Tompkins Weekly

Into The Great Outdoors: Winter Gives Us Many Ways To Play



By Erin Marteal

My oldest son got his first college acceptance letter, so it’s for real now; he’ll be leaving home in just a few short months. He turned 18 last week, and can legally be drafted, vote and buy lottery tickets. For his 18th birthday I made him a baby book, chronicling his life from baby bump to just last week when his band played their senior formal, wearing bow ties. His parents and brother crashed the dance to snap a few pictures and swoon. You have a giant belly one minute, you’re changing diapers the next, and then you’re crashing your kid’s high school dance like the paparazzi.

But it’s not all just that speedy, even though it does feel like it. As I poured through photos – 4-by-6 prints from pregnancy to age 8 – then to thousands of images when we shifted to digital – it occurs to me that my son has come of age in the digital era. His early years, right up until the double digits – were distinctly different from those that followed. Days when calendars hung on the wall instead of in your back pocket seem a distant memory.
We are in the middle of Code Red build seasons and winter training for crew, which means that most nights I don’t see my kids until after 9 p.m. So I have time to think about some of the things we loved doing together that helped keep us connected to nature all through the year, even when snow wasn’t plentiful enough to enjoy through fort building, snowball fights or sledding.
Into the great outdoors – in winter – can happen beautifully in two ways. One way is getting your body physically out the door. I find when snow blankets the ground, or decorates the branches, being outdoors is delightful, magical even. Or, on an unseasonably warm or sunny day, it’s refreshing to step out.
Go for a brisk or lingering walk. Test the ice in a nearby (shallow) frozen creek. Create “bark art” by rubbing the wide side of a crayon over various types of tree bark. Hunt for tree buds while practicing winter tree identification skills. Or, undertake a slightly more intensive approach such as squirting water-based paint into balloons before inflating them, stapling the tabs to a board covered in white paper, and hurling darts to create awesome and truly unique splatter art – while simultaneously diffusing any anger that may have built up as part of your winter existence in upstate New York.
Whatever your pleasure, the main thing is getting the boots on and pushing on out. You don’t always have to have a plan beyond that, as nature often has a way of inviting you into her fold, especially if you’re willing to leave your pocket device safely indoors.
But let’s face it folks, sometimes, going outside is not an option. Because it’s just not pleasant and we aren’t in the mood for the biting wind or damp coldness. Or because we had an exhausting day and a hot cup of tea and slippers beckon. That’s OK, and no need to feel guilty. Rather, invite the outdoors inside to join us for a cup of tea.
One favorite family winter activity is making bird feeders. This is so fun, a great way to connect with birds, and there are as many ways to do it as there are bird species, including peanut butter and pine cones, paper mache, or even filling hollowed out winter squash or gourds with your the favorite seed for a totally biodegradable feeder. You can make a beautiful bird feeder gift for someone you love by cutting an apple in half vertically, and using a cookie cutter to cut out a heart shape hollow from the center. Fill the hollow with bird seed and voila, a beautiful and unique gift that is also for the birds.
This is an especially helpful time of year to feed the birds as food sources become depleted. Just be sure that you keep replenishing your feeder until spring is here, because winter birds become reliant on their food source and may perish quickly if it disappears.
Another favorite, easy, winter time activity that is fun for all ages is propagating houseplants. This is simple, fun, and magical to witness the power of plants. Supplies are basic – you just need a pot or tray of any kind, potting soil, a spray bottle, and a plant to propagate. Most succulents are great choices, and can be easily propagated, even in winter if you have a sunny window sill.
Start by plucking off a handful of leaves. Even if you only want to end up with one new plant, this provides some insurance in case some of them don’t take. Lay them on a bright window sill – or under fluorescent or grow lights if you have them – and spritz them lightly every couple days until you see little hair-like roots starting to develop.
When roots are evident, go ahead and tuck them lightly into your pot or tray that has been filled with soil. Rather than watering the soil, continue to give them spritzes while they get established to avoid root rot. Stand back and consider photographing every couple days as the babies start to appear. If you have plenty of houseplants babies that you have propagated, they make great gifts.
Finally, my favorite way to bring some springtime into winter is by forcing branches. Many spring flowering trees and shrubs can be cut early and brought indoors to bloom ahead of nature’s schedule. We do this every year with our pear tree and forsythia, which add fragrance, color and – most importantly – the reminder that the life force is still flowing, and soon there will be lots of compelling reasons to come out of hibernation.
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Erin Marteal has served Ithaca Children’s Garden as its executive director since 2011, and feels most alive when she pulls herself away from the computer screen to appreciate the majesty of nature, whether it is at Ithaca Children’s Garden or Glacier National Park, her two most beloved places on earth. She would love to hear from you: What is your favorite way to play outside with your family? Send your story to erin@ithacachildrensgarden.org.

 

 

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