Wild and Free (In Nature)

“The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.”

— Marcel Proust 

When was the last time your child came home from school excited about a worksheet?

Exactly.

Now, when was the last time they got truly excited about a worm they found in the yard… a weird-looking rock… a stick shaped like a sword… or a trail of ants marching across the sidewalk?

That’s the stuff of learning.

The kind that sticks (sometimes literally—on their clothes, under their nails, and inside your car).

Nature is the OG classroom—Original and Generous. It teaches patience, observation, problem-solving, risk-taking, and resilience. And best of all? It doesn’t even try to.

When your child squats down to examine a beetle, count the legs, ask where it lives, and try to build it a leaf fort… That’s science. That’s empathy. That’s creativity.

And they didn’t need a worksheet or a reward chart to get there.

Nature invites the kind of wonder we can’t manufacture inside.

And kids? They’re wired for that kind of learning.

When kids run, climb, build, explore, or even stare at clouds trying to find a dinosaur, their brain is lighting up—firing neurons, forming connections, developing problem-solving skills, spatial awareness, emotional regulation, and creativity.

All this... from just being outside. No flashcards required.

We’re wired to learn through experience, especially in nature.

It’s how our ancestors figured out what berries to eat, how to build shelter, and eventually, how to not touch the fire (after one very memorable mistake).

Quick Tips for Wonder-Filled Ways to Learn Outside (Without Turning Into a Camp Counselor)

1. Wonder Walks

No rules. No destination. Just go outside and wander.

Let your child collect what catches their eye: A feather, a funny leaf, a lumpy rock that they’re convinced is a dinosaur tooth.
Ask questions like:

• “What do you notice?”

• “What do you think this could be?”

• “What would this look like under a microscope?”
  
  Bring a little pouch or basket. Let them curate their collection of “important finds.”
  
  Later, they can sort them, draw them, research them—or just admire them with pride.

2. Create a Nature Station

Think of it as a mini natural history museum curated by your child. You don’t need a big yard. Even a windowsill or a cardboard box works.

Let them display their pinecones, flower petals, bugs in jars (with air holes, please), and treasure rocks. This becomes a place to revisit, wonder about, and expand on.

Learning deepens when we return to what we’ve noticed.

3. Try a “Sit Spot” Practice

Choose one small outdoor spot and visit it daily.

Sit. Observe. Breathe. Listen.

Ask:

“What’s different today?”

“What sounds do you hear?”

“What would this spot say if it could talk?”

Kids who do this even for five minutes a day build emotional regulation, observational skills, and a connection to place.

(Plus, it’s a sneaky little mindfulness practice… and you can totally do it with your coffee.)

You don’t have to “teach” them when they’re outside. You just have to trust that play is the lesson.

But what about summer learning loss?

Ah, yes. The thing we worry about while ignoring the fact that most real learning doesn’t happen on a worksheet anyway.

Want your child to learn this summer?

Let them climb, let them get wet, let them be the boss of their own adventure for a while and let them remember that learning feels good, not pressured.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

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