We've been housebound for too long and, with the rain warming up (that's my criteria around here. If we waited for dry days we'd be out of luck!), we're looking for outdoor activities. So, back to the ladybug walks again. (I thought I'd blogged about these before, but perhaps not. Or maybe my title was so vague that I didn't recognize it when I went back through the archives - definitely a possibility.)
Ladybug Hikes are put on by the Parks Department for preschoolers. Every Friday, two staffers lead a group through a park looking at whatever happens to be in season, rain or shine. They move from park to park around the city and, since it's Portland, some of these parks aren't so much cultivated grass and playground equipment as small forests within the city limits.
Each kid gets a ladybug backpack with all sorts of "equipment" inside. Animal mask, magnifying glass, digging spoon, magnifier box, brush (for "painting" with water or brushing away dirt...), and a color matching necklace. On one walk the kids spent most of the hour digging up mole hills, on another we crossed over onto an island in the middle of the Willamette River and looked for water bugs, this time we examining raindrops and collecting slugs...
All of this to say that the fresh air was wonderful and my goal to focus on science and math with The Princess (and Sweetpea, since she's rabidly observing on the side) is easily subsidized by this exciting adventure!
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