The Importance of Trying New Things
I'm really motivated to try new things with the boys after stumbling across this blog called 52 Brand New where this woman documents the new things her and her kids try each week.
It's chuck full of great ideas and it made me stop and think about how often we do the same thing each week, go to the same places, repeat the same experiences, etc. and while I think repetition is good I also like the thought of doing just one new thing each week.
It's chuck full of great ideas and it made me stop and think about how often we do the same thing each week, go to the same places, repeat the same experiences, etc. and while I think repetition is good I also like the thought of doing just one new thing each week.
I know that it's important to try new things.
- That's how we learn and grow even more.
- Sometimes it will force us out of our comfort zones and that's a good thing!
- It will keep us from becoming bored.
- Opens us up to all the possibilities around us.
Our new experiences can be something small or something big; as long as it's something new!
I had no ideas for how to actually implement this though and so we decided we'd head back to the Ecotarium. Today, I was so much more aware of all the new exhibits and learning opportunities that the museum offered.
We arrived at the Ecotarium and we decided to buy tickets for the Planetarium; something we've NEVER done and I thought that would be our "new" thing for the week!
I like to think I would have been open to buying the tickets anyway but more than likely I would have chosen to pass on the tickets thinking "another time."
While waiting for the movie we had a wonderful time checking out the museum.
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| Looking at items under the microscope |
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| Playing a new game! |
And, I do have to say we still found new things to do (not including the planetarium!).
The boys were extremely interested in all the microscopes today and kept looking at things like mold, algae, sand, and shells. We found a portion of a wall that you can touch and see the heat your body gives off; I challenged them to try and turn the whole wall green (warm).
We played some new games they had set up and went for a walk in the snow spotting wild turkey tracks.
But the best new thing for us was finally checking out the planetarium. We saw a show all about volcanoes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. While all the boys loved the Planetarium itself Alec and Evan did not enjoy the actual movie and kept telling me it was going to give them nightmares. I felt bad, I had no idea it would be scary! They did love the domed ceiling though and we pointed out all the different cameras working together to make the rounded projection.
What a great discipline to focus on with your family! (And it's not a bad idea for those of us who are beginning the grandparenting phase of life to focus on this as well!)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteKids love experiencing new things. Sounds like you all had a great time. Thank you for sharing this post at the #WednesdayAIM #LinkUp #BlogParty. I shared it on social media.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the share! We've had a lot of fun.
DeleteWell done on what sounds like a great day! I like to think we're good at trying new things. Obviously there always room for improvement but I'm not sure I could stick to it for very long.
ReplyDelete#FamilyFun
We only purposely continued it for a year but I have found even without trying these past two years we still end up with 52 new things!
DeleteSounds like you had so much fun and isn't it good doing something you NEVER would have done before. We do need to keep doing new things for health and well being and just to have fun exploring new opportunities. Thanks for the reminder and I'll be planning something to do next week when I mind my 3yo grandson.
ReplyDeleteSue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond.
We did have a lot of fun and it's been great to focus on purposely trying new things.
DeleteThis is such a good idea. With Ben only being nine months, watching him experience new things for the first time is very inspiring and it is something I want to try to incorporate into my life but working full time, blogging and being a mum makes it hard to do that! #familyfun
ReplyDeleteIt sure does!
DeleteAh we should definitely experience new things and it is a great lesson to impart on our little ones (in my opinion anyway). It looks like lots of fun and a great day - watching them experience something new really is special. Thanks for joining us at #familyfun
ReplyDeleteI love watching my boys experience new things; their faces either light up in wonder or they get this intense look of concentration.
DeleteIt's great to see things afresh. Hope it didn't give them nightmares in the end. #FamilyFun
ReplyDeleteIt didn't! Thankfully.
DeleteI love this. Always looking for things to do with my toddler grandsons. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I find that now that I am so much more aware of it I am constantly looking for new things too.
DeleteThe link to 52 did not work for me. It went to some oriental signs.
ReplyDeleteOK; Thanks for letting me know so I can fix it!
DeleteThis is such a great idea! I tend to stick with the tried and true. I am a timid soul but I don't want my children to be held back by the fear of trying new things, so I'm going to have to take a lesson from you. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI too tend to stick to tried and true and it can be tough at times to push myself outside my comfort zone; but I find even small "new" things can add up to lots of fun new experiences.
DeleteThis is something that I struggle with myself and my son is even worse than I am! It is hard to get him to try new things when he does not want to. But it really is something that I would like us both to work on! Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Amy
My boys are actually quite open to trying new things but I am the one that tends to hesitate.
DeleteThis really is inspiring! Especially for habit driven, home bodies like me. I like trying new things, but I don't seek them out often. One thing I usually get from your posts is the importance of experiences with our kids. Big or small - Intentionally investing time and energy into experiences and having fun together is priceless. Thanks for sharing with us at #LiveLifeWell.
ReplyDeleteYes! That is one thing I really focus on; experiences of all sizes. Homeschooling has really pushed me to test my own boundaries in the hopes of exposing my boys to more in life too.
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