Toddlers and preschoolers show early signs of collecting as they gather items and plead for them not to be disturbed or thrown away. These “early collections” are often boxed, bagged, hidden in drawers …even pockets! But as much as these items might clog a vacuum or attract a few ants; these collections tell stories.

When you come upon a collection sit down with your child and ask questions. Why did they like the item? What do they want to do with the item? Empower your child to build a story; inanimate objects to us, take on a life of their own for a child. If it is an animal or item which should be returned to nature, help your child learn what a habitat is and why it should be released responsibly.

We’ve got a great activity for you this week – Collection Containers! Celebrate the discoveries by acknowledging the power of discovery. With a cylindrical package like a coffee can or oatmeal box and a toilet or paper towel roll and some potential found treasures to decorate with – you will have a safe place for everything.  (we like to keep ours next to the washer – a great place to empty pockets).

Follow along and share your creations with us on Facebook. Let’s Go Chipper!

Swiftly, the pan comes out with eggs and butter ready to go. Standing by her side making sure all is safe; the eggs get cracked, the bubbling sounds send wafts of morning breakfast flavors throughout the house. Bagels in toasting, the game going into overtime, Brazil scores, minutes to go, cross-kick and US heads it in. Game tied again! What will the results be?

For now, we call victory for Sunny Side up and the sunshine will just have to wait.

The Melchionda Family’s First Camping Trip:

Preparing for our first overnight foray proved to be a bit of work – between buying new gear, meal planning, packing bags for the whole family and getting everything in the car, I have to admit I was wiped out by the time we hit the road! But, for the kids, the planning and preparation was a big part of the fun. They delighted in packing and unpacking their back-packs, had a blast breaking in new sleeping bags on the stairs, testing flashlights – in each other eyes – and choosing which favorite toys to bring along.

To prepare for what to expect on our camping adventure, we read stories about camping and made our list of the things we hoped to see on our adventure. For my kids, this list included: roasting marshmallows and making s’mores, ghost stories, looking at stars, being dirty and waking up really, really early in the morning. I agreed that I liked those things too, except the waking-up early part.  My list also included watching my kids play in the campsite, the sounds of their laughter against the backdrop of crickets & a crackling fire, snuggling up as a family in our tent and the smell of the smoke in their hair. Helping the kids prepare for the camping experience was an important part of the process – it helped them know what to expect, and to enjoy the experience fully. Happy to report that our trip was a success, we returned home happy, tired and very, very dirty.

Childhood is a special time because it provides an opportunity to test limits (while still having a caregiver close by even when unnoticed). This summer, promise yourself to slow down, stop and let your child play, take risks and get dirty. Take off your shoes, dig in the dirt, roll in the grass, and don’t brush your hair. Relax, laugh, and be silly! It’s summer, after all!

Research actually shows that the effects of not letting a child play and take risks are actually more detrimental to the emotional and physical growth of a child than the risk associated with a child climbing a tree. So let yourself say “okay” the next time your child wants to explore.

Here are a few ways Chipper will be going out on a limb to celebrate the freedoms of summer:

• Looking under logs & rocks to find bugs!
• Climbing trees
• Planting seeds and watching what grows
• Moonlit hikes in jammies past bedtime!
• Family camp-out (even if it’s only right in your backyard)

Join us in the great outdoors.

Earth Day is right around the corner (April 22) and I gotta admit, I’m a little stressed about it. But not for the reasons you might think. See, we try to celebrate the earth in some small way every day. So how can we possibly make Earth Day something special?

 Of course, there are plenty of activities to choose from. Plant a tree. Pick up litter at a favorite beach or park. Hang a bird feeder. Go for a hike. Enjoy a picnic. Read a book beside a favorite tree. The list of possibilities is nearly endless. And each of these small actions has a big impact – especially when shared with kids. Spending time in nature connects kids to the world around them and gives them reason to care about it.

Take it from me. My two kids (who are 6 ½ and 3 years old) have been spending time outside climbing trees, digging in the dirt and exploring trails since they were old enough to walk. These days they care about the trees, flowers, birds, streams and meadows as much as many of their favorite books and toys.

And that’s saying a lot.

So we’ve decided that the best way to make this Earth Day a little extra special is to share our love of the planet with friends – just like Chipper does!

Weather permitting, we’ll enjoy some time at our school’s learning garden. We’ll go on a bug hunt, plant some wildflowers – maybe even read a favorite book on a patch of grass. Whatever we do, we’ll be spending time outside with others.

What could be more important for our planet than that?

To learn more about Debi and her blog, please visit www.goexplorenature.com

 The Let’s Go Chipper! Into the Great Outdoors tour kicks off April 1st – no fooling and we have big plans for Earth Day (April 22). It’s our get-ready for summer program but every day is an opportunity to connect and experience the great outdoors.  Each month will be packed with get-ready fun dedicated to one of three themes: the planet, our parks and the people who dedicate their lives to preserving them.

The Chipper Team will be leading events in local communities, state, and national parks, and retail locations to help families gear up and get ready for explorations in nature. There will be story times, guided hikes and nature-based activities taking place in several U.S. cities. If you have an event, please share it with us on Facebook and we’ll include in our weekly newsletters.   

But don’t worry if you can’t make it to a Chipper event in person. Several Chipper Ambassadors will help create a virtual path to the great outdoors by sharing their own ideas and activities for getting outside and connecting their families with nature.

We’d love to have you join the fun! Become a Chipper Ambassador, attend a Chipper event, or follow the virtual path that Chipper and his Ambassadors are paving to get families into nature on Facebook and Twitter.

Then let us know what you’re up to! Send your tips, ideas and photos to connect@letsgochipper.com to help encourage others to go explore the outdoors, too.

This week we welcome Debi Huang of Go Explore Nature, a wonderful blog that will offer you great ideas to try at home.

Hope to see you outside!

 Click to view slideshow.

The Chipper Ambassador team lived this quote today, celebrating the changing of the clocks and the wink of spring when the sunshine finally peeked through the clouds in the early evening; the day was still upon us though at this time, the day before, it was dark.

The morning started with a story time and activities at REI in Fremont, California – an hour drive past mountains blanketed in shades of green and dotted with wild flowers. Like clockwork, the doors opened and children from birth to ten skipped in ready to play with Chipper, read, sing, and make crafts.

Many times, parents are secure enough to let their children engage with us while sipping coffee and enjoying conversations with friends or new acquaintances. But today, parents knelt, side-by-side, with their children, guiding and enjoying the time. There was no “hurry up” or “let me help you” …it was just joy and “great job.” And there were no tears.

Engaging in a child-like way: with wonder, excitement, curiosity, occasional frustration, and elation brings joy. It brings connection in an open-hearted way. It brings understanding. With stories about nature read, and crafts made from recycled items found around the house, we waved goodbye to over twenty children knowing they were welcoming a new day hand-in-hand with parents ready to explore.Click to view slideshow.

The thought of bundling a child up in the dead of winter just to maintain a connection with nature seems about as pleasant as pulling a child from a birthday party right when cake is being served – would you ever?

The arguing and rationalizing over how many layers, the socks, the shoes …ear muffs, scarf or knit cap? And if you’re pro-active you’ve probably already bundled yourself up; so feeling “heated” by the moment is only exacerbated by the layers you can’t undo because you’re ready to go.

Next time you are in get-ready mode try empowering your child to make the logical decisions. Remember, children as young as two can rationalize these moments even if they can’t verbalize. A few Chipper tips to get you started:

• Lay your clothes out and dress together. Ask questions that will guide your child to making the right choice
  • “It’s cold outside, which shirt should I wear? What shirt should you wear?”
  • “Do I put on my shorts?”
  • “Do I wear sandals or my boots?”

Make it silly, saying “I don’t need to wear my gloves, it’s hot outside.”

You challenge your child’s logical thinking and by making it playful they will engage in helping you get ready by getting ready themselves. Ask, “Show me how?”

The simple act of switching a directive into a question empowers independent thinking in your child; while also teaching them to think about themselves in relation to others. It’s a basic step but one to grow on …especially when engaging with nature.

No one was there. It wasn’t a dark day but rather light colored clouds offering a quick shower and a chill only California people would call “cold.” We dodged raindrops in the rain, gave the dog a good walk then made it home to warm up before the school play. It was only at the play that I had learned I was crazy.

“You are crazy for taking your kids out in the rain like that today.” I turned to look at a parent whom I recognized but didn’t know their name. “What?” I asked. “Why would you take your kids out on a day like today?” “Because it was fun,” I said matter-o-factly. “We all got exercise, drank from the sky, and watched the Great Egrets and Blue Herons hunt for worms in the marsh.” A disbelieving shrug and the under-the-breath comment “your kid’s are going to catch a cold in the rain.”

Yes, I Googled it. Can Playing in the rain make you sick?” I didn’t have time to read the over four million responses that came up but I felt confident with the answers which validated what my mother had always told me when I squished through the mud in our backyard wearing my dad’s rain boots.

Rain and cold weather don’t make you sick – but it does make you stay inside more which puts you in contact with more people. More people allows for more germs to spread.  And more germs can put you at a greater risk for getting sick. So, skip, twirl, slosh, jump, and splash! Let’s Go Chipper …Into the Great Outdoors.