Winter Warm Up

Here in Northern Colorado we have had a very nice mid winter warm up with temperatures in the 50's and 60's with sunny days. The snow seems to disappear so quickly but this leads to yet another fun outdoor activity... playing in the streams and puddles. As a parent our initial reaction is to tell the kids to stay out of the puddles or out of the street but there is actually a lot of fun a child can have if they explore these temporary streams.

There are so many discoveries to be made with these simple streams. Your child's imagination will run wild but some fun games include...

• What floats or doesn't float
• Why do some things seem to move faster than others
• If you block (or dam) a stream the water finds another way around
• Where is the water going? Where does it go after that? After that?
• Where did the water come from?
• Create splashes or ripples in ponds.
• Place rocks in a stream. How does it affect the flow (rapids)
• Do rocks look different or change color when they are wet?
• Step in the water then walk on dry pavement to make footsteps. Compare sizes of footprints.

There is an entire afternoon of fun and discovery flowing right by your house. Don't be afraid to play in the water and see what your children will come up with.

"Every stone we lay effects the course of the river" ~ Nat Keefe