Introducing our children to the world around us is one of the best ways a parent can help a new foster or adoptive child feel safe and familiar with where they are living now.

We personally decided to make it a family tour day. So put on your shoes, find a jacket and off we go:

1. We walked down the street and made everyone aware of the names of the streets around us.

2. We first showed the kids the Town Library. It is the first business you see on the way up town.

3. We stopped to observe the bike trail and walking path near the lake by the library, letting them know that they do not swim in the lake. There is a town pool that is much safer.

4. We went up town and talked about all the stores we had available to us as patrons. There was a furniture store, a grocery store, a novelty store, an auto parts store, an ice cream shop (whoohooo), a town swimming pool, a dollar tree, an insurance agency, a pizza place, and a Jesus Coffee House.

5. We stopped at the ice cream store and said hello to the cashiers and we all bought an ice cream. Then when we finished this area we walked over to City Hall.

6. The police station was next. Then the High School and town park. Then Jan's Flipped Pizza. All fun places to eat lunch when they are in high school.

7. With everyone growing tired, we called it a day and headed for home. After dinner we jumped in the car to go for a ride. We went by each of the elementary schools and the middle school. Then we stopped at the park for some fun and games.

8. We drove home by the lake and caught the sun setting over the water. It had been a beautiful day. We talked again about not knowing how deep the water was and how unsafe it was to be around the lake without an adult.

9. We drove by several churches and asked which one they would like to attend and check out first.

10. We topped off the day by showing them the fire station and the local bank where we had set up savings accounts for each of them. They could walk to it during the day to make a deposit or withdrawal.

For the next week our family community day really was the topic of discussion at the dinner table. They saw how each little town had to have several main things like the town hall, police station, fire station, bank, and grocery store.

From that time on we let the kids do buddy walks up and around their favorite places like the ice cream shop or pizza place.

We recommend this type of community awareness walk to every family. It is a great way to let the kids ask questions and understand what makes the world move around them.