Toddlers and the Great Outdoors

There is a reason our Mother always told us to get outside and play, to get some fresh air.  It’s good for the mind, the soul and you forget about everything else. And without fail, it will knock your toddler out at night after being outside all day.

This past weekend, we headed out in our trailer to do a little “glamping” as I call it, towards beautiful Whistler. Our last trip was when our daughter was just over the age of 1 and we had a great time. This recent trip, we are just shy of turning the big 2, and full of energy and curiosity.

I was trying to determine some essentials to keep our little adventure bug busy and entertained. I hit our local dollar store and stocked up on sticker and coloring books, sidewalk chalk (perfect to draw on rocks with) and our trusty Mrs. Potato Head. 

We could not have asked for a better weekend.  Our daughter was an angel and had tons of fun exploring. We went for walks, collected sticks, found neat rocks and shells, and lots of time at the beach.  She was covered in head to toe with dirt, and no one cared. Not even this neat freak of a Mama.

She met a new little friend, as we all did when camping as children. It made my heart smile to see her playing with her new older friend (Ava was 5), laughing and chasing one another. It made me want to relive my childhood immediately.

Probably the highlight of our trip was at 6:30 in the morning, a very bright eyed a bushytailed little girl said to me “shhhh….noise!?” She was absolutely captivated by the morning birds. This made me smile and made the 6:30 wakeup call worth every sleepless second.

So go on, get outside. What are you waiting for?

Christi Manson is a married mother to a lovable 23 month old daughter, full-time professional and also rocks the part-time position of Step Mama to two fabulous pre teen girls.