In A Nutshell: What A Trip

Hello friends,

I am writing to you from what feels like a whirlwind for me over the past month:

• Dipping my toes into teaching (for the first time without caregivers present!) as a parent helper for a local “Nature Explorers” 4-K summer school class. I LOVED it. And…I was exhausted each day. I have a newfound appreciation for educators, especially the phenomenal team at New Morning Nursery School (there are still openings for 2 & 4 year olds for 2025-26 if you’re interested). I learned that teaching preschoolers while I am parenting a preschooler (even though Z wasn’t in that class) is not something I can sustain longterm, so I might revisit completing my teaching certificate in the future. :)

• Taking our annual weekend getaway to Door County, which mostly revolves around my partner’s triathlon competitions and finding new restaurants and beaches. We’ve taken Z with us since she was a baby, and I’m starting to compile my favorite spots, starting with the middle of the peninsula where we usually stay. If you’re still thinking of taking a summer vacation, I highly recommend adding it to your list — and I added a new page to the Summer Activity Guide just for you!

• Gearing up for our next musical play date collaboration on Aug. 6th (Wednesday 9-10:30 a.m.): Register for “Up in the Sky” themed event. I’m looking forward to joining Angie from The Wonder Studio inside and outside of Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli for a morning of singing, movement, playing, and socializing. Dress for the weather when we head outside on the trails for a StoryWalk toward the swing after the Kindermusik class, stories, and playtime! Advance registration required; space limited: $23/family, geared toward ages 0-5 and caregivers. Attendees get a discount code to use at the cafe!

• Recording my first podcast with CI Pediatric Therapies on the topic of Getting Families Outdoors! You can listen on your favorite podcast app (check out this Apple version or read the transcript here if you can’t listen to audio) — I’d love to hear what you think and what your favorite nature play spots are around Dane County. A huge thank you to Kayla Darkow, CI Family Engagement Coordinator, (who partnered with us at a recent 4-C Play Group event) for the opportunity to share my story of why I started Playful Acorns, the physical and mental health benefits and simplicity of getting outside, as well as allowing me to shout-out some other really amazing people, places, and organizations, including:

  • ECO Madison - Stay tuned for the 4th annual conference (formerly the Madison Area Green & Healthy Schools Summit) date in partnership with REAP Food Group in 2026 and info to encourage getting Every Child Outside!

  • Outdoors We Learn - You’ve gotta check out their programs and listen to this In It For Youth podcast with my fellow Boss Mamas Weslie and Jamie.

  • Naturing in Madison - Christie has a summer pop-up Aug. 9th and registration is open for her Naturing Together fall classes for ages 2-8 & caregivers — check out her upcoming Crafting in the Wild event Aug. 10th for adults, which is featured on our updated Creative Offerings for Adults guide.

  • Lussier Family Heritage Center - In addition to the nature play area at Lunney Lake Farm Park, you can attend Lil’ Explorer programs all year long such as outdoor Storytimes in English and Spanish on Thursday mornings in August, the fall session of the Adventure series for ages 2-4 & caregivers, and our next collaborative Pop-Up Play Cafe events for ages 0-5 & caregivers (save the dates for Oct. 29th and Dec. 10th).

  • Hike & Heal Wellness - Mo held a nourishing caregiver-child nature play series this summer and I’m so looking forward to attending Hike, Heal & Hum Mini Retreat (also on our guide for adults) on Aug. 20, Family Adventure Club on Aug. 31 and Family Camp from Oct. 4-5.

  • Monona Public Library - Angelika and team plan super fun (and free) Nature Playgroup events, often on Tuesday mornings. Save the date for the next one happening from 10-10:45 a.m. Aug. 12.

  • Dane County Forest Friends - Amy hosts free Friday summer park pop-ups.

  • Madison Area Nature Playgroup - Maggie & Sarah host free monthly events.

  • New nature play areas at McCarthy Youth & Conservation Park and Olbrich Park, as well as Lunney Lake Farm Park and CamRock County Park.

• Updating several of our resource guides for the month of August (and a mini preview of September events) for family activity and adult guides. The storytime guides are very time-consuming, so I did my best to pick out some the outdoor ones this summer through Lussier Family Heritage Center, Havens Petting Farm, and Verona Public Library, plus weekend storytimes with local authors, and a new storytime monthly series through 4-C. And, I recently heard about a new summer camp in Sauk City called TimberNook through this article, so I’ve updated the summer camp guide as well. I’ve also noted that several local organizations also open fall enrollment for programs on or around August 1st, including Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Naturing in Madison, and Lussier Family Heritage Center. Let me know what you think and which guides are most helpful for you! Looking for something to do tonight? Z and I will be heading to Winterfell Acres for a Flicker gathering to mark Lammas (mid-way point between Summer solstice & Fall equinox). Join us!

  

• Experiencing major shifts emotionally and physically now that Z is no longer breastfeeding. I am thankful for the support of a therapist and dear friends during this transition (and amid everything else happening in the world right now). There’s another post on this topic coming someday, but not today. For now, if you are also thinking about weaning or are going through that process (or, if things just feel heavy), whether you’ve got a baby or toddler or older kid, please feel free to reach out. And if you have extra milk in your freezer that you don’t need, consider donating to Madison Area Donor Milk Alliance.
• Entering SAHM life for the first time since Z was born (temporarily in August before she returns to school). While I’ll still be working here and there with my marketing and communications roles through Young Parent Collective and Own It: Building Black Wealth, I will be scaling back tremendously on pretty much everything else — including Playful Acorns and my volunteer gigs — to spend time with family. To focus on my children’s book goals. And to slow down. Which I am admittedly not good at. So, if my responses are delayed and you’re not seeing much activity on social media, that is why. I am going to give myself the month to reevaluate how and when I produce resource guides and newsletters so that I can continue to sustain this work in a way that fills my cup as well as yours.

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.

Looking for more events while I take August mostly off? Try these resources:

• Summer Family Activity Guides
• Macaroni Kid calendar of events
• Nature Net calendar of events

And stay tuned for more email and social media updates!

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.