And he's off!

Ever since Finlay was born I've been looking forward to him finding his feet so we could finally take off on our daily walks. Maria Montessori recommended that young children (as soon as they can walk) should be taken on long rambling walks where they can go at their own pace and explore unimpeded for as long as they wish. Most days we simply walk up and down our street (sometimes only making it as far as the driveway!) but whenever possible we try to make the trip to one of Auckland's many beautiful parks for a real ramble.

Fin finds a ramp to walk up and down, up and down, up and down....

The challenge is to truly follow the child. This is no easy feat and sometimes it feels as though you are treading water... getting nowhere! But the payoff is truly delightful - a child who is utterly content and amazed by the extraordinary things he finds along the way.

What a find! Fin finds a stash of sticks collected by children playing in the trees...

We are very lucky to live close to two parks which have farm animals grazing on site. On Sunday we visited them both! These are some images of our lovely weekend adventure...

“The child under two is well able to walk for a mile or so, and also to climb. Our impression that a long walk is beyond her comes from making her walk at our pace. But the child is not trying to “get there”–all she wants is to walk. And because her legs are shorter than ours, it is we who must go at her pace.”

-Dr. Maria Montessori-