Experiencing nature with your children is fun for all<\/p>\n
By Lestari Danardana<\/p>\n
BOGOR, West Java (JP): Nowadays, many young parents are
\nconcerned about playing with their children at the weekends. Due
\nto their lack of time, they tend to take them to playgrounds at
\nmalls or to other entertainment centers.<\/p>\n
We can see their happy faces as they play on the various
\nattractions there, from the merry-go-round and go-carts to video
\ngames and sophisticated virtual games.<\/p>\n
Every parent cares about their children. All try to give their
\nbest for their children. But are you sure that playing at malls
\nor entertainment centers is really the best thing for them?<\/p>\n
Outdoor activities are actually better. They enrich a child's
\nexperience and knowledge; they give them a challenge, with
\nmysteries to be solved and the beauties of nature to explore.<\/p>\n
Many parents, however, have no idea where to take the children
\nand what to do there once they are there.<\/p>\n
Start by taking children to a nearby park and introduce them
\nto caterpillars, dragon flies and other animals they only see in
\nbooks. Or go to a rice field and show them rice plants, buffaloes
\nand frogs. During long holidays, take them to national parks,
\nsuch as Ujung Kulon National Park where you can see rhinoceroses;
\nGunung Halimun National Park, West Java, the habitat of Javan
\nEagle and Javan Gibbon; or Pangumbahan in southern Sukabumi,
\nwhere green turtles lay eggs.<\/p>\n
For most parents, exploring nature is a refreshing occasion
\nfrom dull routine activities, while there are thousands of
\nexperiences for children. What can we do as parents to share the
\nexperiences of nature with children? According to Joseph Cornell,
\na naturalist who is interested in outdoor education, there are
\nfive basic principles:<\/p>\n
* Teach children less, and share with them more.<\/p>\n
Ask them to share what they feel. Based on my own experience
\nin Pangumbahan, I let them see how the turtle lays its eggs at
\nnight. In the morning, I asked them to watch the baby turtles
\nhatch, and come out from the sand. Fortunately, my children then
\nreleased the baby turtles into the sea. I told them those babies
\nhave to struggle for life because sharks and other predators
\nmight eat them. After 20 to 30 years, they will come back to the
\nsame place where they to lay their eggs. I explained to them, \"If
\nyou want to meet those turtles you set free, you must come again
\nwith your children in thirty years time.\"<\/p>\n
* Be receptive.<\/p>\n
We tend to \"overload\" information to children. Give them a
\nchance to express spontaneous feelings. We should also respond to
\ntheir mood and feelings to make them more sensitive. Expand their
\ninterests by teaching around their grain of curiosity.<\/p>\n
* Focus the child's attention without delay.<\/p>\n
Find things that interest them, and lead them bit by bit into
\nthe spirit of keen observation. Let them feel that their findings
\nare interesting to you, too.<\/p>\n
When I took my 4-year-old daughter walking in the small garden
\nnearby our house, she shouted and enthusiastically showed us a
\ngrasshopper. We asked her to count how many legs it had and how
\nmany wings and eyes it had. We let her watch how it hopped and
\nplay with it until she get bored, and then asked her to set it
\nfree.<\/p>\n
* Look and experience first, talk later.<\/p>\n
Splashing in the river means a great time for most children.
\nBut how we can we allow them to bathe in a foggy area such as the
\nGunung Halimun National Park? After putting away their things in
\nthe lodge beside Cikaniki river, my children were so excited and
\nforced me to let them plunge into the water. I let them do so
\nuntil I saw their lips were becoming blue. Hurriedly, I gave them
\nhot chocolate milk. Since that was their first time they had ever
\nseen clear water in the heart of a jungle, they asked to play in
\nthe river two or three times a day.<\/p>\n
* A sense of joy should permeate the experience, whether in
\nthe form of gaiety or calm attentiveness. Parents are naturally a
\ngood model for their children. If we can keep the spirit of the
\noccasion happy and enthusiastic, they will feel the same as we
\ndo. We can share our enthusiasm, curiosity and happiness. Those
\nare our greatest assets as teachers.<\/p>\n
Preparation<\/p>\n
It is wise to start with short, easy trips first, then, paying
\nclose attention to your children's interest and capabilities,
\ngradually increase their difficulty and complexity.<\/p>\n
If you don't have any outdoor experience, it is advisable to
\ntake a day trip. Choose a place that is familiar to you and easy
\nto reach. A place that children need not have a tiring long walk
\nafter leaving the car, such as the Botanical Gardens in Bogor,
\nthe Situ Gunung Resort and Camping Ground in Sukabumi or just a
\nstream or rice field in the country side. Make this trip a
\nstarting experience for the whole family.<\/p>\n
After doing this several times, try to have an overnight trip.
\nYou may choose whether you want to stay in a lodge, hut or tent.
\nBe sure you take the appropriate equipment.<\/p>\n
Instead of taking your children's favorite food, you might
\ntake your binoculars to see birds or mammals and a magnifying
\nglass to examine small objects which you find there. A resource
\nbook such as Birds of Java and Bali by John MacKinnon (1990) or
\nAlam Asli Indonesia by Kathy MacKinnon (1987) can help to answer
\nyour curiosity.<\/p>",
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