Creating Awe & Wonder For Our Children & Ourselves

Children are naturally curious, they have great imagination, and have a wonderful ability to see the beauty and good in everything and everyone. Can one really create a sense of awe and wonder in children who seem to posses these wonderful abilities naturally? I think we can definitely create situations where they can explore and observe events that will make them wonder and open their eyes just a little bit wider.

While children may not remember all the events of their childhood, their experiences do shape them as adults. As parents we have a very special gift - the ability to guide and influence our children's lives and the wonderful opportunity to shape their future. We set them on the path that they will ultimately continue throughout their lives. Whether it's their love of nature, or the love of ethnic foods, we have an enormous pull on their way of thinking.

As parents we can create a positive and magical world for our children with everyday experiences, the stories we tell and the questions we ask to fuel their imaginations. Do you know someone or have ever met someone that radiates positivity? Just being around that person makes you feel like anything's possible, you come away from the meeting fully energized and hopeful. These kinds of people and experiences stick in our minds, we may not remember what we did last week but we remember the people that had a positive influence in our lives. We remember the fond experiences we had with such people and can reminisce in our adulthood about such wonderful memories. It is this same kind of energy and positivity that children love and adore! We can turn our positivity and excitement into experiences that our children can cherish and take with them as memories throughout their lives.

How do we create a sense of awe and wonder. This is a question that can be answered a million different ways by a million different people. It can be simple or as elaborate as you wish - I will write about the one's I like and have found to open little eyes wider, take a second look and sometimes even make little jaws drop. Ones that I know have left an imprint on my heart and the heart of my child.

Ready? Okay, close your eyes and relax. Remember your youth, the freedom, the simplicity... Do you remember the things you enjoyed, things that were almost magical, what are the things that stick out in your mind? For me the first thing that comes to my mind is living in Austria with my parents. Hiking on huge mountains looking for wild mushrooms we could cook for dinner. The breathtaking view, my first walk in the clouds as they hung low on the mountain tops. I was 7 at the time and these memories still make me smile today. Every time I smell lavender it reminds me of Europe, every time I look at the clouds I remember the way the humidity felt from the clouds as we walked hand in hand, every time I cook with wild mushrooms I remember picking them with my Mother as she pointed to the edible kinds in the forests. I think every child should take a hike up a mountain at least once in their childhood! The view is amazing and children get a birds eye view of everything - they will be amazed at how small everything and everyone looks. They can see that we are all part of a bigger picture - a community. I heard WOW! When we took our little one for the first time. He was amazed at how different everything looked from above. Every time he sees a bird now he points out that he remembers how they see, that they see far and wide and that when they are up in the clouds we are the ones that seem small!

What do you see when you close your eyes? I see rainbows. I remember looking out of my window as a child after a storm had passed and there I saw two beautiful rainbows one just above the other. When you have children it's the little things that are all around us that they find bewildering. All we have to do sometimes is just point them out. You can recreate rainbows in your own home take a look at this site for instructions http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-make-a-rainbow-2613.html I think every child loves rainbows and sometimes if you're lucky you will get to see two at the same time. When my young son saw double rainbows for the first time I told him that the two rainbows were for him and I. Side by side in the sky close to each other and each unique and beautiful in it's own way just like him and I.

Have you been to an Arboretum, Zoo that has tadpoles and frogs? There are many different places you can go to see the life cycles of frogs. Kids are in awe of the transformation. Tadpoles look nothing like frogs and if we didn't know any better we'd think they were different creatures all together. Children are amazed when it comes to transformations whether it's a tadpole into a frog or a caterpillar into a butterfly. We have been lucky enough to have our son experience the transformation of both. We saw a huge aquarium filled with eggs, tadpoles, and all the in between phases of frogs. He was stunned! His eyes open wide and his jaw hit the floor he said "I never knew they were the same thing, that's so cool!" a fun lesson on life cycles ensued and since that day I have heard him talk about tadpoles to his friends and have heard how excited he was to explain how these creatures form from eggs to frogs. We also went to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls http://www.niagaraparks.com/garden/butterfly.php. They have a huge forest like room with thousands of butterflies that flutter and rest on everything from trees and flowers to the people who come to see them. I myself as an adult was awe struck at the beauty of them all. They have a special area where you can see the butterflies in their cocoon stage and sometimes you can even get a glimpse of one emerging from their quiet homes for the first time. Awe and wonder for both adults and children - a wonderful experience to share and cherish together with your little one!

Camping is another mysterious and fun adventure for children. Since most kids who live in the city never get to see the millions of stars above due to city lights - this little adventure is sure to bewilder young hearts and minds. We sleep during the night and miss the beauty of the midnight sky. I remember going on a trip back to my homeland in Europe and as we flew North I remember looking out the window and seeing the Northern Lights, aurora borealis It was almost 20 years ago now and I can still recall the mesmerizing display of colors as they danced on the beautiful star studded background of the night sky. While seeing the Northern Lights involves a trip further north, more preparation and money - camping is also beautiful in it's own way and a lot easier for people to get to. Your child will be awe struck by the millions of twinkling stars that illuminate the night sky, they will be even more surprised when they find out that they were there all this time but hidden by the city lights. They will never look at the night sky the same way again! Your heart will melt when you see their reaction as you wake them in the middle of the night to take a look at the amazing night sky.

Kings and Queens, Castles, and Knights, Princes/Princesses and lots of imagination! Have you ever seen a Castle? Little girls love dressing up and so do boys! Medieval times seems to be something that many children have a natural affinity for. What can create a sense of wonder and awe better than stepping back in time by visiting a Castle. I remember as a child playing in the ancient ruins of a 13th century convent on St. Margaret Island in Hungary (my homeland) I also remember walking through the Vajdahunyad Castle gates and looking up at the Gothic style architecture and being amazed at how old and beautiful it was. Though Europe has Castles that are over a thousand years old Canada and the U.S. also has their share of Castles just take a look: Castles in Canada http://www.canadacastle.hpg.ig.com.br/prov_en.htm just find your Province and take a peek! There are wonderful Castles in the U.S. as well and can be found here: http://www.dupontcastle.com/castles/#ma scroll down and find your State and look at what Castles await you and your child's imagination. Why not plan a trip and have your little Prince/Princess dress the part. It is sure to captivate their imagination and sense of wonder! I cherish these memories and when I do go back home to visit I always walk through the Castles and Ruins and wonder what life was like back in that era. I once again feel like a child looking up at the gargoyles and elaborate architecture and to this day I have a sense of awe and wonder of times gone by.

As for simplicity, children are experts! You can walk through a local park or even your backyard and find plenty to inspire your little one. When my son was 3 I showed him a snail and held his hand as the little creature emerged and began to move - I remember how fascinated he was and how exciting it was for him. A couple of weeks ago we found a cicada insect resting on a tree, though my son has always heard the buzzing sound in the air he never knew where it had come from. I gently lifted the cicada off the tree and handed it to my son. (The cicadas mating call can be heard loud and clear usually from Mid July through the heat of August. It sounds like a high voltage power buzz) He was in awe - his mouth wide open, he couldn't believe his eyes as he made the connection of the noise he had heard for years and that of the insect that had created this wonderful yet strange buzz. The same goes for crickets, we hear them at night and sometimes one may wander into our home but when kids see the insect and make the connection something magical happens as their eyes open wide.

As you can see there are many wonderful opportunities to fuel your child's imagination, sense of mystery and awe. You are not only helping them understand and explore the world around them but you are also creating a sense of appreciation and instilling in them the drive to explore and connect. Childhood is a wonderful time and as we grow into adulthood we sometimes need to step back and remember to look at our own lives with childlike wonder and awe. The magic and mystery is all around us, sometimes it takes our own children to bring us back to that wonderful place in time.