Spring Awakening in the Forest

Exploring, playing, and discovering the magic of spring

The snow is nearly gone, and over the weekend we went on a forest walk with the whole family. The sun was shining, making the forest feel like a magical fairytale woods, and the rolling mosses, fresh and damp, were finally visible again. The air was so clear and the sun was gently warming us. I felt so happy and energized!

The children immediately sank into play among the fallen tree trunks, and in the roots they built small homes for their little figures. The tree’s roots formed a kind of apartment, with each hollow like its own little room.

We also played battle beam game (Finnish: pukkitaistelu) on the fallen tree trunk, trying to knock each other off. It helps develop balance and is a lot of fun.

While they were playing, I thought about how easy parenting is in the forest. The forest is a safe place to play, full of endless opportunities for inventing imaginative games. They could have played there peacefully all day. I just admired them and their ideas.

As a parent, it delights me to watch them play outdoors, knowing how beneficial it is for children. Walking in the uneven forest terrain and climbing over stumps and roots helps develop their motor skills, and exposure to the forest’s important microbes has been shown to boost immunity.

We admired the beautiful cycle of nature, inspired by the decaying trees. I felt proud as the children were able to explain on their own how fungi and insects decompose the tree, returning its nutrients to the soil.

Children develop a strong connection with nature when they spend a lot of time outdoors. And a child with a strong bond to nature grows up to become an adult who respects and cares for our planet. This is what it truly means to Grow Wild in Forest Soil!

We stopped for a snack break on a windy hill. Our 4yo had chosen this spot for our picnic and was already sitting there so sweetly, on a fallen tree trunk, waiting. For us adults, it wasn’t quite thick enough to sit on comfortably, but that didn’t matter.

My partner had packed Karelian rice pies and a sweet bread loaf. While eating, we counted how many different kinds of moss we could find on the hill. If I remember correctly, the children found six.

Then we reached a gravel road, and my partner and the children made a stream from a big puddle toward the ditch. The water flowed across the road into the ditch, and it was fun to place all kinds of natural materials into the flowing water and watch them float. They could have continued this play for who knows how long.

At the end, we saw a few real signs of spring: a brimstone butterfly, a bustling ant nest, and a caterpillar that had ended up on top of a large, shady ice patch. We helped it move to a slightly sunnier spot.

As we headed home, I felt grateful for these simple moments — the sun, the forest, and the joy in children’s eyes. Spring was truly awakening all around us.

🌿 GROW WILD IN FOREST SOIL 🌿

Where children play and the forest wakes, everything feels alive.
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