About two years ago, when we moved into my neighborhood, I took my daughter (then almost one) to visit the "Greenspace". This little corner of green quickly became our favorite hangout. It offered countless opportunities for play, from climbing and rolling on the mini "hills" to pretend-play using the tree stumps and picnic table. When I began my internship at the Brookfield Zoo for my graduate program, this little space took on new meaning for me. 

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to host a nature play station at my neighborhood social. I put out my baskets, stamp pads, and natural materials, and hoped they would look inviting enough to lure a child or her family away from the ice cream and the bouncy house to take some time to interact with nature and make beautiful art. What ensued over the next four hours went well beyond my biggest hopes.

One of the recommendations I came across in one of my "nature play" books was to spend time eating outdoors with your children. I thought to myself, "Wait, doesn't everyone do that?". And then I realized that it took ALMOST TWO YEARS for my little family to organize ourselves a picnic.

One benefit of introducing and immersing children in the outdoors early on is that they tend to develop a more caring attitude toward nature, and eventually a sense of responsibility for the stewardship of the environment.

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe. -John Muir

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein

"If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it." -David Sobel

"That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew-
and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around..."

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." 

-Rachel Carson

Over the past couple weeks, I have been preparing a professional development workshop related to nature play in the classroom. As I comb through the literature, I am struck with the plethora of beautiful and inspiring quotes and thoughts related to the human experience of the natural world.

Nature is full of loose parts. The loose parts that are available outdoors seem to have an innate appeal to children. Be it sticks, rocks, leaves, or bits of bark; nature offers an abundance of engaging (and free!) "toys" for children to manipulate and explore.

I have found myself constantly surprised and amazed at the things that happen when children are able to take the reins of their own activities and learning. Not only are children much more capable than we give them credit for, they also can be much more creative when we (adults) get out of their way a little bit. 

It has been found that contact and experiences with nature can have many benefits for children. When you can't do nature outside, one of the easiest ways to provide for interaction with nature is to bring it inside to you. Natural materials, like sticks, rocks, and pinecones, provide a different element to incorporate into play- and lend themselves especially well to block play.

Unassuming, and fairly plain, wooden unit blocks are a staple in many early childhood classrooms. Ever wonder why? Turns out these "basic" blocks hold a lot of potential.

Pretend play is an amazing way for children to explore their thoughts and emotions about a topic. When a child pretends to be an animal, they can embody what it might be like to be that animal, putting themselves in the animal’s “shoes”. 

Many of the theories of the cognitive development of children frame the child as a "scientist". The child creates, tests, and re-tests her "theories" and through this process, learns about the world around her. 

By showing our children that caring for animals is important, we are also re-enforcing the lesson of kindness for all living things, humans included.

Piaget and Vygotsky would agree that when an adult steps into the child’s play, that play changes. Is the play still directed by the child? Can it still lead to her own original thoughts and discoveries? I think that depends a lot on how this interaction occurs. To most effectively engage with our children in play, we need to allow for maximum child autonomy and discovery while providing opportunities to add meaning to what the child is doing. 

In childhood, simple everyday life is filled with mysteries. The natural world is brimming with twists and turns and unexpectedness-es. Children are constantly striving to make sense of the world, and nature is no exception.