I love this photograph of my teenagers Samuel and Jasmine.

Sam and Jasmine are the best of buddies outdoors. They thrive on each others energy. Jasmine will give Samuel a horse-ride whilst Sam will show Jasmine the best route to the waterfall. Their energy and laughter is infectious.

When you take a walk in the forest or woods there are no distractions from cell phones or computers. The only sounds you here are the bird song, the chatter of the squirrels, the whistling of the wind. Teenagers open up and talk more when in a relaxed environment.

Weekend Fun: UNPLUG and go on an adventure. Teenagers love adventures especially if they are challenging.

David, Jasmine and Samuel were in their element. They loved every minute of the challenging rock climb to reach the waterfall.

Once at the top, my 19 year old rested against a rock to appreciate the beauty and energy of the powerful waterfall.

Go Climb a Tree

Teenagers love to play outdoors too! Sam loves to play on his skateboard and scooter.

During the school week: Play after dinner

Getting teenagers outdoors can sometimes prove difficult but when outside, they come alive and revert to that inner child that resides in all of us. As Sam performed his latest skateboard tricks for me last-night, I couldn’t help thinking how incredibly blessed I was that my teenager wanted to share his outdoor fun with me. Heartwarming, it reminded me of when I would ask my mother to watch me while I danced around the garden pretending to be the magnificent gymnast Nadia Comaneci.

These moments are truly magical and precious. 

What could be more important?

We are all drawn to the indoor temptations of technology but we all have a choice.

I invite you to come out and PLAY….Who wants to join me on a bike ride…

Wishing you infinite magical moments with your children each and every day. Love and peace, Marghanita x

Climbing high up into the magnificent Silver Birches in our back garden was probably my earliest powerful “connection” with nature as a child. That deep love and connection with trees has never left me, in fact it has grown deeper and more powerful over the years.

I love feeling the tree move as the wind whistles through the leaves and you become part of the tree.

The adventures and joy my family have been gifted from time in and around these magnificent species is immeasurable. WATCH THE VIDEO

Kids love to climb trees

Do you let your children climb trees?

FREE T-SHIRT when you purchase TOFFEE’S BUG HUNT BOOK (While Stocks Last)

My little clan modelling their adorable Toffee T-shirts back home in Scotland 2005.

Special SPRING Offer -  FREE T-shirt Worth $19.99 when you purchase Toffee’s Bug Hunt  Book @ $9.99 + postage while stocks last. This cute character t-shirt is 100% cotton and printed in Scotland UK. Sizes 3-4yrs and 5-6yrs. Please specify size on your order, thank you.

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HAPPY BUG HUNTING!!!!

Growing a garden is a magical way to connect children with nature. When we garden with children they feel connected to the earth and nature

I was fortunate to visit several local schools last year to find out why they decided to grow a garden in their school. Watch the video and find out…

Each child I interviewed, had been inspired by their school garden to grow their very own vegetables and flowers at home. This is powerful!

And you don’t need a yard…vegetable containers and herb pots are easy and fun for children to create and nurture.

In my nature classes the children choose what they want to grow. Favourites are Sunflowers, strawberries and Tomatoes.

Are your kids growing their own vegetables? Please share your stories, I would love to hear from you.

If you would like to download a copy of the “Grow Your Own Certificate” please leave a message below.

Every garden should have at least one Sunflower….don’t you think!

Wishing you magical moments in your garden, love and peace, Marghanita xx

Help Save Our Pollinators

Please help raise awareness of how important our pollinators are by getting kids involved. Below you will see samples of my worksheets, featuring the Little Humbugs. Great fun for kids to read and work on with parents, teachers, or friends.

Download PDF: NEW Pollinators 2012

Download PDF: NEW Pollinators 2012

The bees and the butterflies are having a really hard time right now and need our help.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we are facing an “impending pollination crisis,” in which both wild and managed pollinators are disappearing at alarming rates owing to habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, diseases and pests.

Thank you for helping to raise awareness, wishing you all a beautiful week in nature, love and peace, Marghanita xx

Download PDF: NEW Pollinators 2012

Children Absorb Healing From Nature

When was the last time you made a mud pie or played with worms? When did you last make a daisy chain or rose petal perfume?

Our children are naturally so much more connected to nature than we are, so they are naturally more sensitive to healing from nature than we are too. Every single day when they are playing outside they are soaking up energy from the sun and healing from the plants that are around them whether they realise it or not.

Bach Flower Remedies are 38 natural remedies made predominantly from wild flowers and trees. They were discovered in the 1930s by Dr Edward Bach, a Harley Street doctor who devoted his life to developing an effective and natural form of healing which could be used and understood by everyone.

Now over 80 years later, Bach Flower Remedies are used by thousands of people all around the world to restore wellbeing and happiness.

Children respond very quickly to the natural healing of Bach Flower Remedies because they have an affinity with nature and their emotions are close to the surface so it doesn’t take much to balance them. If you’ve ever spent much time with a 2 year old, you’ll have witnessed the raw power of a forceful wave of rage passing through a little body and you’ll know how close to the surface their fury can be! Children haven’t yet learnt all the polite ways to hide their feelings that we adults know.

However this means that sometimes they get overwhelmed by the force of their emotions and need gentle nurturing to come back into balance. Often they will know on an intuitive level what they need to restore their natural state of wellbeing.  They might feel drawn to play beside a particular tree in the forest one day or to pick particular flowers another day. Notice how they turn to nature instinctively – they are finding their own healing and allies in nature. Notice their favourite places to play and the plants that grow there.

Plants and humans have lived together for thousands of years and plants provided us with the first medicine we ever knew. We’re only a few generations away from receiving all our healing from nature, and indigenous people around the world still do so. Shamans know that the spirit of a plant is as important as the physical properties. That knowledge is still inside us too, in that wild part of our souls that technology hasn’t reached. If you had to choose the spirit of either oak or daisy to make you feel strong and resilient and able to cope when your energy is low, which would you choose?*

Bach Flower Remedies are a gentle and natural way to call upon this spirit of plants to return children (and adults) back to their natural state of equilibrium. We’re not separate from nature, we’re part of it so it makes sense to use the healing qualities of nature when we get out of sorts.

You can use Bach Flower Remedies for children’s temper tantrums, bullying, adjusting to changes at home like a new baby or divorce, difficulties with learning, nightmares, hyperactivity, sibling rivalry, sleeping difficulties and shyness and lots lots more.

When selecting Bach Flower Remedies for children I recommend letting them choose what they need intuitively by looking at pictures of the healing plants together.

Make some time to snuggle up quietly and look at this gallery of Bach Flower Remedy plants, lovingly photographed by Jason Smalley. (http://essenceofwild.co.uk/bach-flower-gallery)

Ask your child/ren which pictures they like best and note down the names of the flowers they like. Chat about the colours and ask them how they feel when they look at their favourite pictures. One flower might make them feel happy, while another might make them feel like a superhero. Sensitive children will feel the healing benefits of the flowers from spending time with these pictures.

I’ve prepared a free A-Z guide where you can read all about the issues each flower brings into balance so you can refer to that after they’ve made their choice. You may be surprised when you read about the flowers your child chooses. I’ve seen very young children choosing flowers that treat hopelessness and guilt and other emotions that appear to be very ‘adult’. Click here to download the free guide (http://www.flowerspirit.info/gifts).

Children often mirror their parents’ emotions so it’s interesting to observe what’s going on with your child and then look at yourself to see if there’s a resonance. I noticed this a lot when my son was very young – I would see him experiencing strong emotions like fear of the dark or anger and within a couple of days I’d notice myself feeling exactly the same fears of the unknown or rage about something. Children are psychic sponges so they’re not just responding to their own emotions. They also pick up on everything that’s going on in the household subconsciously and show it to you so that you can recognise it!

Bach Flower Remedies are a gentle way to bring the entire family back into balance. You can buy Bach Flower Remedies in most health food shops and pharmacies as well as buying them online. My favourite online flower essence shop is Crystal Herbs (http://www.crystalherbs.com/shop/aftrack.asp?ID=93).

I can make up combinations of Bach Flower Remedies for you and your child/ren which saves you investing in each flower essence separately. Learn more here. (http://www.flowerspirit.co.uk/bach-blends)

Bio: Jackie Stewart offers flower and crystal essences, guided meditation and spiritual counselling at www.flowerspirit.co.uk. You’ll receive free soul medicine from your personal healing flower when you sign up to the mailing list on Jackie’s site.

She is also the co-creator of the free nature experience 10 Steps to Soothe Your Soul in Nature (http://barefootbreathing.com/10-steps) and the Barefoot Breathing e-course (http://barefootbreathing.com) which includes soulful family nature celebrations.

Photographs by Jason Smalley (http://www.jasonsmalley.co.uk)

“Night Magic” – Orange Moon gazes up at the moon and wonders at the brilliance of it’s light.

The inspirational power of the Moon has influenced human lives since the dawn of time. For me, the moon, like the sun and all of Mother Nature’s gifts are to be celebrated. The illustration above was inspired after a magical evening in the presence of an exceptionally stunning silvery full moon. I stood in awe at its beauty and magnificence in the midnight sky. Its love wrapped around me like a luminous blanket filling me with immeasurable joy.

The Energy of the Full Moon is a powerful energy. I believe the full moon is a time for creativity, healing and recharging our spirits.

What does the Moon mean to you?

Moon watching – A magical night under the starry sky - Enchanted Garden 2011

Gazing up at a night sky filled with stars will bring out the wonder and awe in your child.

As the silvery moon casts its light amongst the countless twinkling stars, their imagination will dance along side them as it expands into the infinite possibilities that the cosmos invites us to explore.

Why not  HOWL at the full moon, like the wolves and coyotes of the night.

Moon Painting by Jessie aged 5 Nature Classes 2011

What do you love about the moon?

Sending you magical moon wishes for a beautiful and happy month ahead. May it be full of new and wonderful beginnings and oodles of magical moments in nature…..love and peace, Marghanita xx 

POSITIVE CHANGE

I was fortunate to catch up with Richard Louv in Vancouver (at the EPIC show) where he was promoting his latest book “The Nature Principal” to ask him what positive changes he had witnessed over the last 6 years in the movement to connect children with nature.

“Change comes from the heart” – Dalai Lama

I am truly grateful to have been gifted the freedom to make change. Join us on this magical and exciting journey to help change the way children (and adults) spend their time. (The Lets Go Outside Revolution)

Every morning we are gifted a fresh beginning. Today is a new day full of endless opportunities – that very thought makes my spirit dance. My heart is full of love and hope for the future.

We are Nature – May your week be blessed with love and peace and magical moments in nature, Marghanita xx

Today I wish to thank all you beautiful souls who have come into my life and left “footprints on my heart”. Your love is deeply treasured. You make my heart sing and my spirit dance, fueling my creativity…………….

Thank you beautiful one’s………….Wishing you all a magical day full of love and laughter, Marghanita x

This is powerful and true. However, I believe the future is looking bright for this endangered species.

WE ARE NATURE.  Children (and adults) need nature in their lives in order to be happy, healthy, well balanced beings. We are all becoming more aware of the importance of spending time outdoors in nature.

This endangered species is worth saving don’t you think? Real change is in the heart.

Over the last few years, I have had the pleasure of witnessing wonderful changes in the way children are spending their time and it fills we with great hope for the future. A huge thank you from the depths of my heart, to all the wonderful parents, grand-parents, individuals and organizations that are keeping this incredible species from extinction. You make my heart sing.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend in nature, love and peace, Marghanita xx