In the Fall I have a memory of falling leaves in our home on Warwick St! The Sycamore trees were full at once and all of a sudden there was only branches left. On a walk we would go along with the wind following my boys and their little feet's with world winds that circled them with the falling leaves of the trees. Another day there would be mountains of leaves that my boys jumped into, tumbled and threw leaves everywhere! This was it! The secret that was in a child's heart. Not one dollar was spent, not one trip to a toy store, not one mess that urgently needed to be cleaned up. It was in their natural environment that their very own nature came to explore. What was the secret? It was the nature of a child's heart provided with an opportunity to explore and provoke that window of opportunity.
There are thousands and billions of neurons in a child's brain waiting to be stimulating in order to continue to build connections in the development of children every day. Are we providing them with these opportunities to make such connections if not why? If so please share how you are doing this? Tell a story of your child's secret treasure please. My boys were only young once and I indeed cherished every moment.
Every fall we explored with the fallen leaves, pine cones, sticky balls and more. Mommy handed them lunch bags to gather all the pine cones and sticky balls. They than lined up in a row and competed on who could throw the farthest sticky ball across the grass field, exploring with pine cones. The question was asked are they alive? What happens when we wet a pine cone? The secret place of a child's wonder was at work! These moments did not cost anything more than what children want most -that is our time! Nothing can be more productive for children especially when they have such great secrets to share in those treasured moments. I found laughter, dirty faces, muddy laces but lots of satisfied hearts at the end of my days and my pillow never felt so good!
