The Best Playground
- Renata Poleon
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 24
This morning, I decided to take the kids on a short hike at a nature preserve. As much as we enjoy walks in our neighborhood where there are lots of trees, I need to be surrounded by them to the point that I feel fully enveloped. That is my happy place. With my many years of experience as a nanny/babysitter and mother, I have spent a lot of time outdoors daily in the jungle of NYC schlepping kids all over the city, through endless noise pollution to the few genuinely green spaces that exist. Prospect Park, Highland Park, Battery Park, Lincoln Terrace/Arthur S. Somers Park, Central Park and Fort Tyron Park among others remain top tier, providing sweet relief from the chaos of the city I once lived in.
Growing up in a fishing village on a small Caribbean island during the 80s, means spending a lot of time outdoors. There were no conveniences in the sense of an American upbringing. There were no movie theaters, no roller skating rinks, restaurants or malls to hang out in. Things were rugged at the time, but what we did have was access to a beautiful island with amazing terrain, and that was our playground. For that reason, I naturally gravitate to outdoor activities for my children, not because I have to, but because I absolutely enjoy it.
This love of being outdoors and in nature set the foundation for me ensuring that my children spend at least 30 minutes outside daily, weather permitting of course. It also Inspired my move from NYC to Upstate New York, where access to state nature is in abundance with many state parks and nature preserves. I love waking up to rustling leaves swaying in the wind in the peak of summer and driving all of twenty minutes to a state park. Being in nature is truly the best medicine, teaching us all to appreciate the stillness and solitude of it all, while creating beautiful memories.
This morning turned to be a fun time at our favorite nature preserve:
As we started our walk, one of my littles complained of a headache. I treated her and we continued walking on the trail that we all picked together. They were excited and ready to make the best of this morning walk.
As we walked, we came across the pages of a story book every couple of feet. It kept the girls engaged and excited to see what was next. We enjoyed the different types of flora native to the Capital Region and the deep remnants of history and the landscape.
While walking one of the girls observed the blackened bottoms of the trees. I was able to explain the process of prescribed fires, an important tool for the long-term management of the inland pine barrens communities and the species that depend on them in my own words. They continue to have a better understanding of ecological communities, ecosystems, and how they are sustained just by exploring earth’s playground.
By the end, they were racing each other and my youngest said she enjoyed today’s hike. Whether you’re in the city and can find a small green space or have access to nature all around you, get outside and get moving. This is truly medicine for your soul.
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