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Shake, Rattle, and Roll (Ages and Stages: Babies)

Kara — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:42 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck.

Mia is six months old. Can you believe it? At this age she is starting to become a bit more self aware, especially as it relates to cause and effect and her own power in this regard. This means rattles and shakers are a big hit right now.

One of my favorite things is the expression of happiness on Mia’s face when she realizes that she is the one creating the noise with the rattle, that she is causing it. That means rattles and shakers are some of this mama’s favorite toys right now, too.

Rattles and Shakers

Homemade

We’ve made shakers for Mia out of items from around the house.

I made a simple shaker out of a small gift box. I filled it with dried beans and glued the lid on. This box is made of cardboard, so I do have to watch very carefully to make sure Mia doesn’t suck on the box and break down the cardboard and accidentally swallow any or choke, but she really seems to enjoy having a shaker of this size and shape.

I have also made shakers from an empty water bottle and from empty plastic spice bottles. I put dried beans and rice inside and secure the lids. Mia alternates between wildly shaking and slowly turning the bottles over to watch the beans move inside.

Note: If you do this, please use common sense and always keep the safety of your baby in mind. Be on the lookout for choking hazards and be sure lids are secure. I recommend always supervising baby during shaker/rattle play with homemade toys. Let’s be extra cautious and extra safe, okay?

For Valentine’s Day, I plan to needle felt a jingle ball for baby Mia. I think she’ll love the feel of this (I’ll let you know how it goes and make a video if you guys would like to see how I do it).

Purchased

Over the years we have purchased rattles for our babies, too. One of our favorites, and our babies’ as well, is the Haba Kringle Ring. It is brightly colored and wooden and fits easily into baby’s hand.

For Floor Play

Some of our favorite rattles are for floor play. As Mia pushes and rolls them, they make a noise she enjoys and encourage forward motion as she follows them to push them again (and again) to hear the noise.

We have two rainsticks for this, but again, Mia’s favorite is the one that she can see inside of and watch the tiny pieces move around. I like the rainsticks because they are a toy that will grow with her: for now she can roll them around on the floor, later, when she is sitting and standing, she’ll be able to turn them over to make them “rain.”

Remember, too, that you don’t have to purchase or even make a rattle or a shaker to keep your baby happy. I bet you have items around your home right now that would delight a baby with their rattling and shaking. Mia is often entertained by our measuring cups and measuring spoons.

What are your baby’s favorite things to shake, rattle, and roll?

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Shake, Rattle, and Roll (Ages and Stages: Babies) is a post from Simple Kids

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Written and Illustrated: Making Books With Your Children

Robin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:01:23 +0000

The following post is by contributor Robin Zipporah of The Not-Ever-Still Life.
Every so often my oldest child, almost six, will flip through a pile of papers on the lower shelf of my bedside table. “What bedtime story did you read last night?” she’ll ask.

Those papers are all books that she or her sister have made, and it stands to reason, doesn’t it? that if she chooses a few books from her bedside table to read every night, so do I. I love when she asks that question. I love how integrally we’ve made reading part of the rhythm of our home.

With their innate curiosity and creative problem-solving, children are natural storytellers. In our house, we’ve been capturing our kids’ stories and making books from them for several years. They needn’t be fancy; most of the time our tools are just some paper and crayons. And this is a project you can complete with kids of any age:

For toddlers and preschoolers

Even our earliest talkers have big ideas. When my daughters were very young, I’d interview them with a series of two-choice questions and a few open-ended ones, like this: “do you want to make a story about a princess or a monster? Okay, a monster. A girl monster or boy monster or something else? A boy monster! Does he have one head or more heads? More! How many?” And so on.

I’d take their answers and construct a simple narrative and print it out in two- or three-sentence snippets. “One day the five-headed monster woke up and decided he wanted to have a picnic for breakfast. So he asked Mommy Monster to help him, and she carried his favorite monster food out to the backyard.” Then I’d glue each snippet to a piece of blank paper and ask my girls to create an accompanying illustration.

Suggest a topic for illustration on each page, and encourage your young artists. Embrace your love of abstract art! “What does monster food look like? Can you draw some here?” My four-year-old, when she was two, would describe her plan for every drawing in the same way: I’m making a beauuuutiful scribble-scrabble!

Photo by Tillwe

For early readers and writers

My first girl, the one who’s almost six, is enjoying her year of kindergarten and thoroughly loves the process of learning to read. For her, I don’t type up any words. When she wants to make a book, we have a meeting in her office (her bed) or my office (my bed).

The formal planning process is important to her, and providing structure to her project as such translates to the structure she pours into her creation. We talk through her story and then she sits down to paint or color each illustration.

Once the images are complete, we go back and add a line or two of text to each page. Scrap paper is important. I have her try to write out each word on her own. We normally don’t worry about perfect spelling or backwards letter-writing, but a book is a different story (ahem). Because she loves to reread her books again and again, and because flaws really bother her enjoyment of her creations, I help her perfect her spelling of each word on scrap paper before she copies it carefully onto her illustration.

Photo by RISD Museum

For fluent readers and writers

I haven’t reached this stage yet with my own children, but I’m beginning to imagine the possibilities. We have beloved characters who appear again and again in our family narrative, as I’m sure you do, as well. Instead of having them wander through individual stories, as my girls (and eventually, my toddler son) grow bigger, I’d love to help them codify our personal oral traditions into a series of stories. Or maybe you invent a new superhero story every night at bedtime? How about making a chapter book?

I also plan to use our tradition of bookmaking as a safe and familiar way to introduce some new technology skills. When my kids are ready for longer blocks of text, they can learn to type on the computer. When their ideas for illustration grow more sophisticated, they can practice their internet and mouse skills with some mama-approved digital illustration sites. I see this hobby of ours as something we can do together for years.

The finishing touches

After the body of your book is finished, read it through together and celebrate your child’s accomplishment. Plan a story hour: wait for Daddy to come home or invite some neighborhood children over to read your new book. But before the moment of the big reveal, you have one more important step to complete: creating a cover. Come up with a clever title, create one more illustration, and put the most important line of the whole book on the front: written and illustrated by ______.

Have you and your kids done any illustrated writing? Do you make books together? What is your process? We’d love to hear how you and your kids write and illustrate your stories!

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Written and Illustrated: Making Books With Your Children is a post from Simple Kids

Simple as That: The Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Winter

Kara — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:01:13 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck

Last month marked the official start of winter here on my side of the world. The temperatures may feel unseasonably Spring-like, but the calendar says we’ve got lots of Winter left to enjoy yet.

This year, we’re experiencing the changes of the seasons through the eyes of a new baby as our daughter Mia takes her first trip around the sun. This is her first Winter and, while she may not grow up to remember it, I know that I will. Each changes of season leaves on impression on our older children, too.

As we strive to live a simple life, my husband and I try to be mindful of slowing down and being aware of what is going on around us – indoors and outdoors. I want my family to experience this time of year, not just as dates on the calendar, but as an opportunity to use all of our senses to really savor the season.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the different ways we can experience the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes of Winter with our kids.

What Does Winter LOOK Like?

The hallmark of Winter is snow and ice, of course. This provides opportunities for snow angels, building snowmen, and other snowy fun.

We have not received a really big, deep snow yet here in central Indiana, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been enjoying the sights of Winter.

Frost on the ground in the morning
Grey skies
The Winter constellations
Bare branches of the trees
family and neighbors all bundled up in layers

What Does Winter FEEL Like?

As the weeks pass and the weather changes, we begin to experience chilly, even freezing days. Our clothing reflects the temperatures as we don wool sweaters, waffle weave long underwear, thick socks, and our puffiest coats before we go outside.

There are other ways to feel the season:

cold, wet snow
warm mugs of cocoa
smooth, slick ice
the beauty of each individual snowflake
heavier library bags as we spend more time indoors reading

Go on a nature walk and ask your child …

What does the Wintertime sunshine feel like on your skin?
Is there any wind today?
What does the air feel like? Dry? Humid?

What Does Winter TASTE Like?

For me, the tastes of Winter are cocoa, spicey soups and stews, and oatmeal for breakfast in the morning. And, of course, peppermint! We love eggnog and gingerbread and cinnamon.

Winter is a cookie-dunking season if ever there was one! Some of our favorite cookies come from Aimee’s Simple Shortbread, one dough recipe makes four different kinds of cookies.

Some Saturday morning soon, we’re hoping to try this Eggnog Syrup recipe from Dine and Dish.

What recipes does your family enjoy during cold Winter days?

What Does Winter SMELL Like?

There are good smells coming from our kitchens in Winter, it is true. What other wonders can we experience with our sense of smell this time of year?

To my family, Winter smells like …

baking bread
cocoa and peppermint
a fire in the fireplace
pine

Winter smells beeswax candles on the dinner table and wool wet with snow.

What Does Winter Sound Like?

This time of year may not be as noisy as the Spring, when new life is bursting forth, but there are still plenty of sounds if we listen carefully.

Consider …

the wind whipping around the corners of the house
jingle bells
the scraping of snow shovels on sidewalks and driveways

Indoors, Winter sounds like the clicking of knitting needles and stirring cocoa on the stovetop for an afternoon snack.

What about you? What does Winter look like to you? What sights, smells, and sounds evoke this time of year for your family?

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Simple as That: The Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Winter is a post from Simple Kids

Play With Light this New Year’s Eve

Catherine — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:01:38 +0000

The following is by contributor Catherine Way of Adventures With Kids.

New Year’s Eve is one night of the year when my children usually stay up long after dark. We give them glowsticks, torches and sparklers. As I watch them playing happily for hours with these simple, inexpensive toys, I am always reminded of how the simple things in life are often the most enjoyable.

If you give them torches or glowsticks on New Year’s Eve your children will undoubtedly come up with many wonderful ways to play, but to get them started here are some fun activities to try with torch or glowstick light.

play torch tag. The person who is ‘it’ must light someone up with the torch to catch them.
have a torch treasure hunt. Hide something in the dark and have everyone look around with their torches.
play hide and seek in the dark, using torches to help the seeker find everyone.
go on a night walk and see if you can spotlight any nocturnal animals.
lay glowsticks on the ground or tape them to the wall to make pictures or messages.
turn off the lights, lay on your back and look for the moon, constellations and shooting stars.
make chinese paper lanterns and light them with glowsticks. Glowsticks also look lovely as a light source in many other sorts of lanterns.

Photo by Catherine Way
And for a wonderful reminder of your New Year’s Eve celebration, take some photos of your children writing or drawing with glowsticks or torches (or sparklers if they are old enough). Here’s how to do it:

Set your camera to take long exposure images. Check your camera manual to find out how to do this. On my camera the setting was called ‘bulb’.
Put the camera on a tripod or solid surface, so it doesn’t move as you take the picture.
Ready, Set, Go! Take the picture as your child starts drawing with the light source.
Look at the photo (if you have a digital camera), and try again!

In the photo above, both my children held a glowstick in each hand. My sons’ like this other photo best because it looks like they are holding light sabers.

Photo by Catherine Way

If you have older children you could try drawing or writing a particular message, for example, your child’s name or ’2012′. I found with my young children co-ordinating everything was just a bit too difficult.

I hope you and your children enjoy lighting up the new year.

Happy New Year!

How are you planning to celebrate the New Year with your kids?

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Simple Activities for Excited Kids

Amanda — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:01:54 +0000

As Christmas gets closer, the rising level of excitement becomes almost palpable in our house. That means I need to plan a few activities to give all that energy somewhere to go! I certainly don’t want to spend more time finding supplies or preparing the activity than my children will spend engaged in it. Here are a few ideas for keeping anxious hands busy using simple supplies you may already have in stock.

Sweet Structures

One activity that is often easy to pull together this time of year, is building structures using toothpicks and gum drops. Simple. It takes about ten seconds to prepare, but the kiddos will easily spend half an hour building. Sticking toothpicks into gumdrops, they’re creations will resemble something between a complicated molecule and the Taj Mahal.

Stringing Along

Fill a bowl with beads, noodles, or cereal, thread a few through a strand of yarn, and then set it all out on a table. Before you know it, kids will jump right in, sliding pieces on until they run out of string (which is why I tend to cut very LONG strings!).

As a variation, you can create a button snake from a spare button and scraps of felt. Button afficianados (like my toddler) will scramble to button and slide, over and over again!

Another variation is to use a pipe cleaner instead of string. The stiff pipe cleaner is a bit easier to thread through the beads, and as a bonus, you can twist the ends together to form a bracelet, a wreath, or simply bend the ends to create a candy cane.

Dig In

There’s a soothing effect that comes from sensory play. It’s almost entrancing. As children scoop, pour, dig, and spread, the open-ended nature of this play keeps them engaged for as much as an hour. There are plenty of fascinating high-end sensory play tools, but you can set up a sensory activity in a matter of minutes pulling straight from your kitchen.

Grab a container — a cookie sheet, casserole dish, mixing bowl, or storage bin — and add a simple medium. Take a peek into your pantry and grab some salt, flour, rice, pasta, dry beans, or popcorn kernels. If all else fails, just use water! Toss in some spoons, measuring cups, and perhaps a few toys. Set it out on a towel or tablecloth to catch the overflow.

Get your children started and explain the parameters, and before you know it you’ll have your next “to-do” crossed off before your kids lose interest in their play.

Open the Door

Of course, the simplest time-tested method for helping kids burn off anxious energy is to send them outside! Bundle them up and send them out back and they’ll likely find plenty to do.

If they need a little enticing (and you’re lucky enough to have snow) send them with some colored water in spray bottles or emptied dish soap containers and encourage them to paint the snow!

Freeze colored water in a variety of containers a night ahead of time and send them outside (or put them in a sensory bin) to be used to create colorful ice structures. You’ll soon find a colorful winter wonderland in your backyard — as well as happy, busy kids!

What are some of your favorite ways to keep excited kids busy during the holidays?

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Simple Activities for Excited Kids is a post from Simple Kids

Travel Games: Fun Ways for Kids to Pass the Time on Road Trips

Kara — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:01:20 +0000

The following post is by editor Kara Fleck. It has been updated for 2011.

Like many families at this time of year, the Flecks have been hitting the road, visiting relatives for the holidays. We’re fortunate that the majority of our extended family lives with a day’s drive for us so we can travel to visit our loved ones on a regular basis.

Our kids travel fairly well in the car, in fact my middle two will usually sleep once we get on the road. We’ll see how the baby does, but so far she travels pretty easily for a four month old.

But, for my oldest, who doesn’t nap, a long trip can be tedious. Even kids who travel well can sometimes get bored and antsy during a long road trip. We have a few travel games that we like to play as a family to help to pass the time.

A few of our favorite travel games …

The License Plate Game

I can remember playing this while going on road trips with my grandparents as a kid. They had a set of cardboard game boards with a license plate for every state. You moved the red plastic slider up when you found a new state’s plate. (I wonder what happened to those?)

Today, I have a license plate app on my smartphone that lets us play this game when we travel. But, you can still find travel game boards, like this one from Melissa & Doug.

You can print some car maps from Alicia at Magical Childhood The website Mom’s MiniVan has a printable checklist you can use, too. Not Inadequate has a license plate game and also printable graphs for things like slug bugs and construction equipment.

Mad Libs

Mad Libs are a family favorite, providing silly fun and grammar practice at the same time. The small size of the tablets makes them perfect for travel but you don’t have to purchase the tablets, you can print some sheets for free from the web. Attach them to a clip board and grab a pencil, and you’re all set.

Christmas Mad Libs ::: Classroom Jr.
Mad Lib worksheets ::: Teachnology

Scavenger Hunt

This is another game borrowed from my own childhood. My mom made up a set of index cards with drawings of different items for us to find while we were on road trips. Mom would divide the cards among us at the start of our trip and we would turn in the cards to her as we found them.

You could expand on this idea but including things you feel, hear, and even smell (my kids think the “skunk smell” card is a riot … unless we actually come across that one).

A few ideas for a road trip scavenger hunt:

a red barn
a dog
a man wearing a hat
a woman wearing a hat
a railroad crossing sign
a big bump (a “feeling” card)
a rainbow
an airplane
a green car
a taxi
a semi-truck horn (a “hearing” card)
a fire truck
a mail truck
a police car
a skunk (a “smelling” card)

A few holiday themed items:

blue Christmas lights
green Christmas lights
someone wearing a Santa hat
a vehicle with a wreath on it
reindeer
a snowman
inflatable yard decor

You can also play a variation of this using the letters of the alphabet: try finding each letter of the alphabet, in order, on the road signs that you pass.

I Spy Bags

Fun for younger kids, I Spy bags are fabric bags with a clear window and tiny objects inside to “spy” – a little like hide and seek or a scavenger hunt on a much smaller scale. Our family’s I Spy bags were purchased from an etsy seller, but you could also make your own version.

I Spy Water Bottle ::: I Can Teach My Child
I Spy bag tutorial ::: Skip to My Lou

What are your family’s favorite travel games?

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Travel Games: Fun Ways for Kids to Pass the Time on Road Trips is a post from Simple Kids

Seeds of Potential: Exploring Similarities and Differences with Children

Mariah — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:01:51 +0000

As children grow older their social world begins to expand and to take an ever-increasing role in their life and minds. As a classroom teacher and a parent I have witnessed first hand the enormous benefits that come from the explicit introduction of social and emotional skills to children. When children have the language and skills that are necessary to effectively express themselves and to navigate through a variety of circumstances, they have more energy and time to dedicate to playing, learning and growing.

Families that explore these concepts together develop a shared language and lines of communication that will become ever so important as children become exposed to more complex social dynamics.

Seeds of Potential

Seeds of Potential is a learning experience that helps to explore what makes us all unique as humans, what we all have in common, and how we can support each other along the way.

Start out by presenting different (the more variety the better) apples to your child. Ask them to describe what they see. It may even be fun to get out a magnifying glass and spend time noticing the small details.
Once you have had a chance to discuss the differences between the apples, it is helpful to talk about how humans are similar to apples. We all look different and are unique in our own special ways.
Next, cut open all of the apples so that the seeds are visible. Point out that although on the outside, the apples appear to be very different, on the inside they all have seeds of potential. Each seed within the apple has the potential to grow into an amazing apple tree. Again you can help your child to make the same connection to people. Although we all come in different colors, shapes and sizes, we all have special seeds of potential within us.
To explore this concept on a deeper level, print out the Seeds of Potential questions. It is helpful to paste them into a notebook that can be used for ongoing family writing times. Before getting started, read the questions together and make sure to discuss any words or concepts that may be new to your child. Next, take some time to answer all of the questions. It is very powerful for parents to work alongside their children—the more honest you are in your responses, the more meaningful your follow-up discussion will be. If your child does not feel comfortable writing independently, offer to take dictation and write down his ideas for him.
End by sharing your answers together as a family. Try to relate your answers to specific examples from your lives. It is helpful for children to realize that we all have seeds of potential that we are trying to develop in order to become better people.

For more inspiration…

10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids: 52 Fun and Simple Games and Activities to Teach Your Child Honest, Trust, Love, and Other Important Values by Jamie C. Miller

Benefits of Social Emotional Learning by CASEL
Lessons from Connected and Respected by ESR

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Seeds of Potential: Exploring Similarities and Differences with Children is a post from Simple Kids

Taking Dictation: Crafting Stories with Young Kids

AmyA — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:01:42 +0000

The following post is by contributor Amy Anderson of Let’s Explore.

There is really nothing like the imagination of a young child. Long before they can write their own stories, children are ready and eager to tell their own stories. It is wonderfully empowering for a child to see her words written down as a “real” story. So, what are you waiting for? Grab some paper and get started!

If your child needs a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing, here are some fun things to try:

1. Mystery Box (or Bag)

Put 3 or 4 objects in a box. You can choose anything from around the house, such as a spoon, a stuffed animal, a toy car, a pencil, a pine cone, etc. Let your child discover and talk about the mystery items – then see if she is interested in creating a story! This was always a popular activity at my daughters’ preschool – the sillier the item combination, the better!

Photo by Amy Anderson

2. Sticker Stories

Stickers can be great inspiration, too. Decorate a paper with stickers and drawings, then write down what your child says as he tells you about his creation!

Photo by Amy Anderson

3. Playtime Stories

The next time your child is building a block structure or playing with her animals, sit down next to her with your paper and clipboard. Ask her to tell you about what she is playing. This is often a great way to record some of the pretend dialogue that your child makes up when playing. So precious to go back and read as they get older! Add a photo of the play session, too.

4. What Do You Think is Happening?

When you are finished with a magazine, pull out a few pictures or advertisements that might interest your child. Let your child choose one or two, and ask him questions like, “What do you think that person is doing?” or “What do you think might happen next?” Write down his story, then glue the pictures with the words, or make your own illustrations.

Here is a similar story project that Delaney did (around age 5) using a deck of Tell Me A Story Cards:

Photo by Amy Anderson

She chose four cards from the deck, sequenced them the way she wanted, then dictated her story to me. Add some illustrations, and you’re done!

5. Create a Scrapbook or Photo Journal

Personal experiences are, of course, the most meaningful inspiration for stories. Nature walks, family vacations, birthday parties, and special activities are fun things to talk and write about. This can be as simple as gluing a photo to a piece of paper, then writing down your child’s thoughts and memories about it. Even something as simple as watching the garbage truck can turn into a great narration!

A few final thoughts about taking dictation:

Keep a clipboard, paper, and pen handy so you can capture stories and narrations when the mood strikes.
Write down your child’s words exactly – bad grammar and run-on sentences are part of the charm of preschool dictation.
Start a binder to collect your child’s stories – as each story is written and illustrated, pop it in a sheet protector and add it to the binder. Don’t forget the date. This could become the most popular bedtime story in your house!
Even when your kids start writing on their own, keep offering to take dictations. It takes a while for the writing ability to catch-up to the stream of creative thoughts in your child’s head!

For more storytelling fun, check out my Storytelling with Kids inspiration board on Pinterest. I’ve gathered ideas from around the web for story stones, story dice, puppets, felt board play, and lots more!

Have fun capturing those sweet stories and memories!

Do your kids like to tell stories? Have you recorded their stories in writing or on video?

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Taking Dictation: Crafting Stories with Young Kids is a post from Simple Kids

My Little Rock Hound

Kara — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:01:22 +0000

The following post was written by editor Kara Fleck.

If you’ve had a chance to listen to the Simple Mom podcast lately, then you might know that Tsh recently invited me to record with her. We talked about everything from rock and roll to rocks. Yes, rocks.

I made a joke about it during the podcast, but the truth is that rocks are a big deal around here, especially to a certain five year old.

Collecting

My son Max loves rocks. Like his sister before him, he has become our little rock hound. We have a wooden bowl on our coffee table that holds his collection. From the playground to the library parking lot to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, rocks make their way home in his pockets and then become a part of his collection.

He has small pebbles, large smooth stones, and even some polished stones and crystals thanks to a few visits to our local lapidary and some swaps with friends. (If you live in central Indiana, do check out the Spencer Lapidary) His sisters give him interesting rocks that they find on their adventures, too.

He has even been given rocks as gifts inside of “dragon eggs” that we cracked open to find the gemstones inside. (You can make your own, but we purchased ours from this etsy shop last year)

Playing

Max plays with his rocks nearly every day. He sorts them, he arranges them, and he has his favorites. He can tell you where most of them have come from – either who gave them to him or where he found them.

Max’s rocks have been played with in a variety of ways and he seems to constantly be coming up with new ways to use them. When you add a little imagination, rocks are one of nature’s original open ended toys.

Ways Max plays with his rock collection:

he sorts them
he uses them as scenery in his creative play
he scoops and pours them
his dump truck hauls them
as pretend food
as pretend money
in his sand and water table
as furniture for his gnomes, peg people, and other “guys”
as treasure
as dragon eggs
he uses them as construction material
he skips them
we’ve used them as a counting manipulative

Rock Hounds

We aren’t the only home with children and a rock collection. In fact, rocks have been covered on Simple Kids a few times.

Do you have a rock hound in your family?

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My Little Rock Hound is a post from Simple Kids

Getting Down and Dirty: Connecting With the Season

Robin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:01:02 +0000

The following was written by contributor Robin Zipporah.

These are narcissus bulbs, just waiting for a dry day to be buried in our flower bed.

They were a gift from another family, dug out of their garden in early summer, when the dad was thinning his flower beds and the world was vibrant with blossoms and thrumming with bees and humming birds and sparkling with radiant sun.

As I type this, it’s been raining for days here in Maryland. Right now, the air is damp and dusk is racing us home each night. Our friends’ summer garden, where we thanked them for excess bulbs and snacked on blueberries straight from the bushes, feels terribly distant.

When my second child was two last year, she was made absolutely distraught by autumn’s arrival and Mother Nature’s decision to close up shop like just another community pool or boardwalk ice cream stand. She didn’t like the disappearance of the fireflies, then of the long evenings, then of sun warm enough to play without a jacket, and with the onset of winter, that final disappearing act: all the world’s color left us.

She was too young to remember that spring always follows winter and color and blossoms and grass and sunshine and sprinklers and ice pops all would emerge again, like a bejeweled butterfly after a long cocoon’s sleep. She didn’t understand, and all of our reassurances could be based only on faith, not evidence.

On the Etsy blog, dad Caleb Gardner recently wrote about the beauty of the season that signifies an end, and of sharing that with his young son, of teaching him that endings also mean renewal. That’s what I’m setting out to show our girl this year. She’s now three and has a faint memory of the spring that was and the summer day in which we plucked our friends’ berries and received this gift, a promise of future beauty.

This weekend, I’m hoping that she and I will kneel in the dirt, feel its loamy hope in our fingers, and dig deep enough to bury these humble treasures. These bulbs don’t look like much now, dull and brown, but across a coming winter that may seem colorless they’ll be preparing to burst forth for us, golden and confident.

I’m also hoping that when the side of our house waves a little field of golden trumpets at us next spring, my sweet, doubting girl will be able to look back to the day that she and I dug holes through the mulch, just like she now recalls the day her fingers stained purple from fruit. I hope she’ll understand better that although autumn signals the end of summer, it also heralds winter, which wipes us all clean for fresh renewal and luminous blossoms. I hope she’ll understand better the cycle of the seasons, the thrill of a long-held promise, and that the best things come to those who wait.

And then I hope she’ll help me plan our summer garden, the one we’ll stuff with vegetables and sunflowers, the one she’ll offer to water via sprinkler just as an excuse to grab a bathing suit.

She’ll see that time can be trusted, that rhythms steady us, and that the world she loves all hot and bright always reasserts itself. And as she discovers those facts, I’ll watch from the periphery of our yard, maybe weeding a flower bed, and marvel with these swiftly fleeting seasons how quickly she’s growing.

What do you do with your kids to mark the change of seasons?

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Getting Down and Dirty: Connecting With the Season is a post from Simple Kids