Outdoor Activities

With the new H1N1 virus infecting people at such a rapid rate I have decided that I will be keeping my kids out of large public places. Can you say NO FUN! I love taking my kids to the zoo, the science center, the library. It's a chance for them to explore exciting places and a chance for me to feel like part of the real world. I have tried over the last few weeks to keep them primarily at home, but none of us are doing very well with that. "Andrew get off the cat!" Hazel stay out of the snack cupboard you just ate lunch!" "Let's clean the house up again, it's been 5 minutes since we last cleaned!" There are so many positives for taking the kids out of the house, so I had to think of something. Here is what I came up with: The Great Outdoors! Large open spaces, not crowded with potentially sick people, nothing to touch that other people have been touching. It sounded great! And it is! Last week we started our outdoor activities with a trip to the Arboretum. It was amazing! Not only can the kids and I get out of the house we can learn how to identify many species of trees and shrubs that are grown there. I was able to print out a map of the different types of trees and plants in each section of the garden. We got to walk across a wooden bridge, look at beautiful trees, and visit with the ducks. We all had a great time! I look forward to going back and finding other outdoor places to explore.