Kids Activities

“I love how the pictures Bode (age 8) draws end up reflecting the events of his life. This was after he spent a long weekend grouse and woodcock hunting with all of these English Setter,” Bode’s mother, Johanna.

Here is this vast, savage, howling mother of ours, Nature, lying all around, with such beauty, and such affection for her children, as the leopard; and yet we are so early weaned from her breast to society, to that culture which is exclusively an interaction of man on man.

 – Henry David Thoreau

Children are an important part of the Legacy of the Old Hemlock Setter line of dogs.   Children need experiences with animals and in the outdoors.  Richard Louv wrote in his book, Last Child in the Woods, “Unlike television, nature does not steal time, it amplifies it….Given a chance, a child will bring the confusion of the world to the woods, wash it in the creek, turn it over to see what lives on the unseen side of that confusion.”   Bode’s art exhibited here is a prime example of a boy reflecting on his time experiencing the outdoors over a setter. George was introduced to the outdoors on Chestnut Ridge at an early age.  His father and mother had their home and haberdashery shop in the bustling large town of Uniontown, PA. His time on the “mountain” was critical to his development and is reflected through his writings.   He had a deep appreciate for his outdoor experiences throughout his Life.

Boy, George Bird Evans

For the health of our children and health of our Earth, finds ways to increase and enrich the lives of our children by providing outdoors experience whether structured or free play.

     When you can not get outside, look for creative ways to provide activities for your children.   Like is a link to creating a “Paper Bag” puppet of an Old Hemlock setter.   Either download the template, or use it as a “spring board” idea to create your own.

The setter used to create this puppet was a sketch taken from George Bird Evans’s Shooting Journals.