children and nature / knitting

a pinecone, a feather, an oak leaf, pine needles

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My children haven’t been getting outside enough lately to just run around and play. The cold weather and not enough prodding by me to get them out there, I guess. Oh, the bundling required. But nevertheless, they need the fresh air and the exercise. When they aren’t getting enough outside time I really notice a difference in their behavior and general crankiness. Aren’t we all a little like that?
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So this morning, I printed a few stock photos off the computer, stapled them together and sent them outside for a miniature scavenger hunt. I thought I’d keep it to a few things so they wouldn’t lose interest. They were back in five minutes. BUT, they went right back outside.
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I finally finished this scarf for Emma that was supposed to be a
Christmas present…then a birthday present…and now turns out to be a
Happy Thursday!! present. I let her pick a jumbo button out of my stash. She picked one of the first buttons I ever made. I think it suits her perfectly. And it helps the scarf stay on. Now I have one more to finish up for Mary in the same style, and I think all my Christmas presents will be finished! Oh, that’s pathetic.

P1010010

My children haven’t been getting outside enough lately to just run around and play. The cold weather and not enough prodding by me to get them out there, I guess. Oh, the bundling required. But nevertheless, they need the fresh air and the exercise. When they aren’t getting enough outside time I really notice a difference in their behavior and general crankiness. Aren’t we all a little like that?
P1010007

So this morning, I printed a few stock photos off the computer, stapled them together and sent them outside for a miniature scavenger hunt. I thought I’d keep it to a few things so they wouldn’t lose interest. They were back in five minutes. BUT, they went right back outside.
P1010001

P1010004
I finally finished this scarf for Emma that was supposed to be a
Christmas present…then a birthday present…and now turns out to be a
Happy Thursday!! present. I let her pick a jumbo button out of my stash. She picked one of the first buttons I ever made. I think it suits her perfectly. And it helps the scarf stay on. Now I have one more to finish up for Mary in the same style, and I think all my Christmas presents will be finished! Oh, that’s pathetic.

26 comments on “a pinecone, a feather, an oak leaf, pine needles”

  1. fantastic idea! My children are eating lunch now as Finn informed me I was starving him today- so I am going to borrow yr idea and do this after lunch!!! You have the best ideas! I wish you were in my playgroup!!!

  2. Firstly, that scarf is beautiful. I love the color yarn with that button.

    Secondly, we are having the same issue over here with the cold. My girls don’t want to go out and it is making them irritable. Today might be the day for some exploring…even if it is cold.

  3. Not pathetic when they are fantastic gifts like gorgeous scarves and a root through buttons! It’s lovely, really lovely.I would say i’d love to do one for my daughter but after the last 2 weeks i don’t want to see knitting needles until 2009!Will you post a photo of Emmas?

  4. I can’t get that scarf colour out of my head(!) and it reminded me of another activity that you might like. (Of course i’m assuming that you know it already but wanted to tell anyway) I send mine out with a colour chart from the household paint manufacturers and they have to collect things that are the same colour as on their card. When DD was particularly awkward/noisy/in my face all in one day..i sent her out with a 20 colour card…ALL shades of green and made her match the shades exactly. She was out there for a LONG time! Usually I’m not that mean and there are a variety of colours on there!They also like making up their own paint names with their findings….like ‘slug grey’ or ‘rotten apple brown’. ‘squashed ant black’ is a personal favourite!

  5. Just yesterday I was lamenting our lack of outdoor activities. When the rain lets up, I will definitely try a scavenger hunt – the color one sounds fun! We did bundle up in our raincoats yesterday to walk downtown, buy some candy, peruse the quilt store and check out the new gallery exhibit. It was definitely worth getting a little wet. Love the scarf with the big button.

  6. Oh, this is a Wonderful idea, and your button is lovely by the way. I am just about finished with my very first knitting project which so happens to be a scarf. I might need to borrow this button idea!

  7. Hi Molly, what a great idea for your kids…when mine were all little (I have four), usually only the boy would be restless after too long indoors. When he turned 6, he asked for and received a hand-ax. He asked if he could chop a tree down and we said sure and pointed out a skinny sapling growing in a particularly bad spot for a tree to grow to maturity. So every morning before our homeschooling day began, said little boy would run out to “axe his tree down”. I would smile to myself thinking that such a small boy with such a dull axe would never be able to fell such a small tree. Imagine my surprise one morning to see a 30ft tall spindly sapling fall gracefully across our narrow backyard!

    On another note, I received my much anticipated bumper sticker in the mail today. Thank you Molly!

  8. love that scarf on your beautiful girl! :^D

    nothing can get us outside lately – it was 3 degrees out this morning when i went out to start the car. FUHGEDDABOUDIT.

  9. Molly, How did you get the button through the scarf? Did you knit a whole for the button? Just wondering. I love the idea. My kids do the scavenger hunts all the time. I like the picture idea. It makes it easier for the little ones!

    Sarah S.

  10. you always have the best kid ideas. i LOVE that scarf and that you let her pick the button. sometimes it’s the little things we do that make our kids feel special isn’t it?

  11. For us, it’s the wind that keeps them in even more than the cold. It gets really windy around here, so in some ways I don’t blame them. And we don’t actually have a yard. So it’s kind of doubly tough. BUT, I wanted to say that you had a really great idea!!!xo

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