Simplifying and being outside

I have been thinking a lot about how my kids behave and what I can do to promote their amazing little imaginations for the few years that I get them at home. I REALLY love this blog- http://learningmommy.com

The author has really got me thinking about simplifying things in a child's life. They are so bombarded with millions of toys, games, movies, etc. that they seem to not have enough time to CREATE. I have started my own "Imagination Box" where I keep old toilet paper rolls, magazines, cereal boxes, etc. I have decided that when my kids play with plain toys, their imagination really comes to life.

The other day Ethan had a playdate with a 5 year old. We had started a really good game of being pirates in the ocean and pretending to run away from sharks. When the older boy came over, he didn't really want to join in our game, he just asked me if I had any video games or movies. How sad that a lot of kids lose that imagination so quickly...

Which leads me to my final thought for today...being outside. I feel so grateful to live here for that reason. Now you might be thinking- she lives in a huge city with 10 million people- what does the outdoors have to do with her lifestyle? I have beautiful weather all year round and I have noticed when my kids don't go outside for a few days, they are cranky and irritable. I actually live in a really beautiful part of West L.A. and we have a park and huge baseballs fields across the street. On of my favorite days was "exploring" the field with Ethan searching for squirrels, naming them, and Annalisa staring at ladybugs. I am so excited to be able to go camping this summer...