CHAPTER 



I What Nature Exploring 

 Can Do for Your Child 



HILDREN are natural explorers. They have 

 the true explorer's interest in their im~ 

 mediate surroundings as well as in faraway places, and they are 

 eager to know why things are as they are. If you are a wise parent, 

 you will look upon these qualities in your child as a sacred fire- 

 always to be fed, allowed to die out never. An inquiring mind and 

 zest for living are essential for a rich, interesting, and worth-while 

 life. Childhood is the time to nourish and strengthen these fine 

 qualities. 



Just as your child is a natural explorer, you are a natural guide. 

 You help him find security and a sense of direction in the broad 

 and bewildering world that men have made; so, too, you can 

 guide him along nature's ways and give him a happy outlet and 

 satisfaction for his natural curiosity and exuberance. 



You can be a fellow explorer, too, enriching your own life as 

 well as your child's. As you look back on your own early years, 

 you may recall the first time you noticed a bud opening into a 

 flower, a bird building its nest, two colonies of ants battling each 

 other. You may remember that such intimate glimpses of nature 

 gave you a real thrill. Now, as a parent, you can find still more 

 pleasure in learning about the ways of animals and the wonders 

 of plants as you share your observing with your child. No need to 

 go on a safari through Central Africa delightful discoveries await 

 you in your own back yard, in city parks and suburban gardens, 

 along forest trails where you may hike, and by the side of lakes 

 and streams or the ocean where you may vacation. 



