Live a full, rich life and your children will learn everything.
That was my thought yesterday as I caught a salty breeze blowing in from the bay at Biscayne National Park.
It was my first time there and I didn’t bring my camera, so I’ll have to whip out my adjectives to set the scene. First let me just say, I love our national parks. They are so diverse and truly amazing. The natural beauty of our country is awe-inducing and its preservation is one of the deepest points of pride I have in being American.
Biscayne National Park is situated on Biscayne Bay in south Miami-Dade. Much of the park consists of pathways along the shoreline and near the mangroves. There is a lovely grassy area near the Visitor Center where families can picnic or barbecue and a little marina as well. All the ledges and benches are made of coral rock where you can see fossilized sea shells, coral and sponges. It seems like a smallish park, but looks may be deceiving since much of it consists of pathways that lead to sights unseen. We explored some of those paths, but have no idea how far they span. Fishing is allowed on one side of the path and prohibited on the other. The weather was a bit overcast on Sunday. The water was a subdued periwinkle, but I suspect it’s much brighter on sunny days. The canal running along the road that lead us to the park was a Caribbean turquoise, which I had never seen anywhere other than lapping a white sand beach.
We drove to Biscayne National Park to attend their free Family Fun Fest, a program I just heard about that runs about five sessions a year. Each event has its own theme and this month we learned all about shipwrecks. The children were given passports and sent to five different stations to complete activities: watching a short play about a shipwreck salvagers from Key West, measuring fathoms, building an astrolade and using it to determine latitude, using pulleys to lift heavy cargo and counter-balancing a ship’s tall sails by weighting it down with rocks. Admitedly, some of this was over our wee ones’ heads, but it was exciting to see what they could grow into. Also, even though we helped them, there were aspects of each activity that they did themselves, such as counting the fathoms.
Their favorite activity was counter-balancing the ship. Make-shift sailboats were made out of Glad-ware with a straw mast and foam sails. They capsized until the kids put enough rocks in the bottom, and then they sailed! It was such a thrill to finally get it right. Combining boats, rocks and water play was a natural winner for my little boys. I’m definitely going to repeat this activity at home. Max and Jack proudly earned badges for their efforts, and then we headed outside to enjoy the park.
That is where much of their learning happened. Even though the kind rangers put on a great event, it was simply being out in nature where the kids learned the most. We strolled by the docks and watched schools of green minnows shimmering by. We walked by mangroves for the sixth time this year and the kids started to recognize our shoreline landscape. We watched the wind make waves on the endless gray bay and windsurfers catch that wind until they wiped out.
Then we sat on a coral rock bench overlooking the water and ate the simple snack I prepared. Behind us a scene straight from a Spanish movie emerged. A musical family that had a mystical aura began playing. An old man crooned a Spanish ballad while his brother accompanied him with a Spanish guitar. They were so relaxed it was really like we stumbled upon them in a Spanish vineyard. When their song ended, a woman took out her harmonica and played while their mangy dog sang along. The dog was a puffy white mutt who looked just like a well-loved stuffed animal and was sweet as could be. It was so perfect the only label that fits is idyllic.
Besides being beautiful, there was a harmonica! Max’s interest in music has been exploding as of late. We listen to Peter and the Wolf five times a week and lots of other classical music as well. Two weeks ago we purchased a Melissa and Doug puzzle that plays Old MacDonald with each musical instrument. Max has seen most of those instruments, but not the harmonica. It’s something I was thinking of putting in his Easter basket. And there it was, played beautifully and spontaneously in the vibrant world we are a part of.
After our snack we walked by the water. A man pulled a fish out of the sea and released him back in just as we meandered by to the absolute astonishment of Max. Later a boy came running down the path with a barracuda and hour after Max asked me to identify one in the park’s exhibit hall. We felt how strong the wind was when we crossed a bridge and how the mangroves blocked it later on. Jack was fascinated by the masses of bubbles created by the stirred up sea hitting the rocks. We hurried back as a rain cloud headed ashore. Just as well, the event was ending.
I love teaching my boys, but sometimes the magnitude of homeschooling looms strongly and overwhelms me. My domineering nature inclines me to want to cram information into their brains, even though I know true knowledge is only gained through personal discovery. This perfect afternoon reminded me that I don’t need to carry so much weight. All I need to do is expose them to how naturally marvelous and vibrant the world is.
As these lessons, planned and unplanned occurred, I had a moment to gaze out at the gray-blue horizon myself. I breathed it in, unburdened by the load I had just released. A moment later, Jack asked to be held. The tired toddler had had enough of the wind and learning. He just wanted to be carried in the calm of his mother’s arms. I lifted him up and he snuggled his head into the crook of my neck. I held him as I took in one last breath of the sea and suddenly, he was light as air.
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