if Abby does! He is very good at listening when I ask him to put things down and /or not put them in his mouth. He knows where the doors are on both sides of our screened in porch and tries to open them (he has a ways to go with that since the latches are over my head!) He hears the birds and other animals playing and we talk about them as he listens.

Oh and don't forget the best benefit... exercise! What is better to wear out an energetic toddler than to run and run and run and run????