Summer's (Almost) Here!

Western Massachusetts is bursting with new growth all over!  The trees have their leaves, bright green and dark green, the tulips and rhododendrons are showing their beautiful pinks and magentas, and the lilacs' delicate scent can be smelled as you walk down the sidewalks.  Its a great time of year!

Little infants and toddlers seem ready for new growth too, as they get ready for outdoor time and more playtime with their friends on playgrounds and in the parks.

Parents are well-advised to use this time to get their little ones outdoors, appropriately bundled up if its an overcast a gray day like it is today, but to get them the multi-sensory experience that little bodies crave as they grow and develop.  Mastering the complex movements required as they play in the sand, crawling or walking through a sandbox, or even walking up a gentle grassy hill, can be so rewarding for children.  Think of all the great sounds like bird calls, running water, and the wind in the trees that awaken kids' curiosity.

A great new book, Balanced and Barefoot, by Angela Hanscom, described the rich developmental opportunities available to children outdoors.   Specifically she discusses the importance of building strength through the variety of outdoor activities available to children. She mentions that children have "an innate curiosity and desire to move." (page 34).  You can watch a child literally come alive when you take them outdoors, and let them see all the colors and shapes and textures of things.  Let your child feel the difference between grasses, sand, tree trunks, playground equipment.  While even the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   recommend that we want to make sure children are well-protected from sun, we recognize how valuable it is to get outside!

Summer is often a time when playgroups or day cares close down for the summer, which also offers families a great opportunity, and sometimes a challenge, to come up with things to do with small children.  This is a great time to head to the local park, or make a playdate for children. Local libraries also have some opportunities of activities for children during these months.  In addition to increasing strength and endurance with motor play, children can develop language and cognition with the stories as they learn and engage.  Play time with old and new friends also helps our kids to socialize, and learn how to be together.

 - Michael S. Hutton-Woodland, Ph.D.