Wild Child: Friends help us try new things, Part 1

Every child who comes to a Wild Child Outdoor Playgroup is a little different. Some love mud, some don’t even want to touch it. Some like to explore as their parents run to keep up, others hide behind a parent’s leg and watch their peers play instead. If you have a cautious child, the outside world is as much a space for them as for the child who jumps in with both feet without hesitation.

Those differences create the magic. Child-led also means at child speed and no pressure to do what makes you scared. It’s the perfect safe space to watch without having to try.

But there is something enticing about watching another two or three year old squishing in the mud or rolling down the hill. They laugh and play and model the fun and often the most cautious child starts to step closer, look closer, and maybe even tries the slightly scary adventure.

A child in a pink swimsuit plays in mud. The forest is visible behind her.

A child in a pink swimsuit examine mud on her had. A child dressed in purple watches her play.

A child dressed in purple stands in the mud barefoot after watching her friend play in the mud earlier.

For some children it takes one morning, for other’s it may take a few days of trying a little bit at a time, but eventually little friends calling for a cautious child to join in always seem to succeed.

Friend’s help us to have the courage to try new things.

So whether you have a quiet observer or an all-in-explorer join us every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning year round.