Children and outside time, how to make it happen in fall....

An after school gathering with influencing your health on a cool, sunny, fall afternoon. What is possible?

10.11.12

Directly after work/school we had many options for being outside and after narrowing it down to two, it was between riding bikes together or hiking for some quality leaf collecting (we are pressing the leaves this weekend with a art project for Grandma’s B-day :).

Tryon Park in Rochester, NY was the chosen ground and it was a beautiful afternoon.  The beautiful foliage is just around peak and the colors dance against the blue sky.  We set off with running & jumping in the “soup bowl” of trails that are shared by both mountain bikers (which are cool to see with a 4 year young) & hikers alike.  We have stomped the ground on these trails several times before and they yield some great up and down elevation gains. 
 

The exploring of the woods can be a very rewarding experience.  Good habits to keep in mind are stopping to listen to all the fall noises & watching in silence as the leaves dance through the air and allow gravity to bring them to Earth.  Fallen trees are unique opportunities as well.  The lessons that can be simply added to a conversation or just asking the little one questions to engage in the moment.  Being on the trail, surround by nature changes the way one can think, just by being in a different environment.  Mindfulness of being more aware plays huge dividends on your mental health.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Many mixed colors and shapes filled my pockets as we crunched many leaves under our feet.  We explored tire and animal tracks while very much loved kicking the fallen leafs covering the trail at times.  After an hour the sun was low in the fall sky and times to head off to witness the sunset, this is a high energy point and is best shared with someone.....Cobbs Hill Park, Rochester, NY provides a spectacular view.......