The last few summers, I have read books about getting kids outdoors and the benefits it can have. You can read about some of those books here or here. I am passionate about raising my son with lots of outdoor experiences. For a little guy, he's already clocked a lot of hours in the woods around our home! And his mood is significantly better on days when he gets lots of outdoor time.
But Balanced and Barefoot (affiliate link) by Angela J. Hanscom was different than other books I had read on the topic. This book was geared towards educators more than parents. Of course, parents could benefit greatly from reading it, too. But she talked about real problems we are seeing in classrooms (poor focus, falling out of chairs, not being able to sit still, emotional control, etc), why those problems are happening, and what we can do about them. Her ideas and strategies were realistic and attainable. She spoke of some barriers to these strategies, giving thoughts on how to overcome them. It feels almost like a handbook - here's what to do and here's how to do it - for getting nature back into our kids' lives. She covers basically all aspects of the school day - how to incorporate movement into the daily routine, how to improve recess, how to design better playgrounds, how to decorate your classroom in calming ways that invite nature, how to incorporate nature into daily lesson plans, how to work with administration to achieve these goals, and more.
As a therapist who does mostly child-led, play based therapy, I love the way she clarified what exactly is play. She says, "according to Gray, when adults take over and direct play for children, it is no longer considered play. For instance, adult-let academic games may be fun for kids who choose to play them in school; however, they may feel like punishment for kids who didn't make that choice (Gray, 2013)." If you really think about play in this manner, how much play are kids actually getting in a day? Even in my "play based" therapy sessions, specific toys are pre-chosen with goals in mind. Is that really play? How do kids develop play skills, imagination, decision making, problem solving, and planning skills if the adults have already done that for them? And this applies to anything - not just outdoor play!
She also discusses nature's role in the immune system. We all know schools are often overrun with germs. It seems like kids are always sick. Why is that and what can we do about it? I think most people know that exposure to germs builds immune systems. But, Hanscom writes about the lymphatic system. She explains that it is the garbage truck of the body, getting rid of all the junk that makes us sick. But I did not know that the lymphatic system needs physical movement to work. She reports that, "The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services, recommends that children receive 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. In my interview with Dr. Faris, a well respected chiropractor, she stated that 'This is just to prevent disease. Sixty minutes of movement a day is not enough to promote health in children.'" Yikes. I'm pretty sure my own child is not getting 60 minutes per day - and I try to be aware of that!
If you are an educator, I highly suggest you get this book (affiliate link). Make a list of a few attainable things you can do. Implement the changes and watch your students flourish.
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