One of the most fun and most fulfilling ways to get your kids connected with nature is by having them help in caring for a pet.  They are probably already asking for a pet of some sort.  Or begging, or wheedling, or bargaining for that cute little puppy. 

The evidence in the medical community of the positive results of caring for an animal back up the anecdotal evidence in my own home and from friends. 

It is fairly easy to make the connection of caring for a pet to our belief of God caring for us, as well as the concept of our command to be caretakers of the world and all of its creatures found in the first chapter of Genesis, as well as the story of Adam naming all of the creatures of the earth in Genesis 2:19. 

A few important things to remember:

• Pick a pet that is appropriate to your home and lifestyle.  
• You may end up doing much of the care of the animal, especially if your children are young, so only choose an animal that you would be willing to care for.
• A pet is for life- be sure that you are ready for a commitment of a pet's lifespan.
•  Pets may bite you or your furniture or cause other destruction in the home. Be ready to deal with this with grace.  

We experienced some of these issues here in our home with a rabbit we rescued.  Because he  came to us unexpectedly, we were not ready with all of the supplies we needed, and the bun ended up living inside our home, which resulted in chewed on furniture, as well as a nipped finger on my son's hand.  However, this did little to dampen his love of "Fred" and with some adjustments and purchases, Fred was able to happily live outside, munching on the grass instead of our shoes. 

Children learn through caring for a pet.

My three year old son was easily able to assist with feeding the bunny veggies from our garden or the store, giving affection to the bunny (and eventually got better at gentle touches) and loved to come up to Fred and tell him, "I'm eating a yogurt, bunny!"  My son was also very helpful at picking Fred's favorite greens from the yard-- clover and dandelions and feeding them to him.  

This has prompted many conversations about what is good for a rabbit to eat-- Timothy Hay, and what is not-- my son's cereal bar.  This, in turn, prompted discussion of how many different animals were created to eat different things, and that we are responsible to make sure that he has these good things that are designed for him to eat.  

1. Food and Water:  Even if you think this hike will take only an hour or so and they just ate, kids can be as unpredictable as the weather.  You do not want to be stuck hunkered down waiting out a rainstorm or re-tracing the path toward the trail you missed and have a hungry or "so firsty" little guy or girl on your hands who is also exhausted from hiking, and consequently a bit more emotional than usual.

2. Plastic baggies:  Perfect for carrying new collections of pebbles from the ground or for carrying the wet clothes of a potty training oops (going potty on the toilet and going potty in a bush are two different things and sometimes that can make my own little one a bit nervous).

3. First Aid Kit:  This one is pretty self explanatory.  From blisters to splinters, all sorts of small boo-boos need regular attention on a hike with your kids.  Hurt feet from blisters or other maladies can quickly turn a fun day into a painful experience, which brings me to:

4. A Good Pair of Shoes: Because our grown-up feet are on our own body, we know the importance of good footwear, but it can be easy to forget that your little one's tootsies need pampering too. 

5. Baby Wipes:  Even with older kids there is always a job to be done for these handy little wipes.  Cleaning shoes or hands covered in mud, or simply wiping away sweat after a long day are just a couple of the uses of these little babies.

Stay tuned for other top 5 lists.  Did I forget anything on this one?