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In their Exchange article (July 2005). "Play and the Outdoors: What's New Under the Sun?," Susan Oliver and Edgar Klugman quoted Anita Olds, the late designer with a special gift for child-centered indoor and outdoor environments as observing, “There’s no way we can help children to learn to love and preserve this planet if we don’t give them direct experiences with the miracles and blessings of nature.” Oliver and Klugman go on to point out...
"Imagine young children’s daily lives if the range of their experience began and ended at the door into their school or child care center, only to re-emerge when it is time to go home. Certainly many would agree that something important was missing from their education. Yet, when they go home, today’s young children are experiencing more and more of life indoors. As an early childhood educator who has impact on both kids and parents, you can be the first line of defense against a culture-wide loss of appreciation for the whole package of developmental benefits our children can only access if they have a healthy relationship with the great outdoors and its natural wonders.
"Spread the word to parents, administrators, and others who make decisions about how children spend their time every day. Outdoor play doesn’t require a playground or a park or an hour or a warm, sunshiny day. It only requires a commitment to kids’ healthy development. Nature is standing by — ever patient, available whenever we want — ready to nurture the young children in our care."
This article serves as the basis for a new Exchange Out of the Box Training Kit: "Play and the Outdoors."
For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.
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