Good Saturday Morning!

Good Morning all and welcome to Grow Me a Playground! The sun is shining brightly in my dining room window, teasing me, it appears warmer outside than it really is. I step outside anyway and a cold blast of air catches my breath. It takes second, but my breath returns and I think, "this isn't so bad." Stepping further into the sunlight, I tilt up my chin and enjoy the sun's warm rays on my skin. Sure, it's cold, but the sun is warm and I'm bundled up enough to block out the bitter wind. Just a few minutes and I am refreshed and ready to face my day.

Sometimes we need a little reminder, a gentle push, to stop what we're doing for a minute, step away from the computer, and go get some fresh air. For some of us it can be like starting a new good habit. We learn to stop and think, "have I been outside yet today?" Sometimes all we need is five minutes of sun and air, especially as the winter season sets in, to refresh our mind and spirit. So bundle up the kids, the dog or just you and go outside and play. You are free to do this!

And when you have had enough and you are ready to go back inside and warm up with some hot tea or hot chocolate, you can always turn to this site for more inspiration and support.

It's a beautiful day out there..go get it!

Tip of the Day: "Playtime. Take the toys outdoors. Scooper trucks and dump trucks, dolls, coloring books, whatever your children enjoy playing with. Move it all outside and give your children the opportunity to play with their favorite things in the fresh air" (Ward, 2008, p.82)

Ward, J. (2008). I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to help you & your kids discover the wonders of nature. Boston, MA: Trumpeter Books.

Just for Fun-A Gardening Tale

From Fever 1793-By Laurie Halse Anderson

"Gardening at dawn in a thin shrift and with loose hair was nearly fun. I felt like a sprite or a hungry leprechaun, turning over leaves in search of a treat, looking under weeds for a pot of gold, or perhaps a turnip. Gardening in nightclothes could become a new fashion, I thought. Imagine plump Mrs. Ogilvie planting radishes in a red-striped nightcap. That would be a sight to turn Philadelphia on its ear!"-Matilda Cook, p.131

A Play Poem

In the Midst of Right Now

To Play
is to meet the divine
in the midst of right now.
To Play
is to move and be still
to laugh
to cry
to dance
and to be surprised
by passion.
To Play
is to discover depths of love,
compassion, justice, and forgiveness.
To Play
is to jump on a rainbow
and swing from cloud to cloud
scattering seedbuds of creativity.

By Kate Ransohoff
(Lawson, C.S., Ed., 1996, Forward)