ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

It is so true that my generation spent most of our childhood in the great outdoors. There were few toys that dictated our play. We had sticks and stones and trees and dirt. With those four things almost anything was possible. All of the children in the neighborhood played together and we used our own and each others imaginations. We had no soccer, t-ball, basketball and dance class to run to every day. If we played ball, we made up the game and the rules. If we wanted to dance, we danced and made our own music. Each day seemed to take a long time to pass. I often ask my children if the summer seemed like a long time, as it seems to speed by for me now. They do say yes, but their answer doesn't seem to sound like it was as long for them as it had been for me. I don't know how to find a balance in today's world. There is always so much to do and so little time. As a child there was so much time and we searched for new and different things to do. Today's children may never know this feeling. I think the best we can do is offer as much of this laid back exploration time as possible. We need to sit back and let the children lead us through this exploration of nature. Don't offer all the answers as soon as questions are asked. Forget all we know as we explore and experiment with the children and learn from their discovery. They may help us to learn how to teach.

As the Director of Professional Development for 700 employees, a trainer of early childhood professionals in other venues and past college instructor...I, too, am passionate about linking young children to the natural environment. The present dilemma is that as one tries to evoke these memories in "younger" staff, they have become "victims" of a commerical and media driven society. They have difficulty identifying with the outdoors as they have spent little time there themselves. When I asked what kinds of things did you play with the lists generated become Barbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Cabbage Patch dolls and American Girl...try as I might to tease out forts, clothespins, mudpies, pots and pans...these memories are becoming almost nonexistent. The Last Child in the Woods needs to be required reading and early childhood programs MUST begin to intentionally develop staff that sees the value in outdoor play, loose parts and natural playgrounds. On the opposite side is helping families to understand the importance of outdoor play for school readiness and beyond, but that's comment can be saved for another time.