Take a Walk

I love this time of year, and wow, has Mother Nature been kind! With the beautiful weather we’ve been experiencing, the girls and I have been taking many walks. I’ve always loved to walk, whether alone (in my single years), with Ty (as newlyweds), pushing a stroller (as a new mom), walking very s-l-o-w-l-y with a toddler (who stops for every bug, flower, dog, etc) or now, with my girls (who are growing up way too quickly). I believe kids need time outdoors every day, so if the thermometer reaches 50 (I’m not a big fan of the cold) or above, the Sarver girls can be found on a walk.

We like to mix up our routes, sometimes we stay close to home, sometimes we have a destination, sometimes we collect things along the way and sometimes we take turns saying “turn left” or “turn right” to see where we end up. Last summer we were on a walk when we happened upon a house where the lawn was being watered. The sprinkler was getting the sidewalk wet and we had two options. Go through the sprinkler or walk around. We chose to go through the sprinkler and I can’t begin to tell you how much fun the girls had splashing and running and just getting wet in their clothes! Ty was a bit surprised when we showed up at home dripping from head to toe, but it was so much fun and something we still talk about.

In an upcoming issue, one of our talented local writers has put together a piece on how to turn an ordinary walk into an adventure. And while you’ll have to wait a couple of months for the full article, I thought I’d give you a little preview-it’s such a fun idea and something we will try soon on one of our daily constitutionals. So here it is…Paint Chip Walk- Simply go to the hardware store and grab some paint chips in a variety of colors.  You can cut them up individually, punch holes in them and put a book ring on them. Then ask the kids to find the colors of the paint chips in nature. So simple, so fun, so what are you waiting for? Go for a walk today! And, if you have a fun walk idea, send it my way. I’m always looking for ways to make our walks an adventure!