There’s a video I’ve seen a few times on the internet in which a toddler is walking with her dog down a trail. When a puddle happens to appear, the toddler stops, looks longingly at the puddle, and then gently puts the dog’s leash down. She proceeds to run and jump freely in and out of the puddle. All the while the dog waits patiently, just watching the delight the child is having. Several few weeks ago I was walking my dog, Cyrus, on a trail near our house. It was an unexpectedly warm afternoon in an early spring that still looked more like winter. I noticed a little boy whiz by me on in-line skates. He was headed straight for the puddle up ahead, and glided in and out of it a few times as he waited for his grandfather (who was jogging) to catch up to him.
So why are puddles so appealing and irresistible to kids? Could it be the sound of the splash, the chance unexpected encounter, water as a symbol of life? Maybe it’s a little of all of these things, but I think mostly kids love to splash in puddles because it’s fun.
The puddles on the trail that day reminded me that the snow blanketing our yards and roads actually was beginning to melt, the temperatures were beginning to shift, and spring would eventually arrive. So I called up the child in me and joyfully splashed through a few puddles myself – to celebrate spring, and just because it’s fun!
In the video I mentioned I am always particularly drawn to the way the dog just stands quietly and waits until the child is ready to pick up the leash and continue the journey. To me, it’s a lesson in finding opportunities for spontaneous joy and acting on it. I think we need more of that in this world!
So why are puddles so appealing and irresistible to kids? Could it be the sound of the splash, the chance unexpected encounter, water as a symbol of life? Maybe it’s a little of all of these things, but I think mostly kids love to splash in puddles because it’s fun.
The puddles on the trail that day reminded me that the snow blanketing our yards and roads actually was beginning to melt, the temperatures were beginning to shift, and spring would eventually arrive. So I called up the child in me and joyfully splashed through a few puddles myself – to celebrate spring, and just because it’s fun!
In the video I mentioned I am always particularly drawn to the way the dog just stands quietly and waits until the child is ready to pick up the leash and continue the journey. To me, it’s a lesson in finding opportunities for spontaneous joy and acting on it. I think we need more of that in this world!
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