"I Notice" - Mindful Nature Walk

Looking for an outdoor activity to do with your children?  Consider starting a regular “I notice” mindful nature walk practice!  All that's needed is a curious attitude and your senses!  This is a great outdoor activity that naturally invites us to bring mindful awareness and wonder to the world around us.  

Depending on the age of your child decide on an appropriate about of time to spend on your walk.  You can choose to be completely silent or not. The purpose of the I notice walk is to use your senses, to bring awareness to the things around you, maybe even things you’ve never noticed before! 
 
Pause on your walk and notice, what do you hear?  Look at the variety of shapes and sizes, colors and textures found in nature. Use your sense of touch to explore and feel.  Maybe you’ll find a thing or two to smell.  When your time is up, share what you’ve found! Talk, draw or write about your experience.  You could even record your discoveries in a notebook.  Track what you've found on each walk, throughout the seasons, and uncover some of the many ways the natural world changes!  Don’t make it into a competition, it’s not about how many things you’ve found but rather, an opportunity to be in the moment.  To really see and hear, feel and smell all the wonders around you! 

"If a child is to keep alive her inborn sense of wonder, she needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with her the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” ~Rachel Carson
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Author​
Jen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist working in private practice.  She is the owner of Well-Bean, LLC which is committed to providing services & programs that foster the emotional & mental well-being of youth. Well-Bean offers child & adolescent psychotherapy,  yoga & mindfulness classes, wellness workshops and education & training for parents and educators.

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