It started as a casual Facebook post.
Marie-Andree Racine wanted to explore nature with her son on her day off so she asked if anyone wanted to join. The responses were in the hundreds.
“I didn’t know it would be so big, so quick,” she said.
In early June, they started going outdoors together. Aptly called “The Little Explorers,” Racine organizes the group for parents and kids ranging from newborns to school age. They meet every Monday morning and have done trails at The Bluffs, Alice Lake and recently had a bike day at Brennan Park.
Being out in nature is always good but interaction is better, she said.
“There’s so much research that kids playing outside is good for their mental health,” Racine said. “Unsupervised play is so important for their brain and their ability to figure out how to do things on their own.”
Sometimes the group spends five minutes looking at a slug or blowing pollen to one another.
“Having a new spot to go helps moms explore too,” Racine said, noticing an impact on new moms and families who are afraid to explore on their own.
“When I was a kid, I played outside so much more than a kid does these days. It’s important to get introduced to the outdoors early,” she said. “They’re going to understand how important it is to take care of our environment.
Kim Flynn was added to the group on Facebook by a friend. She goes every Monday with her three-week-old and two-year-old. In fact, the group saw her through her pregnancy.
“As a stay-at-home mom, talking to other adults stimulates the brain,” she said. “It’s really nice having that community feeling.”
It’s good socialization for her son. “When they’re inside they get stir crazy and you find a lot more behavioural problems,” Flynn explained, adding her son learns through observation from older kids.
Kelly-Marie Banna joined the group at the inception and said there is joy in getting outdoors with her little one and meeting new mothers. She has discovered places in Squamish she never knew existed. “I haven’t seen a community like this before. It’s so fantastic.”
Racine has The Little Explorers blog in the works, full of nature tips. Also, she collaborated with Adventure Smart with plans to hold free classes about being safe in the outdoors scheduled for Aug. 14.
For more information about the group, search for “The Little Explorers” on Facebook.
