This is time where the caregiver can share their knowledge and experience of the natural world with their little ones in a relevant way.
It never ceases to amaze me how intensely the adults are playing along side their children: filling up buckets of water to pour into the pits that have been tirelessly dug out, carefully arranging turned over pails of sand to create the walls of a castle, patting sand and making proper use of the dry sand verses wet sand. I can’t help but smile because the adults are really having just as much fun as the children.
So often I hear that a community would like a playground but they don’t want it to “look like a playground”. They want it to “blend with the environment” or “disappear in the landscape” or “look like art or sculptural”. The playground at Playa Vista in Los Angeles depicts this exactly.
Parents and guardians are looking for more natural environments for their children to play in. “Children have a natural affinity toward nature. Dirt, water, plants, and small animals attract and hold children’s attention for hours, days, even a lifetime,” say Robin C. Moore and co-author Herb H. Wong in their classic book Natural Learning. Despite this… Read more »
“Every Earth Day is a reflection of where we are as a culture,” says independent documentary filmmaker Robert Stone in Leslie Kaufman’s New York Times article. As Earth Day turns 40, it still stands as a subtle reminder to reminisce about green living and ways to create a better future for ourselves and our children. While the corporate world… Read more »
…this way of thinking is natural for a child! In the “terrible two’s” stage children learn that they don’t have to do anything; they can say no! This stage is well known for being an important part of a child’s development of his or her autonomy. The same natural attitude goes for work and play: children can play for hours in the sand, digging, piling, toy trucking sand from here to there; baking cookies next to their aunt; and they take delight in sweeping the floor just like Dad. They have chosen the task and it’s easy for them to focus on the task at hand and even enjoy it!
I have seen children play on many different playgrounds. They are always attracted to anything that moves: swings, merry-go-rounds, spinners, see saws and spring riders. There is something about the action and reaction created that is fascinating and exciting for the child. Not only is the movement stimulating, but they get a kick from making something happen! They push and… Read more »
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