Tu B'Shevat Theme: In Praise of Nature-based Play

 When I have taught in a traditional classroom, I have always been known as the teacher who takes the kids outside NO MATTER WHAT. Rain, shine, snow, as long as we could dress appropriately and play safely, we went outside. I've done art and science in the rain. I've celebrated Tu B'Shevat in the snow as children hung streamers around trees and painted the snow. I've collected bins of hail balls to bring inside and play. And with my son, I've been much the same way. As long as we can dress appropriately and be safe, we get him outside. Fresh air is so important for so many reasons--least of all being adequate Vitamin D consumption. When I was a child of a preschool teacher, my mother was home during the summers and our backyard garden was an instant classroom and play-haven! Our backyard adventures involved hours of free play and exploration that were minimally directed or interrupted by adults. It was in the era of still feeling safe in a fenced in backyard and before helicopter parenting took over even that formerly safe space. Times are changing, but there is still a great value in a child discovering worms in the soil and creepy crawly bugs underneath a rock because of their own self-led curiosity and exploration--not because an adult shows him how to do so. Just as we promote the value to child-led independent play indoors--from dramatic/abstract play to process art--so, too, must we value child-led independent play outdoors, within a safe construct of reasonable adult supervision. 

Bringing the outdoors IN for those times we can't get outside--not only is it a lovely way to seasonally decorate, it's a great way to encourage nature-based play and learning!

A blast from the past and our garden last Spring

I recently came across an article titled "THE UNSAFE CHILD: Less Outdoor Play is Causing More Harm than Good" written by pediatric occupational therapist, Angela Hanscom. She writes on the importance of outdoor play opportunities to all areas of development, in particular siting the increase of sensory deficits in children with less exposure to such opportunities. Outdoor play opportunities have not just decreased in the home venue; schools have also lost a significant amount of open-ended play opportunities outdoors and favor of squeezing in more and more "traditional" academic activities. How are we to teach children to value and appreciate nature from the confines of four walls and a roof? Furthermore, how are they to develop and maintain that natural sense of childhood wonder and curiosity that we as children found by digging holes to China and making mud-pies when they never hold a shovel or are encouraged (let alone allowed) to dig in the dirt?
We do not all live in a house with a white picket fence and a yard. In fact, we happen to live in an apartment complex with shared yard space and no fence! We are fortunate to have areas perfect for digging and planting and even grassy ones for running and playing. We also have some great local parks and nature conservation areas. And we go beyond appreciating it all outdoors. We bring our love of nature indoors as well with opportunities to play, learn and explore natural materials in the home.
If you're looking for some ideas and inspiration to infuse your days with a little more nature-based play and discovery, here are some of my very favorite books (for grownups!) on the topic:

 National Bestseller, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv is a fabulous read and study on the power of outdoor play and the incredible price that is paid by children growing up with fewer opportunities to explore outdoors. It is an intriguing and thought provoking read. When it comes to exploring ideas for nature based play and activity ideas, I particularly like The Kids' Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities & Experiences by Susan Milord. She takes you through each day of the year and all four seasons with great outdoor and indoor ideas to incorporate science, art, learning and play activities into your home or teaching routine.

I especially love author and blogger, Asia Citro's A Little Bit of Dirt: 55+ Science and Art Activities to Reconnect Children with Nature. It is chock full of great activities to take outdoors or in so your children (and YOU) can explore the unique flora and fauna of your own yard and neighborhood. In addition, she has a fabulous section on planting experiments in her book The Curious Kid's Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-on Activities for Ages 4-8 and plenty of further nature-based activities in her blog, Fun at Home With Kids. I recommend checking any or all of these great titles out from your local library and taking them along with your favorite lawn chair or picnic blanket outside with the kids next chance you get. We can all use a little more fresh air and Vitamin D!

Happy Playing!