Into each childhood, thousands of moments of wonder should fall. Moments not fueled by expensive toys or electronic screens, but simple every-day treasures that can be found in backyards and communities world-wide. In these simple, authentic moments not only is joy to be found, but memories will be made. I offer you this list as a jumping off point, and there will be more to come. Join me! Let’s see what awe and wonder we can stir up — for kids and the kids at heart out there!
The Grass Stain Guru’s 10 Can’t Miss Childhood Moments:
- Toasting a marshmallow on a stick, anxiously awaiting the sweet goo that is to come. Learning to master the perfect toasty brown color — equal parts art and science, in my book.
- Wading in a creek – toes wriggling in the light current, knee-deep in fun. Looking under rocks for critters and sailing boats made of sticks.
- Climbing a tree! The world has never been as beautiful as it looks from a perch in a glorious (and sturdy!) tree.
- Catching fireflies on a warm summer night. Pure magic awaits! (Of course, be sure to let them go.)
- Building a fort. Somewhere special, just for the kids. No kit houses required — just some sticks, bushes, maybe a tarp — and a lot of imagination.
- Walking along the beach. Sand between the toes, chasing sand pipers and soaring like a gull. Building sand castles where they will be kings and queens. Collecting shells and sea glass. Salt-scented memories tucked away for later.
- Planting a garden – the wonder and joy that will bloom there is without equal. No yard ? Look for a community garden near you or plant a container garden. Dirt = joy.
- Walking in the woods. Listening to the birds. Looking for signs of wildlife. Making bark rubbings or collecting rocks. “Getting lost” in the layers of the land — from canopy to leaf litter — and in the layers of their imaginations, as well.
- Sleeping out under the stars. A full camping trip or a simple night spent sleeping in the backyard. Stargazing. Telling stories — there is magic to be found under the stars on a warm night that can be found nowhere else.
- Whistling with a blade of grass. Trust me — hours can be spent learning and mastering this skill. Kids will love the honks and wheezes they make along the way. And, once mastered, major bragging rights are afoot!
Photo by J. Hanff
Out of 10, how many of the items on this list do you remember from your own childhood? I bet quite a few! Take a moment and let those memories drift to the surface. Feel the warmth of them and relish that for a moment. Now, how many of these moments have the children in your world experienced so far? Enough? Could there ever be enough of these types of moments? Doubtful.
I hope that you will all take the time to re-capture the Can’t-Miss Childhood moments in your world. There are still marshmallows to be toasted and grass whistles to be mastered, my friends! Share these simple joys with the children in your world. After all, I don’t use the term “Can’t- Miss” lightly.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have am off to re-experience #11. What is it? Stick with me, and I will be sure to share.
See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru
I’ve done all of those except number 10. Never been able to master whistling in any form. Guess I’m whistling impaired.
I should also add that my sleeping under the stars experience included chucking a stone at what I thought was a raccoon and was in actuality a skunk. It’s hard to appreciate the stars when you’re scrambling to get away from an angry skunk.
As a young man you couldn’t beat building a fort or catching fire flies. I will admit that I may have hit a few more with a wiffle ball bat then I did take in as a “pet” but they are a natural thing of beauty. I would have also added catching grasshoppers
a personal favorite. I loved the article and Will pass it along. I look forward to more.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience all of those, some of them several times. And the fun part is that now I get to re-live them all with my own children. Walking in the woods and chasing gulls on the beach are things I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow. I love seeing these “old” things through my kids eyes.
Just dug up a bunch of old photos of me doing #3. We don’t have #4 in California – but we just did #2 and caught/released tadpoles instead. Hope you had fun at #11. Thanks for sharing your playful memories.
What, no trip to Disney? Isn’t a trip to Disney a child’s right?!
Sorry, just kidding, we are avoiding the trip to Disney at all costs if we can.
Great list, Bethe. I’ve done them all and still do most of them, and I now plan on putting learning to whistle on a blade of grass on the to-do list for the boys upcoming spring break.
Funny how so many of our can’t-miss moments are found in Nature’s setting.
Here are a couple from my own experience:
(1) Pole fishing. (This includes digging for worms.)
(2) Cutting out & baking cookies with Mom or Dad.
(3) Flying a kit. (Best if you build your own from scratch.)
You have brought back some fond memories for sure! Another one of mine is clamping on those roller skates with the key so tight your toes were squished…gliding over sidewalks going bumpity-bump.
Thanks for the smiles as I read your list.
Our family does a lot of those every summer. Being outdoors really brings alive a child’s imagination. Even just sitting by a fire telling ghost stories.
Can I play hookey with my kids today? Its such a lovely spring day and I want to do all those and more. Great post, Bethe!
I’ve done all of them. Thank you, I enjoyed remembering all that
Speaking of fireflies, we used to feed them to fat toads from our back yard. Then we would watch the toads light up.
I’ve done everything except for substituting tadpoles and frogs for fireflies. Building forts was my specialty when I was a kid.
All of these were a part of my growing up (no fireflies in Calif, though–but that made it extra-magical when we visited in the Midwest). Just reading the list brought back some wonderful memories.
The great thing is, you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the magic–most of these are accessible to us at any age, we just forget as we veg in front of the TV if we don’t keep focus.
Must be Present to win
I loved this post! Totally took me back to the yesteryears – so happy to be reminded that I can still enjoy all of these things today. Recently attempted to get a toasty marshmellow from a sterno can. Lesson learned – can’t beat the great outdoors.
RT @balmeras For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
RT @balmeras: For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
Great post and great list! I did all as a kid except for the fireflies. I do remember trying to catch frogs once though. My kids are working on all of those now and have managed most of them!
Can’t wait to hear about #11..
You have to check out @balmeras post today-10 Cant-Miss Childhood Moments http://tinyurl.com/ct9m98 Mine-lighting everything on fire
RT: @balmeras: For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
RT @balmeras: For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
RT @balmeras For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
RT @balmeras: For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
You have to check out @balmeras post today-10 Cant-Miss Childhood Moments http://tinyurl.com/ct9m98 Mine-lighting everything on fire
RT: @balmeras: For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
RT @balmeras: For the night shift: Today’s post @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors
ALL TEN! I am printing this list out and making sure my little girls (and my husband – he was SERIOUSLY outdoors deprived as a youth – he grew up in a big city) will be able to raise their hands and say “ALL TEN” too!
I can’t wait to hear about #11… #12… #13…
LOVE your site! Thank you for all you do!
Wonderful post @balmeras @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors – I’ve done all 10!
Again, let it be said that I love TGSG community! You all are simply the best.
So happy that you all responded to this list like you have, but even happier that you have those memories from childhood. That’s what we’re all here for — to make sure that this and future generations have those to. Can you imagine who you would be without them?! Yeah, me either.
Keep getting out there and earning those grass stains!!
Cheers- Bethe
For some reason blog readers love list posts. Well, here’s one list you haven’t seen yet. Well worth reading AND doing: http://bit.ly/5mpyM
Great list! I can remember doing all those things. My daughter is just 9 months old but I can’t wait until we can start crossing things off of her list!
Wonderful post @balmeras @ The Grass Satin Guru: 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://bit.ly/kf7X #playoutdoors – I’ve done all 10!
For some reason blog readers love list posts. Well, here’s one list you haven’t seen yet. Well worth reading AND doing: http://bit.ly/5mpyM
I loved hitting fireflies with a wiffle ball bat too! Vicious, but so much fun. Thanks for the list. Definitely brought me back. I worry in the internet/cell phone age if kids are getting to experience these same things. It would be a shame for them to miss out on all the fun!
Great post, Bethe! For me, all of them and lots more! I was lucky enough to grow up on an acre of land with acres and acres of forest nearby. So, let’s see: Making a dandelion chain; catching tadpoles in the brook and seeing them grow into frogs; lying on our backs looking at the clouds and telling each other what shape we thought we saw; inner-tubing down the river; kite-flying; sledding; making snow angels; jumping in piles of leaves my parents and I raked; playing with model horses outside, as if they were really out in the landscape…oh, the list goes on. Not to mention taking my troubles to the river, the woods, the fort – whenever I could, if I needed to cry or just be somewhere by myself for awhile, nature was the place.
Try roasting leftover peeps. If you’re patient and don’t just catch them on fire, the sugar coating will carmelize on the marshmallow. MMmmmm
How many of these items can YOUR children check off http://bit.ly/T9aBc (from @balmeras) #playoutside
How many of these items can YOUR children check off http://bit.ly/T9aBc (from @balmeras) #playoutside (via @VAStateParks)
How many of these items can YOUR children check off http://bit.ly/T9aBc (from @balmeras) #playoutside
How many of these items can YOUR children check off http://bit.ly/T9aBc (from @balmeras) #playoutside (via @VAStateParks)
How many of these items can YOUR children check off http://bit.ly/T9aBc (from @balmeras) #playoutside (via @VAStateParks)
How many of these items can YOUR children check off http://bit.ly/T9aBc (from @balmeras) #playoutside (via @VAStateParks)
http://grassstainguru.com/2009/04/09/10-cant-miss-childhood-moments/
i love to roast marshmallows on open fire, they taste great–’
As we head back to school, DON'T forget #play & letting kids be kids! 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://t.co/ONz8UfA #parent
Ten Cant's-Miss Childhood Moments: http://t.co/rlLQ1vV
Ten Cant's-Miss Childhood Moments: http://t.co/Ezomub0
Ten Cant's-Miss Childhood Moments: http://t.co/7oPnbc7
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RT @balmeras: back to school, DON'T forget #play & letting kids be kids! 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://t.co/vFVvoNR #parent
As we head back to school, DON'T forget #play & letting kids be kids! 10 Can’t-Miss Childhood Moments http://t.co/ONz8UfA #parent