We Must Spend More Time Outside

The wedge of sunshine that poured in through the tiny window on that fine August afternoon lifted the children's spirits. And a hopeful butterfly fluttered into the basement through Anna's open story as Joseph sat on the floor and read to Willy. He began by clearing his throat and then he revealed, "Far away on a warm hillside where wildflowers bloomed after summer rains there once lived a handsome black caterpillar named Max. All day long Max munched on wildflowers and grew stronger. As Max grew he watched beautiful butterflies flutter by, and he decided that he wanted to fly. So one day he ran off the end of a leaf and lifted all of his sixteen of legs. But he simply floated down and landed with a splat on his belly. Next he scampered to

The tickling sensation of heat bathing his face forced him to slowly open his eyes. The sun’s golden rays stunned him blurring his vision as he quickly turned away. As his eyes adjusted, he was surprised to find the absence of his father. His heart started to pound and all the confidence and security that he had built up melted in the space of a few seconds. He jumped up flinging his sleeping bag on to the ground and looked around taking note of his surroundings. To him, it felt as if the trees were suddenly sent out to attack him like stealthy assassins gaining on him as they moved side to side from the winds steady breeze. The faint noise of bugs and animals chattering sounded like the grunt of a predator before it hunts its prey. A colossal cloud

Evening had arrived and everything had been packed away ready for its next use. It had also brought the grim warning of a storm. The sky was brimming with a dark shade of grey and black, making the mood eerily mysterious. A storm was brewing; it was about to blow, just like a volcano about to erupt. Then, “Boom!”. A lightning strike crackled across the sky, one after another. After three lightning strikes a downpour of rain fell from the sky.

In perhaps his greatest work, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck tells a story of Tom Joad and his family, who are forced to abandon their farm during the depression era Oklahoma dust bowl. They decide to travel to California along with many other in search for jobs and homes, and look for a great future. In the time considered, The Grapes of Wrath, gives a shockingly real view on the struggles citizens at the time faced. In the tragic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses Christian symbolism effectively in order to shape and reinforce the theme of the dignity of wrath. Steinbeck convey’s this through the use of Jim Casy, Tom Joad and Rose of Sharon.

She took a quick look around the last turn before the main street that led to the school. She noticed several boys and girls in the alleyways on both sides of the narrow street. It looked as if every class at her school, several young ladies and even her teacher waited for her in ambush. She ducked back before they could see her, hiked up her dress, and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her in the opposite direction of the angry mob. She didn’t stop until she had found the forest path that she needed and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard no one in pursuit. The forest surroundings felt different for some reason and it frightened her. It had a forbidding feel to it this dawn like she had never felt in the past.

Around noon, he began to hear a faint drumbeat and what sounded like many voices. He stashed his supplies in a tree before he looked out over the treeline and saw what seemed to be pillars of smoke rising out of the trees. He began to jog towards it, curious about what it could be. He got closer and closer but then black.

Underneath her bare feet she could feel the coarse hail dig into her skin. She pushed through the pain and heard a branch snap behind her. Her hair whipped towards the sound and was met with piercing white eyes in the darkness. The slow, deep, heavy breathing began to chuckle and

Breathless, Alex ran through the forest. It was twilight, normally his favorite time of day, but this golden hour took on a malicious tone. These woods were full of weeds, slippery moss covered stones , and twisted, thorny vines. Alex’s foot caught on a snarled root, and he tumbled onto the cold dirt. Alex sensed something was amiss, and he knew The Beast was growing ever nearer. As Alex lay sprawled on the forest floor, a single thought ran through his mind. “I’m done.” with the will to live draining from him. Alex lay still in the dirt and leaves resting for his last time. The soreness in his legs was so unbearable he wanted the release of death; craved for it even. “Thump”....... “Thump” The Beast's feet approached slowly and

He counted to ten, took another deep breath and set off running, every step taking him deeper into the emptiness of the wilderness. His long legs rapidly eating up the ground beneath him, digging his heels into the soft undergrowth. He was in for a long journey, every step of it alone. The cuts on his wrist stung as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of

A shot rang out unnaturally loud in the night, quickly dousing all sound for miles around. The gun dropped to the ground, destined to lie there for years to come. After several long, drawn out seconds, the forest came to life once more; the wind blowing, the grass rustling, and the deep green pool,

The curved, blue-white blade of the moon pointed down at the smaller trail for a split-second, and Will darted for the white mirage. His fear kept his feet beating at the ground like the wings of a hummingbird, and soon he couldn't make out the warriors' fire through all the trees. The track turned to the left, and the rush of the river stopped receding from Will's eardrums. He set himself against a dark oak tree, trying to silence his breath and scan for anyone who might have followed him, but his body would not comply. Will allowed himself a minute or two of reprieve, but remained anxious, as he knew that the falling snow couldn't possibly fill in his careless footfalls by sunrise. He had to reach the edge of the forest well before then if

He jumped up and down in excitement. He hopped this way and that way from one cloud to another. He was floating on the clouds. They looked and felt like cotton candy. He stuck his head through the cloud to see the land below his. He saw all of

When Ulrich walks around a corner of a tree he comes face to face with his enemy, Georg. With the howling wind, large trees, and damp ground, a tree falls over and traps Ulrich and Georg. The forest’s traits raised the intensity when Ulrich and Georg were stranded in the damp, dark, large, mysterious, windy, and cold forest. Adding a dangerous feel to the situation it left the reader wondering what was going to happen next.

Did you know The average 2-11-year-old watch over 24 hours of television? While adults watch 33 hours on average? That is one of the reasons why I believe people should spend more time outside. In the United States we are the ninth most obese country with 74.1% of us being obese people. Which is not a good title to have. The united states isn't the only country with this problem though.

In a tumult of wind and rain, a hail of twigs and leaves thundered through the trees and tore the arching grasses out by the roots. The deer bolted and hid, quivering, in the darkest thickets. The sky boiled, and the younger saplings were bent almost to the ground. Even as the shadows bounded up the stalks and blades of weeping grass, and the soft plink of falling rain quickened to a constant hiss and sputter, the sun found its equal. A thousand stars came down to earth and unleashed their pent-up fury on that wood.