Now that I’ve made the case for summer, it’s time to say good-bye to it.
Regardless of what the calendar says, summer ends for children and their families on the first day of school. No matter whether school starts in mid-August or whether September days are just as hot and steamy as they were at summer’s peak — when days are once again bound by schedule, and homework, and carpools or buses, it’s fall.
The next few posts look ahead to the new school year. Some offer advice for “going green” with school supplies. Then I turn to what’s new with the growing “safe routes to school” movement. Later on, I’ll take a look at the latest thinking in playground design, through an innovative natural play space created this summer at an elementary and middle school in the Upper Connecticut River Valley.
Of course, being outdoors is a year-round proposition, whether school is in session or not. So following this short series, look for the best places to hike during foliage season, 52 peaks with a view (all below 4,000 feet, and all in the White Mountains), and more!
If you’re already back on school routines, welcome to fall. If you’re still a day or more away – enjoy these precious few last hours of summer.
“Great Kids, Great Outdoors” is an AMC Outdoors blog, written by Kristen Laine.Labels: fall, family, Kristen Laine, safe routes to school, school, summer