Even though we reside in the Las Vegas valley, we are certainly not short of nature filled opportunities and experiences. There is more to this town than casinos, strip clubs, and 24/7 liquor stores. Luckily, Henderson is chock full of family friendly attractions, and we live a stone's throw away from one of our favorite ones!
After grabbing a few maps of the trails, we headed off in search of ducks, bunnies, and all things cute & fluffy! At the beginning of the trek, the kids were a constant blur on the horizon, apparently we move too slow compared to their light speed. After 30 mins of warnings to stay close and threats to 'head back to the car' (which were of course empty), we were fighting an uphill battle and let them loose. Instantly, the imaginative play with walking sticks (aka swords) ensued, as our warriors 'fought' their way through the terrain of an apocalyptical world infested with monsters and zombies. That is until tranquil seeming ducks were spotted minding their own business, floating in the wetland ponds, holding picketed signs reading "Yell at me!" and the kids excitement tripled as they plotted ways to coax the ducks to shore (which, much to their disappointment, didn't work).
Toward the end of our adventure, we were greeted by a community of friendly ladybugs (oh great, now the 10 year old wants to bring home a new pet that just can't survive without her intervention). It was the perfect opportunity for them to really connect to the wildlife here, since all the fluffy creatures were in hiding. Gently picking up and passing them around, the kiddos felt fulfilled in their quest to establish a relationship with nature and agreed that our next stop should be the parking lot. Good! My feet hurt and this 34 lb. 3 year old is intensifying the already strenuous effects of gravity while carrying her. Why didn't I bring the stroller?!
~ Map recognition: Spotting landmarks, determining coordinates, and consulting each other as a team before pursuing. TEAM WORK! Something my little aspie normally fights tooth and nail!
~ Building new found friendships: Meeting other children, with similar interests, similar educational paths, same natural curiosity of learning, and deep yearning to just having fun! And today, that is precisely what they all did. They had FUN!
With a few other families from our homeschooling social group, we met up at the Wetlands Nature Preserve. Starting in the visitor's center, the kids got hands on with interactive exhibits, exploring the inner workings of water flow, the differences in the habitats of various animals that live here, and the importance of protecting this environment.
After grabbing a few maps of the trails, we headed off in search of ducks, bunnies, and all things cute & fluffy! At the beginning of the trek, the kids were a constant blur on the horizon, apparently we move too slow compared to their light speed. After 30 mins of warnings to stay close and threats to 'head back to the car' (which were of course empty), we were fighting an uphill battle and let them loose. Instantly, the imaginative play with walking sticks (aka swords) ensued, as our warriors 'fought' their way through the terrain of an apocalyptical world infested with monsters and zombies. That is until tranquil seeming ducks were spotted minding their own business, floating in the wetland ponds, holding picketed signs reading "Yell at me!" and the kids excitement tripled as they plotted ways to coax the ducks to shore (which, much to their disappointment, didn't work).
Spotting animal tracks along the muddy and paved trails created much anticipation of actually seeing the creatures that left them. Sadly, being January, it was still a bit too cool out and we witnessed nothing beyond the ducks. Crossing bridges and venturing closer to the water reclamation plant, we did however have multiple photo opps with slow moving streams and even a roaring dam/water pathway! A beautiful display of the power that moving water can inhabit, with the audible tranquility of a rushing river. And lets not forget, the kids' opportunity to 'throw stuff at it'... such pleasure from launching pebbles and sticks!
Toward the end of our adventure, we were greeted by a community of friendly ladybugs (oh great, now the 10 year old wants to bring home a new pet that just can't survive without her intervention). It was the perfect opportunity for them to really connect to the wildlife here, since all the fluffy creatures were in hiding. Gently picking up and passing them around, the kiddos felt fulfilled in their quest to establish a relationship with nature and agreed that our next stop should be the parking lot. Good! My feet hurt and this 34 lb. 3 year old is intensifying the already strenuous effects of gravity while carrying her. Why didn't I bring the stroller?!
So, what did they learn from this outing?
~ Life science: The necessities of the creatures who call this environment their home, the life cycle (both living and passed on) and how each creature plays a part in this little ecosystem.
~ Map recognition: Spotting landmarks, determining coordinates, and consulting each other as a team before pursuing. TEAM WORK! Something my little aspie normally fights tooth and nail!
~ Safety: Does this path look clear? Should we take a shortcut through dense thickets without knowing what may lie within it? Will I get to my destination or fall flat on my ass by trying to bounce off these boulders in the middle of the stream? They made choices. They were able to discover and make determinations in the best interest of our group, as the self appointed leaders!
~ Respect for nature: The delicacy of fragile animals and insects, the beauty of the terrain, and just how positive (and negative) an impact that they as humans, can make. Yes, Ayla brought home a new tiny red & black spotted friend. Is it going to live in her homemade habitat of soil, grass blades, and twigs? Probably not. I will attempt to intervene and persuade her to set it free in our neighbor's garden before that happens. But from that, will she learn that the next innocent living creature she happens across, no matter how cute, is probably best left in its natural environment? I hope so... an important learning experience that she won't get from my insistent "no, you can't keep it". Most importantly, they had yet another experience of just how beautiful the world beyond their backyard can be. How peaceful, how tranquil nature can be, and how content they are just simply being observers of it all!
~ Physical activity: Being outside, in the fresh air, scenic walking.... oh so much walking....
But how much activity would they have experienced sitting at a classroom desk? Or on the couch staring at the TV for hours? Or obsessing over video games (which I truly support, by the way, but getting up and out will always trump the Xbox in my opinion).
~ Building new found friendships: Meeting other children, with similar interests, similar educational paths, same natural curiosity of learning, and deep yearning to just having fun! And today, that is precisely what they all did. They had FUN!
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