One of our dog’s favorite things is going to the ocean, so we recently took him for his birthday. My husband kept throwing a tennis ball into the ocean; Buddy would swim out, fetch and then body surf back to shore for more and more and more. All the while, I was enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful surroundings and getting a taste for what fun the summer will hold for my family.

I am a huge fan of making everyday life experiences learning experiences. I think children are more inclined to learn concepts if they are witnessing them first hand. All of sudden I glanced over and saw exactly what my oldest was doing with my twin four year olds: she was providing them with a teachable moment.

At the time, my oldest daughter was about to turn eleven, and she is amazing with children. She was explaining to the twins that she would be turning eleven in a few days, and with that they gathered shells and placed them into the sand to make the number eleven. It then inspired a discussion that answered many questions: What does “11″ looks like? How much is the number eleven? What number does eleven come after? Can you count to eleven?

With nothing but our natural surroundings I was so proud to see my daughter find a teachable moment—often those are the most enriching lessons. Now everywhere we go, each of my twins say to anyone they encounter, “My sister is eleven!”