Every time we go out our house, it is an opportunity for us to learn about our surroundings and Mother Nature – our teacher told us. It was a great day at school; out teacher took us out for a nature walk so that we could observe the nature and learn new things. She also said, children of all ages can go out for nature walks and enjoy.

But before we went out, our teacher said we must understand the benefits of walking in the nature. Then she started explaining the benefits one-by-one:

• Nature walks are extremely enjoyable and it offers opportunities to learn new things. For example, you can how the bees make honey, how new plants grow and a lot more things.
• Nature walks improve health. Children who do not go out of their home to play suffer from obesity and many other health issues. When you go out and walk into the nature you breathe fresh air and get exposed to sunlight (a rich source of Vitamin D). Walking and playing promotes good health as well.
• You can also uplift your moods when you go out and walk in the nature. Studies show that people feel happy when exposed to green spaces. Moreover, you feel happy when you see colourful butterflies, listen to the birds chirping and feel the wind blow through your hairs.
• Finally, you get to meet lots of new people, connect with them and share your experiences. This helps you enrich your knowledge and increases your urge to learn as well.

It was very interesting to hear about the nature walk. I have been playing outside my home for quite some time, but I never knew about the benefits. Finally it was time to go out for a nature walk with my friends. We made a queue and walked to the nearby park.

Once we reached the park, our teacher said – today we will observe the weather, the plants, the animals and the soil. We were also asked to carry a notebook and a pencil so that we could write down our observations. Our teacher took some magnifying glasses so that we could take a closer look at the tiny things. We had a great time looking at the dew drops on the leaves, seeing how new plants are born and how the insects help in creating fruits. We also saw a swarm of bees that were busy sucking nectar from the flowers. We saw some caterpillars, earth-worms and tiny insects that live in all parks and gardens, but are almost invisible to naked eyes.

We observed several types of leaves and played in the puddles. We also visited a kitchen garden and tasted some fresh vegetables. We were told in class that carrots grow below the soil, but we saw it for the first time during our nature walk. It was a fun day and we had a lot of fun. I will tell mumma and dadda and we will go out for more nature walks.

My tooth started to wiggle! Last night when I was brushing, I felt something wrong inside my mouth. I scrutinised thorough when I discovered that the lower front tooth was wiggling. I rushed to dadda and said I have to go to the dentist right now! Dadda was surprised since I am very scared to visit the dentist. He asked what happened. I opened my mouth and showed him my wiggling tooth; he smiled and said that’s good news. You’re going to get a visit from the tooth fairy very soon. Tooth Fairy! Who is that?

Then dadda said, each of us lose our childhood teeth and then get permanent teeth. It is a sign that you are growing up. Children usually have 20 baby teeth and the come up one-by-one and when it’s time to go, they go in the same order they come. The lower front teeth are the first to come up, so children usually lose their front lower teeth first. As children grow up the permanent teeth start growing and push the baby teeth; they become loose and finally fall off. Children start losing their teeth from around 6 or 7 years, and since you have almost reached that age, you will lose your baby teeth and have permanent teeth.

But who is a Tooth Fairy, I asked. She is a fairy who needs a lot of teeth to build her castle. She takes away the teeth that fall off and in exchange she gives some money or gifts to the children. So when a tooth falls off, you keep it under your pillow and go off to sleep. The Tooth Fairy comes at some time in the night, gives the gift and takes away the teeth. Dadda said, there are many stories about the Tooth Fairy and people from different parts of the world believe in different traditions. In countries it is Ratocinto Perez or Raton Perez, who collects the teeth in exchange of the fallen teeth.

But, even if it is absolutely normal to lose tooth, we’ll visit the dentist’s office to get a quick check-up. He will tell you how to take care of the new teeth and make sure they last longer. When the new teeth come out, you need to brush twice to make sure no food particles stick to it. Just as mumma told you, the residual food particles turn into plaque causing damage to the teeth. You shouldn’t eat too much candies and sweets since they can also make your teeth decay. Then you need to eat foods that are rich in calcium, to make sure they are strong. A visit to the dentist, once in six months is a must to make sure there are no dental problems. Even if there are, the dentist will identify them and make sure they are fixed immediately.

So now let’s go and tell mumma. She’ll be very happy to know that you are growing up so fast!