‘What’s that?’ a child says, pointing to a tiny snail that is hiding between some stones in your outdoor area. The snail has a stripy brown and white shell. As you both watch it, the snail pokes its head out of the shell, its tiny eyes on the end of its two tiny tentacles. ‘It’s a snail,’ you say. ‘Do you want to hold it?’ The child nods. Gently, ever so gently, you pick up the snail, and you place it on her palm. As the snail begins to move, the child laughs in delight at the tickling sensation. She holds the snail up to her face to study its stripy pattern in detail. ‘His name is Sid,’ she says.
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