The best stay-at-home mama moments are often the hours spent with my children outside. Today my daughter begged to find an indoor play area, but ultimately we went to a tiny park where my children left the play structure to climb a nearby ridge. The ridge led into an undeveloped housing project of paved streets and empty lots. I followed my children up the hillside and we squatted to inspect mushrooms, then smiled at a terrier and his owner. Our amble led us to another small park where eight young boys played informal football with no adults in sight. I was glad to see them outside.

In his book Last Child in the Woods (which I reviewed here), author Richard Louv highlights how seldom children play in nature anymore, and how structured playgrounds do not provide the same kind of learning and stimulation as a natural environment.