Originally appeared in Harbor Light News

Editor’s Note:
In times of crisis, we look to the helpers. Here in northern Michigan, helpers exist in so many different ways. From health care professionals to small business owners to volunteers who step up and provide mutual aid. They are also the people who help us remember. Help us remember how lucky we are to live where we do; help us find a moment of calm, a deep breath, a pocket of joy; help us see the possibility in muddy backyards and simple adventures.

Molly Ames Baker is just such a person. A place-based educator for 31 years, she has been quietly helping people of all ages deepen their connection to this community for years. Her gift is both big vision and brave support, which is why we asked her– in this time of staying home and social distancing– to provide some ideas for connecting kids (of all ages, meaning adults, too) with their place. Margaret Atwood once wrote, “in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Offered here are some ways to hit pause on the news, the worries, the very real struggles many are currently facing. Recharging emotional and physical batteries matters more than ever, and getting outside, in the spring, is a gift that no pandemic can take from us.

-Kate Bassett

Please note the following was written with the CDC guidelines for social distancing as well as the message from the Harbor Springs Area Crisis Team front of mind.

With spring break upon us, travel plans cancelled and Executive Order No. 2020-21 in place for Michiganders, many who hoped to be somewhere else (i.e., a warm beach in Florida!) are wondering: “What do I do with my kids (and myself) now? So much has happened and so fast.

Our shared directive–Stay Home, Stay Safe–is essential and clearcut. Less clear is how to keep the kids occupied while staying, or working from home. Logistics alone can be trying and downright tricky. But what if turning to something tried and true did the trick? What if part of the solution was found in four simple words? Go. Outside. And. Play.

In days gone by, for many parents these four words were the most beloved in the English language. In households across the country, these four words became a daily declaration.‘Go Outside and Play!’ was hollered and heard as a definitive: doors slammed shut, kids went out and wandered about, and parents rejoiced until dinnertime. It worked day, after day, after day.

Granted things are a bit more complicated right now. Such a simple decree is not possible as a silver bullet. But, what if we all made a commitment to get outside every single day? What if, whatever the weather (rain, snow or shine!), opening the backdoor to go out and explore was a critical part of our collective response to COVID 19 in the Little Traverse Bay region?

Look at where we live! If not here, then where? Our backyards, sidewalks, streets and public green spaces are safe places. We have acres and acres of woods and miles and miles of lakeshore that are accessible. Unfortunately not to all, but to many. So, given where we are, this stayin place mandate can become an opportunity to reconnect with what is right at our doorstep. Literally. Nevermind the yearning for faraway destinations. In the words of Marcel Proust,“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

We can, and we must, capture a spirit of adventure that lies closer to home. Let’s re-find, and redefine, the everyday places in our everyday lives. Now more than ever before, we need to recognize that these nearby places matter.

Enter backyard adventuring.

Turns out, cultivating a ‘just messin’ mentality in our kids, and ourselves, is one of the most important things we can do right now. Let’s face it, the clatter and clammer is incessant and coming at an ever-increasing rate. Heading outside allows us to hit pause. “Just messin” is recreation in the truest sense of the word—re-creating the essential restorative experience that only the outdoors can provide.

Get ‘em out the door and something good is bound to happen. When kids are “just messin’” around—outside—they become more curious, creative and inventive.They tap an inborn ability to make discoveries, solve problems and think outside the box. “Just messin’” is really just good old-fashioned play—unstructured, open-ended and child-driven. When kids are in “messin’ mode”, the end product is unprescribed and always in a state of becoming, so negotiating, adapting and improvising are essential to the process.

But here’s the catch: kids can’t access “messin’ mode” if we’re always calling the shots. There is no right way–some dabble while others dawdle. Some play while others putter. We need to undo our notion of how things should be done. Discovery takes time, and the act of discovering means figuring it out in your own way and at your own pace. Yes, kids (and adults) need a spark (or push!) to get outside, but then our job is to step back, let go, get out of the way, and watch it unfold, messy as it may be.

Now more than ever before we can find comfort in routines.While we are all hunkered down at home for the time being, what if we went out the door for some backyard adventuring? Every. Single. Day.

During your backyard adventuring, please stay nearby to minimize travel as recommended by the Harbor Springs Crisis Action Team (cityofharborpsrings.com) and observe social distancing guidelines per the Center for Disease Control (cdc.gov).

Molly Ames Baker of TOPOnexus focuses on connecting people to place and community.

For more information on the benefits of getting outside, see the ever-growing library of research compiled by the Children and Nature Network (childrenandnature.org).

For more ideas on things to do in your own backyard, see findingnature.org and tinkergarten.com/activities.

10 Tips For Backyard Adventuring

Have Fun

Take a break from chores, schedules and to-do lists. Try not to look at it as one more “should”. Just 15-20 minutes outside is often enough to rejuvenate if we are fully present and focused on the moment. Research shows that we all benefit from play! Try having fun with your kids but without telling them how to do it.

Ditch The Agenda

Let your kids’ (and your) curiosity take the lead. Be willing to give up a schedule so you can make discoveries without worrying about a time limit.

Say ‘I Don’t Know’

You don’t have to be the expert. Instead learn alongside your kids by saying: “How can we find out?” More important than having answers is asking questions and being curious. Use your sense of wonder to learn and discover together.

Encourage Unstructured Play

Kids need space to explore on their own terms without grown-ups giving all the directions and rules. Let them figure out what to do, and how to do it instead of starting with a structured activity. Stand back and watch where their imaginations and creativity take them. Give support and guidance when needed.

Keep It Simple

Heading out without any special toys or equipment teachers your kids to use their imaginations and/or what they find lying around. Remember that boredom is one of the best catalysts for creativity!

Slow Down, Relax and Enjoy

Make time for “down-time” outdoors. Often we forget to just ‘be here now’–watch the clouds, lie in the grass or lean against a tree trunk. Have kids find a special ‘sit spot’ in your backyard that is their own where they can go again and again to play or unwind.

Forgo The Phone

Putting your phone away changes everything– gone is the distraction that diverts your attention along with the need to snap photos/ selfies and post them. Instead you can be fully present. This can be very challenging at first but like anything else, it gets easier and more gratifying with practice. Don’t let the grumbling deter you; the entire family will reap the benefits of unplugging. If you’re going to allow phones, then create a specific purpose for using them (e.g., snap a photo of a plant to be drawn later) or set a time limit when they need to be put away.

Get Comfy!

Stretch your own comfort level with bugs and worms, rain and mud, snow and cold, darkness and the likes. Your kids will pick up on your squeamishness or discomfort. Let them see you relaxed and enjoying yourself outdoors.

Give Permission To Get Messy

Getting dirty is an essential part of outdoor discovery, at any age. You need to say “It’s ok!” so your kids don’t worry about getting in trouble for dirty clothes, wet shoes or grubby hands.

Bring the Indoors Out

Go outside to do the things you usually do inside – eating meals, reading books, drawing, or painting projects. Bring the “indoor” toys outside and let your kids use them in new ways.

Things To Do In Your Own Backyard

Whether you’re five feet from the front door, walking around the block or exploring a place nearby, here are some things to do when you’re out and about. These activities are kid tested but can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Even better, no experience needed and nobody needs to be an expert. Go on, get out, and give it a try!

Take a Walk!

These walks are intended for outdoor spaces of any size and can be adapted for inside spaces too.

Penny Walk Give each person a penny to hold. How many things can you find that fit on it? (e.g., a tiny leaf, a hunk of dirt)

Numbers Walk Look for things in numbers – 1 tree, 2 rocks, 3 clouds, etc.

Bigger/Smaller Walk Look alternately for something bigger, then something smaller as you hike. Or try finding things shorter, taller, shorter, taller…

Wander And Wonder Walk No matter the size of the space, set some boundaries (e.g., no further than that maple tree or stay on this side of our bag) and start wandering around. Somebody hollers “Stop!” Everybody freezes, looks around, and comes up with a wondering: “I wonder…”. Holler them out loud and then yell “Start!”. Repeat.

Use Your 6 Senses!

Wherever you are, this exercise in mindfulness allows you to focus on the here and now whether you are sitting still or on the move walking, jogging, or biking. You can do this one in your own mind, share your thoughts out loud with others, or record it on a paper/journal. Make observations about your surroundings using each of your six senses. You can keep it simple with one observation or get more detailed by recording more than two or as many as possible:

• I see…

• I hear…

• I smell…

• I feel… (externally on your body or internally as emotions)

• I taste… (use caution with kids)

• I wonder… (the 6th and arguably most important).

Find a Sit Spot!

Slowing down to become more aware of our surroundings is a skill that can be practiced anywhere and anytime. Find a spot outside (or look out a window) where you can return again. These activities can be done every day to create a daily practice or every once in a while to become more aware of your everyday surroundings. Optional: paper or journal with a pen/pencil/markers.

Check out the View

From your sit spot, look out in all four cardinal directions for a few minutes then close your eyes. What was the view? Now open your eyes and without looking at the view: How many details can you remember? Share them out loud, draw a picture, make a list, or write a story about the view. Next look at the view again and add five more details to your drawing, list, or story.

Journaling the Cardinal Directions

Mark your location in the middle of the paper and create four sections, labeling them as North, South, East and West. From your spot, look out and make observations in each of the cardinal directions. Record your observations in each quadrant by either drawing or writing (e.g., list adjectives, write a poem, create questions). Do this on a regular basis – every day, week or month – so you can notice changes over time/seasons.

Journaling the Four W’s

Find a spot outside (or look out a window that you want to return to for many days in a row). Divide your paper into four sections and record observations for each W:

• Weather – Date, Season, Time, Temperature, Wind, Sky

• Watch – Choose something that is interesting to look at; Observe it for at least 60 seconds and then draw, diagram, or list what you observe

• Write – Record a stream of consciousness (aka free writing) for at least 60 seconds

• Wonder – Write down at least 3 questions about what you’ve observed in your spot (“I wonder…”)

Touch Five

In your sit spot, stay seated or lay down. Now reach out to touch five different things. What do you feel? What might it be? Notice the shape, texture and temperature of the objects. Now open your eyes and look at your five objects. Draw or trace them. Write five words to describe each one. Write a poem or create a story that includes all five objects.

Go Huntin’!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of natural objects to be discovered. Instead of making the list for your kids, ask them for their ideas and create it together. Assign points for each item found/collected/recorded. Send them off alone or in teams. Hint: whoever takes the longest to make their discoveries gets bonus points. Google “backyard scavenger hunt” to find hundreds of free printables. Here’s a sample hunt to try:

• 2 seeds

• An evergreen cone

• A feather

• Something sharp

• An anthill

• A leaf with teeth

• Something blue

• Something smelly

• Something fuzzy

• An animal home

• Lichen

• Something surprising

• Something round

• A sign that an animal left

• Something beautiful

• Exactly 10 of something

• Something that makes noise

• Something amazing