Exploring Nature with Baby

In honor of Earth Day which is this coming Monday, Kingston got outside this week to play in the sunshine for the first time ever! It's so crazy to think that after almost 7 months on Earth, K had yet to sit outside and experience the great outdoors. He is out and about all of the time, but always in his car seat. Until now, he has never experienced the grass, the warm sun, the sky, the wind .. none of it! At the first sign of a sunny New England day, I took him outside to explore!

When I first took him outside and sat him down in the grass, his reaction was inspiring. He looked all around him, taking in the fresh air and the bright sun. Then he reached out with an amazed expression and touched the grass. It melted my heart. I can't remember the last time that I sat on the ground and just took in nature. Kingston's amazement with all of these everyday things that he had never experienced made me enjoy what so many of us take for granted.

He patted the grass and pulled at it for quite awhile, trying to figure out what it was. I told him, "grass". Then I pointed out the different items around the backyard, "sky", "tree", "bird", "leaf", "pine cone", "stick", "bug", "sun", etc. He was awestruck and stared at everything.

His brother, Krull the Warrior King, came over to chat with him about how much HE also loves the outdoors! Kingston was thrilled to see a familiar face out in the great big unknown! He even gave him a big kiss to show his excitement.

After Krull trotted off to explore, I pointed to the different items around Kingston. Then I handed him a pine cone. You would have thought I had handed him the most interesting toy ever. He examined it for so long, turning it around and around in his little hands. He kept putting it down on the ground and picking it back up!

We stayed outside for a little over 10 minutes (not too long because my sweet boy didn't have a sun hat or sunscreen on!) and then went in. It was so exciting to introduce Kingston to such a new experience. It was so special to be able to show him the outside world for the first time! This summer will be filled with plenty of time outdoors playing and swimming. Don't forget to include even the littlest of littles in your Earth Day fun this year!! Stay tuned for some fun Earth Day projects for baby and toddler within the next few days!