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The Language of the Senses: The Power of Sensory-Rich Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces for All Children

by Jena Ponti Jauchius
May/June 2023
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-langua/5027150/

*Photos can be found in the pdf version of this article.

 

What if I told you that nature is always speaking to us? What if I said that we all have deep conversations with nature? And, what if I said that it is in childhood that we most fluently communicate with nature?

Let me illustrate this communication by sharing one of the most moving stories of the dialogue between a child and nature that I have ever heard. The director of a small nature center in the rural Midwest shared this story.

The nature center was a frequent destination for elementary school field trips. That day a school bus loaded with 5th grade students came to the center for a half-day visit. Not long after they arrived, the nature center director, in search of the teacher, walked through the group of children who were immersed in their natural learning activities with staff. She spotted the teacher standing away from the group, crying.

Immediately, she went over and asked the teacher if she was okay. The teacher responded, “Everything’s amazing. These are tears of joy!”

She went on to tell the director that she had just been approached by one of her students, a boy with ...

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