Of all the acres of wilderness that make up the island, there is a 40-foot square that matters to young children. From age two to age five, there is no place so fun as the little sandy beach next to the dock. Here they gladly spend the heart of every vacation day (with an hour off, reluctantly, for naps). The childrenís happiness is mirrored by the satisfaction of adults who watch them, carefully monitoring their safety.

Not many toys are required to perfect this experience. A small bucket is good, and perhaps a plastic shovel. A brick is nice. The shovel helps in digging a channel through the sand. Kids use the bucket to fetch water. The brick makes an effective dam. You will soon see a miniature river, with braided channels, eddies, a delta, an estuary, rapids, a waterfall, backwaters, and floodplains. Children may not know the terminology, but they know what all these things are.

That knowledge is just the start. As play stretches to hours, there will be new discoveries. Dragonflies. Crayfish. Minnows. Beetles. Seaweed. A dead fish. Heaven help usóleeches!

Along the banks of the miniature river, a castle appears. Modest at first, and crumbly, it soon becomes a monument, as the adjacent little river dries up from neglect.

Still more important learning is at hand. Alliance, teamwork, diplomacy confront their dark counterpartsósabotage, disruption, ego.
All the while, energy is absorbed by sun and wind, by carrying, scooping, re-designing, digging, filling, dumping, delivering, wading, scraping, repairing. Soon, everyone is ready for the afternoon siesta.

Do this as often as you have days in your vacation. Forget the boat trip, the blueberry picking, the hike in the woods, the premature swimming lessons. Adults are present to keep kids safe from the danger of deeper water. The kids want to be here. It is hard to imagine a better place for them to be.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605