It's week three of guest postapalooza! You folks are doing such good work, so I am just going to rest on my laurels and observe.

I think of winter as snow, cold and ice, but Debi has a different perspective from her sun drenched home in southern California. Today she is sharing some ways to have winter fun--without the snow.

Follow up:

A little about Debi: Debi Huang is a Los Angeles-based wife, mom and adventure guide for two
young boys. Her blog at Go Explore Nature is all about getting kids and families outdoors and connected to nature.

Nature Playtime at the Beach

Southern California may get its share of rain during the winter, but most of
the time the weather is pretty mild. It’s a great season to beat the crowds
for some nature play by visiting a surprisingly quiet spot: the beach.

During a recent trip to Oxnard -- a beachside community about an hour north
of Los Angeles -- my family and our friends pretty much had the beach to
ourselves. Our kids (ranging in age from 1.5 years to 5 years in age) spent
days and evenings playing on the shore.

There’s much opportunity for nature play at the beach. It has taken more
than a few trips for our kids to become completely comfortable with the
water, waves, sand and general atmosphere. But now that they have, this
place is a veritable nature playground.

Here are just a few ideas for fun our kids came up with all on their own:

Make sand angels.
This is the Southern California kid’s answer to snow angels.

Build a fairy house.
My son had no idea what a fairy house was, but his two playmates were quick
to show him how to build one out of found items on the beach.

Fly a kite.
The wide-open skies and moderate breezes make the beach the perfect spot to
fly a kite.

Create sand sculptures.
Sand, water and little hands are the perfect combination for great fun. The
best part of this activity was watching three 5 year olds work together to
build their creation.

Watch wildlife.
Not only did we see seagulls and pelicans and other smaller birds I don’t
know the names of, but we also saw dolphins. How cool is it that my son’s
first encounter with a dolphin was in the wild and not at a theme park or
hotel?

Go on night walks.
Things look and feel different when the sun goes down. Each night, the kids
armed themselves with flashlights and took a walk along the beach. Bonus?
One night, our walk started with a sunset.

Explore the dunes.
During one of the night walks, we discovered some dunes. The next day, the
kids revisited the dunes and pretended to be explorers searching for a way
home.

Hunt for seaside treasures.
What visit to the beach would be complete without gathering treasures?
Favorites included seashells and rocks, but sticks were a big hit, too.

Chase the tide.
Far and away the favorite activity was running after the tide as it pulled
out into the sea, followed by giddy screams as the water chased the kids
back onto the shore. Lots of happy, sandy, wet little ones!

How about you -- where do you like to take your kids for winter nature play?

Now go visit Debi! Go Explore Nature