In A Nutshell: Fall Guides Are Here!

Hello friends,

Last week I celebrated my 36th trip around the sun AND the 2nd anniversary of Playful Acorns in my favorite place with my favorite people: up north with family. It was a nourishing time (we saw so much wildlife by foot, bike, and kayak…and ate s’mores) and — without much internet access — a much needed break from *gestures broadly*… I hope you can find a moment to give your nervous system some love, too. The world needs you whole, and I know I’ve been missing parts of me lately.

As this community grows, many of you who have kids are growing, too. Some may be going to school for the very first time. Some may still be at home. And some may be experiencing a little of both worlds. Wherever your path leads, I wish you and your family well.

Schedules always seem to be shifting, and they are in our household as well. My 3.5-year-old attending pre-K 5 mornings a week to 3 in June and July, 0 in August, and only 2 for this school year is going to be impacting my availability and priorities in ways that I am still discovering.

But, I know community, nature, and creative outlets are what sustain me. Z said it best when she made an out-of-nowhere comment to a friend of mine recently: “My mom is a writer.” :) She put into words what I’d been feeling lately: the call to dedicate more of my time to my first love of writing…more picture books, more journaling, more letters, more face-to-face events, and possibly even a middle grade novel draft.

What that means, for now, is that this email contains perhaps the last comprehensive guide of Dane County indoor and outdoor family-friendly happenings for some time (be sure to visit your local library for wonderful storytimes and other programs!) — it should hold you over until at least December. I’ll be sure to draw your attention to any important updates via social media on Instagram, Facebook, or email. I’d encourage you to bookmark this page and/or the guides below on your browser for easy reference.

Let me know what you think, and hope to see you at some of these events! If you’re looking for specific recommendations, don’t hesitate to send me an email and I’d be happy to share my thoughts.

• Looking for more events ? Try these resources:

  • Macaroni Kid calendar of events

  • Nature Net calendar of events

  • Your local library!

I am grateful for all of you. And I hope some of these resources and upcoming gatherings can introduce you to or further connect you with the Madison area community. You are not alone.

Here’s the origin story of this monthly In A Nutshell e-leaflet, which highlights local events for families with young kids in the Madison, WI area, plus other community resources and my own musings as a toddler mom. Recently, I’ve added a second newsletter a month called On The Bookshelf, which is all about my children’s picture book journey and recommendations. Soon, I’ll be adding a third newsletter Through the Viewfinder (though probably not monthly) that will feature my digital nature photos, some of which will be turned into greeting cards available for purchase with a portion of proceeds donated to local environmental nonprofits. So, if you support nature, books, kids, and community, this Under the Drumlin Sun publication is probably the place for you! Thanks for stopping by!

As always, thank you for being part of a community who shares this common thread:

At Playful Acorns, we value the following be(leafs):

• Nature benefits from diversity, and so does humanity.
• Children learn best through play.
• Everyone deserves to have fun and be respected.
• Life is a journey, and we are always growing.
• The world is a better place with you in it.

In gratitude,

- Sam

Are you new to Playful Acorns? Welcome! You can read our story here and most recent posts here.