Everyday beauty and small adventures

One of the greatest gifts we can give to children is the time and the encouragement to experience the wonder that comes from the everyday beauty and the small adventures you have every time you step outside your door.

The success of climbing a hill and being master or mistress of all they survey, as their minds lay out stories of dragons and goblins and fairies.















Gazing at the shimmering magic of dew drops on spider webs, rolling their tongues around the slippery, whispery new word 'gossamer'.

Lying full stretch on little tummies to look at the stained glass window of sunshine through dandelion leaves and flowers, green and gold.















Carefully exploring the softness and prickles of teasels, the deliciously naughty risk of a pricked finger.  Staring up from the webby leaves of this year to the sentinels of last year standing tall against the bluest sky.









Playing shops, with flowers as toys and leaves as money. 

Prising apart the flowers to learn about stigmas, anthers, pollen and ovules.  Tripping out the word 'compositaceae' as though they'd known it all their lives and not just heard it for the first time as we talked about how the inflorescences of dandelions and daisies are many tiny florets closely packed, and comparing them with the blue speedwells growing nearby to see the difference between a single flower and a composite one. 


Laughing as they dusted themselves and each other all over with yellow pollen - the daisies are the best.  Grumbling as we head home, because there is always one more adventure still to be had.