Simple gifts
community exploration  for young children  in Southeastern Connecticut

Memorable and meaningful time with young children doesn't have to mean an expensive trip to the toy store or a visit to Disney World.  It can be as simple as visiting a train station or walking through the woods together. Children see trips to museums, parks and playgrounds as adventures.  A trip to the beach or a hiking trail turns into a treasure hunt.  A walk along a garden path becomes an exploration of secret passages.  A trip to a museum transports children to another time, or even another world. Children see the world through a different set of lenses - they want to know how things work and where things come from.   Simple things that adults take for granted can be a world of curiosity to a child. As an extension of an Independent Study for the Human Development Department at Connecticut College, we have designed this web site to give you some simple, inexpensive ideas for local community exploration that will interest your children and at the same time expand their horizons! This web site focuses on three different themes of community exploration:  Museums & Science Centers, Parks & Playgrounds, and Transportation Centers. Make a day of it!  Visit this page for ideas for whole day activities. Please start your visit with these pages. Introduction Preparation Special Thanks References

This site was developed by Nell Chevalier of the Human Development Department at Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut in 1999. The idea for this Web site developed as a result of a brochure titled "Simple Gifts: How to give of yourself and your time."  The brochure was presented at the Grandparents Conference held at the Groton Senior Center in May of 1999.  The presentation was a collaboration of Connecticut College, Jewish Family Services, LEARN, and various other organizations.  The brochure was prepared by Professor Margaret Sheridan and Connecticut College Human Development Majors, Nell W. Chevalier and Lee Ann Curran.