Wonders of Nature

"Children need adults to spend time with them. To take walks, hand in hand and sit for a while so they can talk about the wonders of nature....(that was) made for us to enjoy and take care of. Things like butterflies, leaves, rocks, flowers, birds... and answer the kind of questions kids ask." -Ed Whalen

While on a recent letterbox hunt we passed the Friendship Gardens in Plainfield, IN where I found this quote on a plaque next to a waterfall. It reminded me of my two daughters and the time we spend outdoors with them. I never regret taking them on walks, bike rides and hikes, looking at bugs and smelling flowers. In an article I read this week it said, "research shows exposing kids to nature yields all manner of health benefits, both physical and mental. Contact with nature improved attention spans and self-control in kids. Kids who spend time in nature also tend to play more creatively and handle stress more effectively." We need more of that at our house. If you are looking for us you'll find us outside.

New Terrain

Our letterboxing clue led us to the Indianapolis Zoo....
passed the Bison and to the treasure!
This is the Promenade walk in the White River State Park.

Letterboxing

Do you enjoy hiking? Do you like modern day treasure hunting? We have found a favorite new family activity that combines both! It is called Letterboxing and is the cousin to the high-tech geocaching. In order to participate you have to go online to get your clues. There are over 23,000 letterboxes in the United States and thousands more around the world. An article in the Smithsonian magazine in 1998 helped spark interest in this hobby outside of England, where it originated in the mid-1800’s.
You follow the clues to the hidden treasure. Some of the clues are in the form of riddles while others are more straightforward. You need to bring a blank notebook (one without lines) to use for a log book, an ink pad, pen and a rubber stamp (hand carved or store bought). Some clues require the use of a compass which is an adventure in itself. The rubber stamp you bring with you should represent you and will be your way of “stamping in” once you find a letterbox. Leave the date and a brief message in the logbook. Then use the stamp that you find in the box to mark your own log book.
We enjoy this activity because we get to explore new terrain that we might not have otherwise and spend lots of time outdoors like pirates searching for buried treasure.
Here are the websites that list the letterboxing clues; letterboxing.org and atlasquest.com