As parents, it often feels like we’re racing the clock. There are errands to run, places to be, and a constant sense that there isn’t quite enough time for everything. Even the moments with our children can start to feel hurried as we move from one activity to the next. But childhood was never meant to be rushed.
When my second baby was born, I found myself thinking more deeply about the pace of our family’s days. I didn’t want our time together to feel like a checklist of activities or an endless search for new ideas online. What we really needed was a rhythm, something simple that would help us slow down and notice the world around us.
That realization eventually led me to create Wilder Seasons, a seasonal guide designed to help families step outside, explore their communities, and support early childhood development through simple, meaningful experiences.
Instead of complicated crafts or overwhelming schedules, the guide focuses on something much simpler: one intentional adventure each week rooted in the places that make a community feel like home. I want my children to grow up with a deep sense of place, to recognize the native animals and plants around them, know the parks and trails in their city, and feel connected to the small local businesses and gathering spaces that shape a community.
While developing the Des Moines edition, I was struck by how many beautiful places there are for families to explore together. If you’re looking for a few simple ways to slow down and experience the city with young children, these are three wonderful places to begin.
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden is a magical place for children to wander and observe. Kids naturally slow down here as they notice colors, textures, and the different shapes of plants from around the world. It’s a wonderful place to spark curiosity about how things grow and how plants support the ecosystems around us.
Science Center of Iowa – What On Earth? Exhibit
The Science Center of Iowa also offers a wonderful indoor nature experience for curious young explorers. Their What On Earth? exhibit brings Iowa’s natural world to life by inviting kids to explore the habitats and creatures that exist right in their own state. Children can come face-to-face with native cold-blooded animals, watch the fascinating inner workings of a live beehive, and explore interactive displays that introduce Iowa’s prairie, marsh, forest, and cave ecosystems. Little hands can make leaf rubbings from different Iowa trees, listen to the sounds of a prairie habitat, or bird-watch with binoculars. It’s a beautiful way for children to begin recognizing the plants, animals, and landscapes that make up the place they call home.
Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden
The Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden is one of those peaceful places families can slow down together. Children love noticing the different colors, shapes, and scents of the roses, and wandering the paths becomes a quiet little adventure of its own. Gardens like this invite us to pause, breathe, and appreciate the beauty that exists right in the heart of the city.
Childhood doesn’t have to be rushed. Often the most meaningful memories are made during the simple moments when we pause long enough to notice the world alongside our children.
Sometimes slowing down is the adventure.
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Dakota is a Nebraska mama, creative, and founder of Wilder Seasons. She’s passionate about nurturing childhood wonder, meaningful family traditions, and a deep sense of place. Dakota lives in the Omaha area with her husband and two boys, Ernest and Augustus, where you’ll usually find them outside, baking together, or discovering a new local favorite.
