Go Where the Wild Things Are in the Great Outdoors

As the weather warms and we recover from a very cold and snowy winter, adults and children alike are excited to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. Warmer weather means playing, exploring, and enjoying the amazing natural world around us. Going for walks, digging in the garden, and smelling the flowers help kids engage with nature and each other.

Whether your child loves getting muddy in the backyard or prefers looking for flowers, there are so many ways to encourage a love of the outdoors. Children can get messy, smell the breeze, and explore the sensory feast of a backyard walk while sparking their curiosity. Whether you plan to stick close by or go further afield, Mercer County Library System can get your family’s outdoor experiences jump-started at your local branch.

Books like The Wildest Thing by Emily Winfield Martin celebrate children who love the wild and immersing themselves in wild exploration. Fairy Walk by Gaia Cornwall offers a story of whole-hearted, imaginative exploration.

Introspective narratives, like Have You Ever Seen a Flower by Shawn Harris, offer children the opportunity to stop and think about nature and themselves in a whole new way while offering a visual feast.

Sensory explorations explode in books like After the Rain by Eleanor Spicer Rice, which combines observations with scientific terms and a child’s contagious excitement following a rainstorm. Other books, like When Twilight Comes by Marcie Flinchum Atkins, softly explore nature’s unique sounds and experiences while showing children rich illustrations to explore.

Or check out books that encourage identification as your child explores. Books like Moira Butterfield’s Look What I Found in the Woods or 1001 Bugs to Spot by Emma Helbrough offer children the chance to create their very own interactive seek-and-find, all while learning about the world around them. These books offer a framework kids can expand on as they look for plants, insects, or colors that interest them on a nature walk or even a long car ride.

Being out in nature can be an exciting and engaging experience for kids as they dig in the dirt, discover local plants, and see what awaits them right outside their front door.

Don’t forget to take advantage of our area’s beautiful outdoors! Check out the Lawrence Branch’s native meadow, West Windor Branch’s ongoing native garden project, Hightstown Branch’s outdoor Sound Wall, Hopewell Branch’s native garden, or Twin Rivers’ raised garden beds. In addition to basking in your local natural beauty, don’t forget to take advantage of the MCLS museum-pass program. You can use your library card to reserve a museum pass for amazing outdoor adventures like the Elmwood Park Zoo, Morven Museum and Gardens, and Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. You can even learn about New Jersey’s revolutionary history at Washington’s Crossing Historic Park.

Whether you go for a walk at your local park, use a museum pass, or enjoy your own backyard, you can find beauty to explore all around!

• Elizabeth, Twin Rivers Branch