Island Parent Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

SHOP
Give Presents and Presence
Gift giving is not about the gift. It is an expression of love,
gratitude, appreciation and generosity. Material items are
often the “go to” but we underestimate gifts of presence, calm,
time and energy.
This year, thoughtfully combine gifts of experience with
something to enrich it! Enjoy these seven ideas for all ages:
Owl prowl. When darkness falls early and you can protect
bedtime, go outside! Gift kids the experience of a neighbourhood
walk at dusk. Listen for owls like the more common
Barred and Great Horned species. You don’t need to be an expert.
Enjoy the chance to experience your senses at night. You’ll
probably notice bats and other nocturnal creatures!
Gift item: Reflective vest, armband light, or head lamp. Give
a membership to organizations like the Rocky Point Observatory
and enjoy an event together like owl banding at night.
Throw in a thermos and hot chocolate with marshmallows,
too.
Pebble hunt. Gift a rock hunting experience! A beach day
or two is plenty of time to collect volcanic rock, basalt, chert,
mica schist, quartz and more. You’ll learn to identify rocks and
look at stones, rocks and pebbles in a whole new way.
Gift item: A Field Guide to the Identification of Pebbles by
Eileen Van der Flier Keller, a magnifying glass or pocket scope,
and decorative treasure box. Also consider a Rock and Mineral
Test Kit. The University of Victoria bookstore sells a kit with
basic tools for hands-on rock, mineral and fossil identification.
The kit includes “a streak plate, glass plate, hand lens, dropper
bottle, magnet, nail, penny (from more recent decades) and
a harness scale in a resealable transparent pouch.” Might as
well also throw in a copy of Everybody Need a Rock by Byrd
Baylor.
It takes time to practice generosity but being
generous is the best use of our time. – Thich Nhat Hanh
Tide pooling. We are blessed with countless beaches and tide
pools. Vancouver Island is home to many species of sea stars,
crustaceans, mollusks, segmented worms, seaweed and more.
Treat the children in your life to a day of tide pool viewing. A
trip to Botanical Beach guarantees lifelong memories. Always
check the tide table and road conditions first. Do not remove
any critters!
Gift item: Marine Life of British Columbia Field Sheets by
David S. Young.
Sky watch. Light pollution, a side effect of the industrial
revolution, has our cities glowing at night. Plan a late-night
escape to the countryside to watch the stars in your pajamas.
Or book a camping trip and stay up to star gaze.
Gift item: Star finder or star wheel. It’s a multilayered cardboard
disk that lets you dial in the current date and time. Then
you can see a map of the naked-eye sky at that exact moment!
Also, source a few books or field guides to the stars.
Felt together. Needle felting is a great way to be creative
and reduce stress, and anxiety. It’s also a lot of fun to do with
someone you love.
Gift item: Buy pre-made beginner felting kits from a local
fiber store or wool shop. Or, gift a workshop series with in person
instruction.
10 Island Parent Magazine IslandParent.ca