Neighborhood Nature

Does anyone read those blogs where people have these huge yards with woods and gardens? Do you ever wish that you had all of that nature right out the back door for your kids to wander through? I do.....but then I think that I would never want to take care of it all! :) I love my suburban home, and I wouldn't trade it. Although there are beautiful parks within a few minutes of our house, sometimes I just don't have the time to get out there. On those days we take some time to wander, not in our woods and garden, but in our neighborhood. I started this right after the snow was starting to melt and it was warming up. What amazed me was the sheer amount of nature that the kids were able to soak up, even though they were on the sidewalk. Maria Montessori always said that any time in nature is good for the child. Even if you never move very far, following the child as they discover nature is a wonderful thing! Here are the picture from today's wandering: