It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting how, once again, the school year seemed to have wizzed by. Here we were approaching the end of February, with only 3 1/2 months to go until summer break. I was getting particularly teary about my 4th grader, thinking how next year would be his last in elementary school. His last year getting on the bus with his little brother. His last bike-to-school day. His last field day. I was already in a panic trying to figure out how I would slow down time so that next year would not race by in such a flurry. I was determined: There must be a way to hit the pause button.
Be careful what you wish for, right?
Fast forward a couple of weeks and we have all hit the pause button. Schools are closed. Activities are canceled. Businesses are shuttered.
For sure, this was not the kind of time warp I had envisioned, but if there is one sliver of silver lining to this time of crisis, it’s that we have no choice but to slow down, spend time with the people we love, and enjoy the many forgotten comforts of our homes. Indeed, we are reminded just how lucky we are to have the privilege of these simple pleasures.
In some ways, I feel like I’ve been given a gift (albeit one with considerable anxiety, uncertainty and outright fear attached to it). But a gift nonetheless. A package with a note on the outside that says: we’re turning back the clocks for you, we’re slowing that second hand to a crawl, we’re letting those calendar pages slide lazily to the floor–don’t take it for granted.
And I, for one, intend to accept it.
Now, that doesn’t mean I expect it’ll be all sunshine and rainbows for us. But if we put our heads together and we share our ideas, I think we can come up with a pretty decent roster of ways to make this quantity of time into quality time.
For example, the weather over the weekend is looking (potentially) nice.
So that means…
If you’re itching to get out, you might consider a walk through Earle Park on the Glastonbury Audubon Society’s family-friendly trails (the indoor center is closed and they do ask that you observe the recommended 6 feet of distance from other hikers you may pass). The park has so many lovely streams and meadows, interesting bridges and you can still visit with the raptors that are housed outdoors near the trail’s entrance.
You could also explore the East Coast Greenway. It’s “the nation’s longest connected biking and walking route” and it runs from Maine to Florida. Here’s a look at the section that runs through Connecticut. Turns out it includes several trails in other parts of the state that we have scouted before like the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail and the Air Line Trail (which also make excellent places to ride bikes!). Plus a snippet of trail that runs through Charter Oak Park (you can read more about the East Coast Greenway in that post).
Wadsworth Falls in Middletown is another fun pick for an adventure (what kid doesn’t love to see a waterfall???). You can read about our adventures there here and here for a little sneak peek.
At Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth there are short, interesting hikes that are perfect for your little ones. Check out Indian caves, waterfalls, bridges, a boardwalk and more.
In Rocky Hill, the trails of Dinosaur State Park remain open (though the indoor exhibit center is closed). These kid-friendly trails offer a variety of manmade (think boardwalks and bridges) and natural interests. When the center is open, you can borrow a nature bingo card to help give kids something to focus on during the walk. You won’t be able to go inside the visitor center right now, but if you take a look at our post on this destination you could probably fashion your own bingo card using ideas from the “official” ones and bring that along on your adventure.
These are just a few ideas of the many beautiful outdoor spaces to explore around our state. What’s your family’s favorite place to enjoy nature? Let’s see how many we can list!
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