Illustration Play: A Day in the Forest
I’m sure you don’t need me to spell out the benefits of unstructured outdoor play for children. In case you’re wondering, here’s an article spelling it out. They just forgot to mention the benefits to a busy mother’s sanity!
Little things that crawl and
In the green grass forests,
Deep in their long-stemmed world
Where ferns uncurl
To a greener world
Beneath the leaves above them;
And every flower upon its stem
Blows above them there
The bottom of a geranium,
The back side of a trillium,
The belly of a bumblebee
Is all they see, these little things
Down so low
Where no bird sings
Where no wind blows,
Deep in their long-stemmed world.
Margaret Wise Brown