Empowered by Play » Last Child in the Woods

A Great Way to Play

Geralyn — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:53:17 +0000

I wasn’t surprised yesterday to read in Newsweek that creativity in the United States is on the decline (The Creativity Crisis). Innovation, flexible thinking and problem solving have all been disappearing from our lives, so it is no wonder our creativity is down. It was heartening then to hear a fantastic story on WBUR about something GOOD that is happening: a new kind of “natural playground” which has just opened in Boston (A New Kind of Playground). This new playground features stepping stones, sand, water and other natural materials, including blocks made from trees that were on the site of the playground. The teachers have noticed a new kind of play happening with their students, where children are interacting with these materials in creative ways that just don’t happen on typically equipped playgrounds.

Natural playgrounds are a solution that speaks to problem-solving deficit disorder, a term coined by Diane Levin in 2003 and has written about (such as in So Sexy, So Soon); and also for nature-deficit disorder, which Richard Louv writes about in Last Child in the Woods. It seems a little sad, perhaps, that we’ve gotten to this place where we actually need designed spaces for kids to play with natural materials. But there you have it: this is just what we need. Otherwise, for too many of our children, it just isn’t happening. Natural playgrounds remind me of the song “Water, Sand, Blocks and Clay” by Brady Rymer which I used to sing with my 5, 6 and 7 year olds,

“I will make a mountain tall and I will build a castle wall,

I will make a forest green and I will make a flowing stream,

’cause I got everything I want and everything I’ll ever need,

and I will play all day with my water, sand, blocks and clay…”

A great song to sing and a great way to play.

For a related story about nature play on playgrounds, see my previous post about the new book Playing for Keeps:Life and Learning on a Public School Playground by Deborah Meier, Beth Taylor and Brenda Engel.

Raising Free-Range kids

Geralyn — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:23:00 +0000

On Monday, a reader left the following comment on the post Connecting with nature, connecting with each other: “I remember as a kid exploring woods by myself and with friends, and by ten I was riding my bike alone a mile or more from home. But I don’t feel comfortable letting my kids even go to the park across the street alone. They don’t spend nearly as much time outside as I used to. I don’t know how much of the concern for children’s safety is real and how much is my perception, but I wish I could give my kids the freedom I had. It means that my kids get a very different childhood experience than I did, and not for the better in that sense, and although I think about this issue a lot, I’m frankly not sure how to resolve it, except to try to get more time outside myself with them.”

The issues raised in the comments are good ones. Something that many parents are struggling with these days. David Elkin reports in his recent book The Power of Play that “on a typical day, a child is six times more likely to play a computer game than ride a bike.” (p.27) I’ve read a few parenting websites which emphasize that the dangers of children staying inside and connected to the internet are far greater than those dangers they face playing outside. Whether the threat is real or perceived, however, finding ways to give children freedom to explore and connect with the world safely is a excellent goal, and finding time to spend with your children outside is a great start. It was the topic of recent NY Times op-ed essay by Nicholas Kristof, How to Lick a Slug. In the article, Kristof talks about his family’s backpacking summer ritual and reminds us of the powerful book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. In many places, public parks (national, state, county and neighborhood) are taking on a renewed value in the eyes of families looking for inexpensive and accessible ways to spend time together outdoors. But that doesn’t answer the question of children exploring independently. For that, the best resource I know of is the book and blog Free-Range Kids by syndicated columnist Lenore Skenazy – a writer and mother who is raising her preteen kids in New York City. (The subtitle of her book is Giving kids the freedom we had without going nuts with worry.- sounds pretty good to me!)

Your kids’ childhood will be different than yours – in someways for good and someways for the not-so-good. Do what you can to find small ways to recreate the times you loved most. For example, I come from a large family (nine kids) and love the memories of playing together. Since I only have two kids of my own (and most of my siblings have just two kids) we had a “Cousins Camp” week in July. We brought most of the kids together to get just a taste of “Big Family” feel. Maybe there is a friend or relative you can trade living spaces with for a week or long weekend. Kids in the city benefit from spending time in more rural areas, and vice-versa. If it works well, make it a summer tradition or try it in a different season. Or, perhaps explore bike trails where your kids can at times ride ahead of you. Even small moments of independence and exploration can translate into good feelings for your children and for you.

Connecting with nature, connecting with each other

Geralyn — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Many of my childhood memories involve playing outside: crunching and jumping through leaves in fall, sledding and making snowmen in winter, hunting for 4 leaf-clovers in spring and curling dandelion stems in summer. (Just peel the dandelion stems into strips, drop them in water, and watch how they curl into incredible curly-cues. Very fun.)

Time spent outside has been replaced by time in front of screens. For example, the Fisher Price Summer 2009 catalog just arrived. They proudly advertise a new tot “Smart Fit Park” for children 3 to 6. “Kids can hop, skip, jump, walk and run their way through multiple levels of learning…” The toy includes software and a play mat you can hook up to you TV. Ugh.

In 2005, Richard Louv coined the phrase “nature-deficit disorder” in his book, Last Child in the Woods.http://richardlouv.com/ He and others have been advocating for more time outside, connected to nature. In fact, the National Wildlife Foundation has a campaign aimed at getting all kids outside for an hour everyday. “The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a ‘Green Hour’ every day, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play. They have great ideas for parents and others. Check it out here: About This Campaign – NWF Green Hour

Finding safe outdoor spaces can be a challenge for families today, so it is helpful to know there are folks working hard to bring outdoor time back into the school day. Teachers can find ideas in the great book No Child Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard by Jane Kirkland http://www.takeawalk.com/no-student/ In the face of NCLB, it is good to find allies in the fight to keep outdoor play and connections with nature central to kids’ lives. Louv, Kirkland and the National Wildlife Federation are all part of the solution. Fisher Price, however, should think more about what’s good for children.