We are on LBI returning for our second year as teaching artists for the Long Beach Island Foundation in Loveladies, New Jersey. Yes, that is the name of the town!
There’s nothing to complain about here. Beachside living is literally a breath of fresh air and those of us us lucky enough to be here know it.
Our typical day begins with a Beth & Scott time – a walk on the beach to greet the morning and review our plans for the kiddos.
This year’s groups are 5 and 6 year olds so it’s all about nature walks, swings on the playground, making shakers out of old tennis ball cans and, of course, singing and dancing. There’s also a fair bit of teaching about kindness, safety and other rules about how to be a good friend, but most of these kids are already housebroken 😉
The best part of the day is often the nature walk. We’re on a 22 acre parcel of land that’s mostly marshland, so we get to observe a lot of aquatic sea creatures and the resident osprey, Jack and Wendy.
Last year’s kids taught us so much about discovery, being a natural artist and how to allow children to lead just as much as adults. I look forward to this year’s lessons!
