365: Wildlife Day

September 4 is Wildlife Day. This is a day to take time to marvel at the wonder that is wildlife. Jude and I celebrated by going to see some wildlife in their most natural habitat, the wild!

Jude has been walking some independently, but he can fly around when holding someone's hand. So, we held hands and enjoyed what Blue Ash Nature Park had to offer. I did my best to let Jude guide me to what he was interested in. We inspected a large stick and counted each of the nubs on it. We touched and smelled black eyed susans. We watched a squirrel run around gathering food and a blue bird fly from tree to tree. We carried around a rock and a leaf after talking about their texture and color.

When all of our wildlife and nature hunted ended, Jude took some time to play on a very shaded playground that was meant for under 4 year olds. There are two other large play structures in different sections if you want to go with older children. It was nice to let Jude play in an area that I didn't have to worry if he was going to fall off something 5 times his height. Jude explored his surroundings at the playground as well. He tossed mulch like it was confetti. He worked on balancing while walking over uneven surfaces independently. He climbed (and climbed and climbed).

It was such a duh moment for me, but I sometimes forget how easy, refreshing, and educational going on a small hike is. Purposeful play doesn't need to be expensive or take hours to prepare. Sometimes you just need a nature park where you can play, count, identify colors, and take a beat to let your little one explore this big world.

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365: Wildlife Day