Fun in the woods

How special are those little moments of simplicity just gathering in the woods making leaf crowns!

For me a leaf crown is the best 'toy' for pretend play as it is made and used for play and then it is either 'destroyed' or becomes dry and old...

For me is the 'living in the moment' thing, and the 'doing' and it happens 'now' and this is what children do, how children are!

And share these special moments in nature with other adults who also think that nature and outdoor is best for children!

So every Wednesday I will spend a couple of hours in Oxleas Woods and cherish the special outdoor moment I share with the children I take there!

remembering my daughter's own experience with the outdoors, now and in the past 11 years...

Morgana aged 10 last year in Oxleas Woods




I always took Morgana outdoors trying to find what is left of unspoilt areas, natural spaces, such as ponds, nature reserves, parks and woods...

Places like this are becoming more and more rare...


Children need to feel the Earth with their feet...

Water and sand...
all the elements...this is so important for the child development of the senses...and much, much more...

Trees,grass,plants...stones,water,wood,all is part of the natural world...and the experience with this world should be a daily thing for children.
My daughter is so happy and relaxed in nature!

I know that each experience she has will be part of her biological imprint...

Morgana aged 3

This was in Manningtree - Essex, a pond in a farm

Morgana aged 5, in Essex, and below, aged 8, 
in Bergamo, Italy.

It has been part of our daily routine, even before Morgana was born, myself, my husband and now as a family or individuals, we just have to have at least one long walk each day, whatever the weather, wherever we are! This walk is more enjoyable if we are near nature and beauty, of course, I don't mean a walk in a shopping centre!


Walking and playing in a natural environment, by the sea or in the mountains, or in the countryside or a city park, makes our heart beat faster, breathing fresh air, and invigorated and energized. 
A walk in Oxford Street makes us drained and grumpy!


In this amazing blog they explain how to make a natural playground in a urban area, which is fun and it is lovely...but when we have the chance to go to the real thing, like Oxleas Woods for example, in my opinion we don't really need a lot to make children feel 'at home' or to encourage play...just a few sticks to build a 'den' and fallen tree trunks for climbing....the rest is all 'natural' as we find it! Children know instinctively what to do to play with the simplest things...


Stones, sticks, earth, water...

Oxleas Woods, 2010

I keep on reading again and again this article and it is like I know this as I see it with my own eyes and it is so, so true!


http://www.whitehutchinson.com/children/articles/outdoor.shtml


I will copy and paste for you a tiny bit of the article but please read it all by clicking on the link!

Children have little time for free play any more. And when children do have free time, it's often spent inside in front of the television or computers. For some children, that's because their neighborhood, apartment complex or house has no outdoor play spaces. With budgets for city and state governments slashed, public parks and outdoor playgrounds have deteriorated and been abandoned. Children's opportunities to interact in a naturalized outdoor setting is greatly diminished today.

The Importance of Nature to Children

Studies have provided convincing evidence that the way people feel in pleasing natural environments improves recall of information, creative problem solving, and creativity.19 Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder.20 Wonder is important as it a motivator for life long learning.21 There is also strong evidence that young children respond more positively to experiences in the outdoors than adults as they have not yet adapted to unnatural, man-made, indoor environments.

The natural world is essential to the emotional health of children.22 Just as children need positive adult contact and a sense of connection to the wider human community, they also need positive contact with nature and the chance for solitude and the sense of wonder that nature offers.23 When children play in nature they are more likely to have positive feelings about each other and their surroundings.24

Outdoor environments are also important to children's development of independence and autonomy. Outdoor space allows children to gradually experiment with increasing distance from their caretaker. While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to middle childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separation, and the adult's willingness to trust the child's competence which is essential for separation to happen. This is particularly important for children who live in small and crowded homes.25

also click here for this link!

http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/simple-pleasures/walk-in-the-woods-2/

Any comments and suggestions?


x


Susannah