One important issue that emerged from our initial conversations was: How do we effectively share this perspective with the parents of the children in our care. As Louv indicates, parents need to re-educate themselves and re-think some of their preconceptions and habits. But they may not take the time to read Louv's book!
So what can we do to change their minds? How do we market this idea? How do we convince families of the importance of their children getting outside more and experiencing nature in less tightly supervised and scripted ways? How do we help them know the benefits of connecting with nature, and the dangers of not doing so? How do we address the fears that drive them to keep their children tightly under their wing?
Share not just good ideas you have gleaned from the book, but your own success stories, if you have them, or resources that you think might prove helpful.
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34 comments:
Hello everyone,
My experience with parent education involved, in part, weekly newsletters many on which included articles from Family-Friendly Communications for Early Childhood Programs by Deborah Diffily and Kathy Morrison. This book is full of articles highlighting developmentally appropriate practices. These are intended for use in your newsletters, parent handouts, etc. Several articles relate to outdoor experiences such as: Wonderful, Wet Water; Sensational Sand; Let's Go Outside; Do Birds Have Ears?; Science by Discovery; Reap the Rewards of Gardening; and Beauty in Nature. In addition to the newsletters, I often had the children outside at departure time. Parents could see how much enjoyment the children derived from digging in the dirt, climbing/hiding in an overgrown rhododendrum shrub, climbing in a low tree, and playing around a natural stone wall among other things. I took lots of photos of activities and would share them with the parents. There were times, especially with one mom, when I would have to ask her to "chill" as her children knew the rules and were allowed to be involved in an activity she was going to sensor. For the most part, parents were good about dressing their children for messy play and were supportive of our outdoor adventures. I do agree with the comment made at our face-to-face that many parents use our programs for their children's outdoor experiences, so we have to design our outdoor spaces to ensure that those experiences are meaningful and unstructured.
Andrea Witherell
I would add to these great suggestions that many of the parents in our school are full time working parents. Their children can be in care from 7:30 to 6 every day year round. It is hard to get their attention sometimes and sending home dirty children who have clearly been having a great time inside and outside has got to be introduced as a GOOD thing. We say the dirtier they are the better a day they have had. We do offer a lot of field trips to orchards, state parks, farms and Audubon Sanctuaries. We need parent drivers to do them and we find the adults learn as much or more than the children do. Many have never taken the time to go themselves and explore. They are open to our leading them there. Our parents also seem to be very amenable to parenting seminars. We bring in and offer experts in all sorts of areas during the year and we get good sized audiences. They seem willing to learn. As I was reading Louv's book I was wondering what kind of expert I would bring in to address nature education and its value and importance. This will be one of my goals for our fall series of seminars.
Abigail Marsters
This can be quite a challenge. Over the years, I have seen many parents lose interest in spending time outdoors with or without their children. In the winter, they say it is too cold; in the summer it is too hot. In school, we try to tell them that there is no such thing as bad weather – just bad clothes. In other words, if children (and adults) are appropriately dressed for the weather, a lot can be done. If we give children “assignments” to do outside of school, this can at least get families out for some period of time. Some assignments may include finding as many different kinds of leaves in the fall to bring to school, creating an insect zoo and asking children to bring in a special bug in a bug jar to school, etc. When parents get out to help their children with these tasks, they have the opportunity to see for themselves how much the children can get engaged in these simple activities. Then with newsletter follow-ups we can try to drive the message home.
Parent s of children who are very active often worry that their child may have some type of attention deficit. Those with serious concerns are willing to try many things in order to get their children’s behavior under control. If we can cite some of the points made in the book regarding the effect of nature exposure on children with ADD/ADHD or the calming effects of it on those with depression, then this may be a strong motivating factor for parents to at least try to get out and experience nature with their children.
Vera
I sometimes think that parents think it's our job to have their children experience nature and whatever else we do during the day, and it's their job to pick them up, take them home feed them dinner and put them to bed. This is a little off topic, but I had a parent that put their toddler to bed every night at 6:00 p.m. so she and her husband could enjoy some time alone in the evening before he went to work, so in this instance no matter what I did or encouraged this parent to do would not have mattered, that poor child never experienced anything outdoors unless it was an experience here.
I also do the monthly newsletter with the theme we are working on, in these newsletters I ask for warm clothes and boots in March so we can start to go back outdoors and I ask and ask and sometimes don't receive, so either the parents are too busy, or could care less that their child get to go outside and enjoy.
I notice a huge difference in my children the days that we go outside and don't go outside. The days that we are outside playing I have better sleepers they tend to be better focused for circle time. During the warmer months I have parents that show up and see how much fun their kids are having that they will sit and chat with me while their children continue to play.
I deep down honestly think that parents do realize that kids need the outdoors, but in this day and age we don't always have the time for it which is extremely unfortunate, everyone is always running.
Debbie
Hello, I have a plan similar to Vera's. I ask for "homework" from the children and I word it so that the parent's are encouraged to help with it. The homework is for the children to bring in different leaves, pine cones, rocks etc...and in the winter they are encouraged to dig under the snow to see what they can see and bring in any surprises they find. :) I plan on writing an informative newsletter using the info given in the book about ADHD etc... I have a child this year whose parent asks us not to rest him so when he goes home he can go right to bed, at 6.
Debbie Lynn-Roy, Dove's Nest, Rockland
This is definitely a challenging area because parents are less interested in the importance of play (indoor & outdoor). Over the years we have had parents being very upset with the staff at pick up time (especially in the spring and summer) when the children are "dirty". Some parents don't want the children outside in the dirt because they are only worrying about the extra work and time they have to spend on cleaning them up. In our monthly newsletter, we encourage parents to participate in all the activities their are engaged in during the day. Parents are also informed of the activities the children are involved in so that they can prepare ahead of time to dress the children appropriately. Some children come dressed in their sunday's best at times and we can't stop them if they are interested in digging up worms. Our parents are invited on field trips so that their children can see that they are interested in the children's activities also. I think we can educate the parents we serve through involvement, literature and workshops.
I have my daycare children form 6 in the morning to 6 at nite and by the time the parents pick them up they are tired and they don't want to take the kids outside so they leave that up to me.My daycare licenser is big on out door space and checks it often for safety I spend a good part of the day outside except in the winter with my children and they love it TV is not a option in my houe as it is in theirs I'm sure. Work seems to be more important to the parent of these children than growing together as a family and enjoying one another.Again it's the sign of the times.
Linda
Most of the parents of my daycare children appreciate having their children play outside as much as possible, their initial comment is that they are very happy that their child "will go to bed early and get a good night's sleep". I don't think they truly understand WHY their child "will go to bed early and get a good night's sleep". If they did, they themselves would do the same on the weekends. The children truly benefit from the outdoors, they play hard, they use all their senses- feeling, smelling, hearing, the miracle of sight,no wonder they are tired at the end of the day. I usually take care of infants and toddlers. It can be difficult to get them outside as much as I would like to, sometimes a baby needs to nap, therefore I must stay inside until he wakes up. We do get out as much as possible, sometimes just for a walk around the block, but the children always enjoy being outside. I know the parents are out with their children "in good weather" but it would be really beneficial to get the children out more often. I offer a current theme which includes a newsletter describing our activities. I like to include nature walks, problem-solving with math & science, arts/crafts, music & movement and being healthy. I like the idea I recently read on the blog from Andrea about including articles relating to outdoor activities to the newsletter, even adding suggestions to outdoor activities, it could help promote more outdoor involvement. I plan to add this to my next newsletter, thanks for the suggestion. Deb
I think we're all looking to educate parents, i.e. through newsletters, exposing them to their child on the playground, inviting them on field trips and providing homework. I'm wondering if there's a way to use all of these to actually change parents' behavior. My thought is to design an outdoor newsletter that would include one quote or one example of a statistic. For example, "If getting our kids out into nature is a search for perfection or is one more chore, then the belief in perfection and the chore defeats the joy." (Louv p. 164) Then give two or three examples of what children have done outside that was nature-centered but completely unstructured, child inititated and child driven. The third element would be an assignment / field trip for the parents to do with their child. To match the quote above it would need no materials or information on the part of the child or the adult. i.e. Spend 30 minutes in a grassy area, following your child and describing what you see. Perhaps this would be part of a "family backpack" for children to take home on a weekend. One or two books and maybe a recording of nature sounds could be included to expand the child's experience and sense of wonder. I too have experienced parents whose goal is to get the child from the center to bed in the shortest amount of time. Aside from activities for the car ride home, I've pretty much given up on outdoor activities during the week. During a weekend parents would be more apt to find time for this child and as the activity has no product, it doesn't belong on the "To Do" list. It's time to escape from housework, errands, etc, - a stress reliever for both the child and the parent. I work in Brockton and my fear is that not all parents have the knowledge of such places that are also safe or the transportation to get there. How do we work with those families?
Similar to other postings, I sent home a monthly newsletter which included articles that reinforced my views (grin) & also used the "homework" approach. The homework approach never took off well in my program & I did not get a great response.
I was bothered when I felt that parents were leaving it up to me to offer their children outdoor experiences but I also really understand how difficult it is to do the same when you are a working parent.
I sent home TONS of photos so the parents could see how much their children enjoyed nature & how much they learned from it. As I mentioned in another post my program was nature based so a lot of the art sent home reflected that...painted rocks, twig drawings, etc. I know this gave several parents the idea to try & do the same. I also know that I inspired a lot of new rock & twig collectors!
I knew when parents got it when their kids would come in all excited to bring a new rock or shell to add to our ever-growing collection.
Pick-up time usually found us outside & this gave the parent the opportunity to see how much fun the kids were having & it gave me the opportunity to reinforce the benefits of outdoor play. If at a loss I could always resort to the old line "it helps them sleep better!" LOL
I invited them along on field trips but again I had very little response to this.
Often I would share with parents any exciting new trails my family has found over the weekend & it really did sink in with some folks after awhile. I had one Mom tell me that she never thought about taking her son out for walks on the weekend until I started telling her what we did.
I really like the idea of a family backpack that Carol mentioned. I could see this working better with the preschool age when a child is in a "school" as opposed to family child care. In FCC the age ranges varied but for me personally I worked with a lot of toddlers. In my experience it seems parents do not always recognize the value of toddler "curriculum" & look upon FCC more as "babysitting". This is a perception I work very hard on changing! I love to paraphrase Shel Silverstein in this arena..."Babysitter? Why I have not sat on a baby in years!" The expression on the parents face is often priceless & it opens the door for a discussion on my position as a professional. I may be getting off track here a bit, sorry! Then again, starting off a program like that in the younger years has so much value as it establishes an early practice of outdoor time!
Can you tell I think as I write??
I have to think more on this one. I am sure I will post about it again.
We do a series of family events throughout the year - a Pumpkin and Pie Night, a Thanksgiving Feast, a Welcome Winter Party, a Mad Hatters Party, and Circus Day ("our graduation"). We plan these events annually to bring our families together and create community. We always get a great response as families love to come to something they do not have to plan or pay for. Once they are here, they have a wonderful time meeting the children their own children talk about and then meeting the other families. We have seen wonderful and long lasting friendships blossom and continue past when the children are enrolled. It is part of our mission statement to encourage the community that surrounds the school - parents, teachers and students.
I am thinking about creating a new event that would be offered on a day off (Patriots Day?) or a weekend day - a ramble at Borderland State Park, for example. We could "hire" a park ranger for a tour guide for those who are interested but also make scavenger hunts and park maps available for those who want to be more self-directed. We could then culminate in a school picnic which families can bring for themselves. The nature education can be done through the invitation, follow up and during the event itself.
Sometimes getting the parents out there in a supported and guided way can break the barrier. I do agree with the other posters that working families especially have a very tough time making time for the "extras" of life. Maybe if we make it easy for them a couple of times, they will feel capable of doing it themselves.
I really like the ideas at the end of Chapter 14...key factors in "facing the bogeyman". The focus is on educating parents to not only teach our children about "stranger danger" but to help them grow as whole individuals with a strong sense of self. As stated there are a lot of programs out there teaching kids to be safe but sometimes I thik they may make them more fearful.
My own girls have pointed out to me that I have warned them about trusting strangers but yet I will talk to anyone (much to their embarrassment) & I often due. I had to bring myself up short when my middle daughter pointed this out to me a few years ago. I told them that as an adult I am "supposed" to have better radar & am better able to take care of myself. This led us to a discussion about going with your gut when meeting people or when you are somewhere that does not quite feel good. This cause gret anxiety for me, was I giving my girls permission to "go with their gut", they were too inexperienced, was I setting them up for disaster, was I placing them in danger? This conversation was reinforced for me in the book. However, I realized what a double message I was giving my daughters!!
All parents want what is best for their children but in today’s fast paced world they may be simply unaware of the whole movement away from nature and the damaging affects it has on our children. I, as others have mentioned, also take the opportunity to be outside at pick up time whenever possible. Parents, if only for a few brief moments, have the chance to observe and interact with their children in a nature setting. Watching their children while they explore is a great way to get adults in tune to benefits of nature experiences. Just possibly, it will help to foster the “sense of wonder” that Louv details in his book.
To promote parent education I also post local family nature events and activities. Busy young families can be unaware of what is available to them within the community. I also have a small resource library consisting of articles and books of interest that I have collected from the many courses and trainings that I take. I will add The Last Child in the Woods to my collection.
Each new season I ask families to collect “signs of the season” from their yards. The children bring their collections in and we use them to create a classroom poster. Several times a year I send home family activities, many of which are nature themed. One of my favorite resources is Trails, Tails and Tidepool Pails created by the Docents of Nursery Walks. All of the activities are simple and require few materials. They are easily adaptable to each family’s surroundings and foster a respect of nature. The feedback from families is always positive.
Parents are aware upon enrolling in my program that there is a large outside component to it. For the most part, the children are dressed for the weather each day. We always report back our adventures from our time outside to parents. I take care to relate the meaningful planned and unplanned curriculum that arises through our experiences outside.
it isn't as if it's been 100's of years ago that people of all ages were outside doing anything from playing, working, gardening, enjoying... it's been only one generation. The adults of the current time are the same adults that were outside as children, doing all there was to do. So what has happened? These same adults, who now have children of their own, are not oblivious to what is out there in the natural world, they know, they remember, yet they take it away from their children. It's not re-educating them, it's waking them up. It's making them re-think what they are doing to their childrens lives. Parents now are the main source of blame. They over-influence their children with the importance of organized sports, organized play dates, organized extra schooling, organized extra curricular activities such as dance and music lessons, it's a structured and organized world these children are living. Why... because it's convenient for parents to put their organized activities on a calendar and take them here and there than allow them the freedom of free play and unstructured time. Because parents are so overly structured themselves. They plan their hair appts, nails, spa, get togethers, dinners, meetings, work, pta's, anything and everything and to be sure their children don't mess it up, they plan their lives as well. How many children do you know go from school, get into the car, head to a lesson or group activity, get home, have dinner, get homework done, prepare for bed and the night is over?? yet, was any down time experienced? No. This is stress, this is a good example of breakdowns in children, temper tantrums, night terrors, sicknesses, the list goes on. but if parents gave their children time for free and unstructured play outside, a lot of these particular behaviors would go away.
I'm a parent of 18+ years of three, and a day care provider for almost 10 years, and I have personally watched the amazing transformations take place as I allow all my children the freedom of unstructured play outdoors, every day. The child that can't be controlled in the classroom will come home to my day care and get outside to blow off steam and run around, will then be able to sit still and get her homework done with not a single problem. There are many more stories to share, but you get the point.
Everything in our childrens world is structured and ruled. From the lack of freedom to stand at the bus stop, to the constant structure in the classroom, to the lack of enjoyments and social interactions during school lunch times, to the take away of recess and physical education, to their structured after school activities and home life, children do not have the freedom to enjoy the world around them or what nature has to offer. What will it be like for the children of today, when they grow and have children of their own? nature will have disappeared because nobody will notice it or take advantage of it ever again. Nature as we know it is an endangered species, and to protect it, we need to enjoy it, we need to experience it, we need to get out there, take a breath, listen, and get dirty.
We all try to educate our parents in preschool and daycare programs with newsletters, articles about the importance of scribbling, stages of development and such. We have found that if we go on an outside field trip and invite the parents to join us we found most parents have never been to any of the following places such as Stony Brook Nature Sanctuary or the conservations lands Joe’s Rock, Trout Pond, Birchwald Farm and Crocker Pond located in our community and they were the very parents that had the most fun on the trip. It is a first hand nature experience for the children as well as the parents. When on our nature hikes we like to find the best spot to sit and enjoy the sweet smells of nature while enjoying a little snack and juice sitting on rocks and old tree stumps only to explore under and around them brining back to school all our discoveries to add to our science table.
Throughout the year we manage to do small scale nature programs with the children and extend the school year with an outdoor nature camp three weeks into June exploring bugs, creepy crawlers, leaves, trees and birds. During the school year we do mini nature explorations with the children such as early fall this past year we went on a spider hunt after learning interesting details about their habitats. All geared up with magnifying
glasses and walking along side a stonewall the children discovered a petrified spider that we put in a see through container and brought back to the classroom to examine.
Our outside time is an important part of the program allowing the children to discover the sounds, smells and feel of a spring or fall day. Parents at our school in general believe that outside is an important part of their child’s development but like most parents their days are filled with organized play dates, sports and other substitutes for a day in the sun. We give parents information regarding the natural resources in the area for them to explore with their children and in the most part after learning about the community resources in our town the parents do use the information and plan their own family trips exploring nature.
Today parents work longer and harder than they ever did and I'm sure that it is difficult for them to spend a lot of time exploring nature with their children when they are physically exhausted. I sometimes wonder if they even have the time to read our monthly newsletter, as it might be looked at as one more task in the never ending list of "to dos". One thing that parents can never get enough of, though, is looking at photos of their children. I think that creating wonderful displays of children truly engaged in nature, that capture the expressions of suprise or happiness on their child's face might be a subtle way to influence how they themselves look at nature and the outdoors. It could push them to take that hike on the weekend or simply go outside with their children to make a snow angel. We use our hallway to diplay photos of the children gardening or playing outdoors because the location is easily accessible to parents. They often comment on the display and can take the time to either look at the photos with their child when leaving the center or by themselves after drop off. I think some parents might be influenced more by example, than by lecture or written words. I love Kathleen's suggestion of including parents in natural experiences with their children and giving them some ideas of local environments that they can explore as a family. Hands on experiences seem to have more of an impact on parents than just telling them what we think they should be doing.
I agree with Tina that many parents don't need to be re-educated; it's more about waking them up/reminding them of the joys nature can provide. I also loved Vera's point about there being no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!
I'm glad Joanne described above our program's use of photos to document children's wonder and delight in nature (among other things), because this has proven to be a great way to make the children's joy and learning visible to our parents. Sometimes these photos are presented with a quote from the children or with the teachers' interpretation of the action and the learning which is taking place. Hopefully this Reggio-inspired technique will convince them of the importance and shear pleasure children receive from outdoor play and nature activities. I often see children talking with their parents about the photographs and reflecting on the activities captured in these displays.
We have had great success with our small school garden, which becomes one of our long-term projects every year. As every gardener knows, this area is about much more than the plants that grow there. Parents get to see their children's delight in digging for worms, finding insects, toads, and other members of this ecosystem. I know their children's enthusiasm has inspired parents to start gardens of their own at home (and turned many children into vegetable lovers!)
We’ve talked a lot about the many opportunities for children outdoors, but what we also need to remember is that we can bring the outdoors in at times. Most of us probably do this in our classrooms with pets and plants but I think that a lot of parents forget about the importance of doing this at home. Earlier this year, our class hamster died. One child’s parent, who had never paid any notice to the hamster before and even commented that she was not a particular fan of rodents, volunteered to get us another hamster. She went to the pet shop and apparently on the way from the store, the new and frisky hamster managed to get out of the box and began roaming around her car. She was visibly rattled by the time she was able to get the hamster in to our classroom. However, what I have found interesting is that ever since that day, whenever she comes in to either drop off or pick up her son, she always makes a point of visiting the hamster now. I often see her peeking into his cage to check on him – something she never did before. The same holds true of the families who take “Fluffy” home for a school vacation. They realize how quickly they create a bond and how meaningful that experience can be for their children.
As Joanne Hogan said this cannot be looked at as "one more task" for already stressed parents to complete. Sleep deprived with time defecits and long "to do" lists may easily describe many of our parents. I have found in my work as a Parent Educator that even the most educated parent likes things simplified. Young parents are at the developmental stage of parenting where they want concrete instructions and make it easy!Promoting increased outdoor time for their whole family ( not just the kids) has to be done with a "This will make your life easier" approach.
I've been thinking about this throughout my reading of this book. How can I simplify this message in a way that the families will actually value their time spent outdoors differently? We know that the overwhelming majority really want to be good parents. Appeal to that. Make them feel like a successful parent that is influencing and shaping their child's character in a positive way with unstructured outdoor play.Let them know how much easier bedtime routines can be with a child who is actually tired from the fresh air and sunshine. Tie this in to the new mantras of living simple and going "green" brought about by our shared economic downturn. I'm thinking about those new Target commercials! The new "family room" is a tent in the backyard.We can run with this!!!
I am in agreement with Theresa, that now may be a time like never before, to bring about the changes that our children need. In these economic times families have been forced to simplify their lifestyles and what could be simpler that spending time outdoors. It is close to home and free for all.
We as a nation are becoming more “green” in the way that we live and are more open to spending time in the environment that we are trying to preserve for our children. In this current environmental and economic climate, we as educators can take this opportunity to share with our families the benefits to connecting with nature.
On Friday January 30th I attended the BAEYC Director's conference in Burlington, maybe some of you were there as well. I was really moved by Michael Thompson's keynote address. He has recently written a new book:It's a Boy. He also wrote Raising Cain a few years ago. He spoke passionately about boys development, especially their emotional development.
So much of what he said reminded me of what I was thinking about at the beginning of Louv's book; that boys especially have an incredible need for nature, outdoor play and to challenge themselves. Many boys spend the majority of their days with women in women designed spaces.
Michael Thompson stressed that "Boys need plenty of play that is not closely monitored by the SWARMING ADULT WORLD". He also believes that most of childrens behavior problems are caused by 1. lack of sleep and 2. lack of sufficient undirected free play outdoors!
I wrote a brief summary of some of these highlights to include in my next parent newsletter. I want to add his book-as well as Louv's- to my newly established parent lending library. I think these experts will give some credence to what I'm communicating to families. They will also be wonderful resources for my student's when writting research papers etc.
Educating parents is a continual struggle for me and my peers. Working in a pre-k setting we have an entire new class each Sept. So each Sept. a newsletter goes home explaining our outdoor policy and each year we have parents that are appalled. We try to appease all of the different cultures in our class. What I mean by this is some of our population is always cold. Some children arrive in three or four layers, after taking their coats off. We encourage these children to take off another layer or two but are often met with resistance. “My mama says it is to cold in here” is something we hear regularly. These parents feel outdoor play, even in the nice weather, is not safe. Encouraging the parents to allow their children to go out and play is something we do often. So after reading Louv’s book I have a lot more to say on the subject. I have statistics to speak about, short stories to use and have many resources to use.
I have to say it’s great to hear how everyone’s approaches the issue of parents and outdoors. I especially like Vera’s saying ”there is no such thing as bad weather-just bad clothes” !!!!! I’d like to borrow that if I may. Our parents here at the preschool are told right at the interview that we go out – a lot. We go out every morning and again in the afternoon. And in the summer, because we are a full year program, everything happens outside all day long. We are very fortunate to have a large space with lots of natural shade. However, we still have families who send their children in inappropriate clothes. Every month in our newsletter we ‘remind’ them of our outdoor policy. Our solution to this is to have some extra jackets, snowpants, boots, mittens so that children are warm enough to go out.
I understand parents have hectic schedules but what I don’t understand is how, on the weekends, they are still not spending time with their children in outside endeavors. I hear more about this new video game or that new movie than I do about visiting a park or riding bikes.
I agree that maybe with the big push to go green and experience nature maybe this will change. One can always hope.
Dottie, You absolutely may "borrow" that saying about there being "no such thing as bad weather-just bad clothes." I actually "borrowed" it (with permission) from one of my online students. I thought it was so simple - yet said it all!
I think we as educator’s can help parents learn to value the outside/nature experience by including nature experiences directly into the mandated curriculums we must implement. There is so much talk about linking through the disciplines; using themes is a natural way to complete this. I know of two public school who offer multi-age classrooms; both programs pick three themes to use every three years – one of the themes is trees. As teachers we can think of favorite topics we love to teach and then branch out to include all the areas we must cover. If you love dinosaurs you can include the theme through literature, art, drama and music; math lessons can be customized to reflect the dinosaur theme and certainly writing tasks can accommodate any topic. Extending themes throughout the curriculum may be a bit of work (as teachers build their units or to present to directors, administrators or parents), but the excitement of the students and the learning one witnesses and even measures can substantiate that the extra work is worth the effort. Incorporating nature into our day to day teachings could be a natural extension from “science centers” in classroom, through class meetings and discussions, through poetry and read-alouds, journal entries. There are so many opportunities to prioritize this in our daily routines with children. The state regulates outside playspaces , square foot requirements and outside equipment. When scheduling outside time making moments to increase our children’s nature encounters could be another step towards demonstrating to co-workers and parents the value and opportunities that nature gives to us. Bringing lessons outside and “at home” projects, such as reading outside or increasing children’s awareness as to how to recycle (both at home and in the classroom) are ways to encourage others to notice the values of incorporating nature, naturally, into the classroom and curriculum. Newsletters, bulletin boards, artwork and photo collages are means to generate excitement to increase support from teachers and parents who haven’t read Louv and currently don’t value the “nature experience”. Supporting participants by listening to them and providing information (as needed) to address fears (bug bites, sunburns…) and sharing benefits (photos, school work, stories) are small steps teachers can take to include those resistant or ignorant to the benefits and richness the natural world offers to us .
While I enjoy reading the posting I want to share I especially enjoyed two thoughts – the “hamster story” and it isn’t bad weather, it is “bad” clothes.
Jane Rotondi
Perhaps this has already been cited but here is a great resource I found that we can pass on to our families. It includes references and recommendations for this book as well as ways to start "nature clubs". childrenandnature.org = very family friendly.
"The vision and mission of the Children & Nature Network is to give every child in every community a wide range of opportunities to experience nature directly, reconnecting our children with nature's joys and lessons, its profound physical and mental bounty.
The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being. C&NN also promotes fundamental institutional change and provides resources for sharing information, strategic initiatives and success stories.
The C&NN news service and portal, childrenandnature.org, offers parents, youth, civic leaders, educators and health-care providers access to the latest news and research in this field as well as practical advice, including ways to apply new-found knowledge at home, at school, in work environments, and in the community. The network also engages a diverse community of institutes, organizations and industries by providing a forum for publishing and presenting research, reports and case studies on children's health and nature, and related program-development strategies and support."
I would love to find more resources like this to share with families.
I am envisioning a series of placards designed to remain outside to be posted near structures on the playground, around or onto trees, on the fence around the sandbox, in all major parts of our play areas, including the outskirts of the play areas that include open spaces with grass. These would list some of the major benefits of child’s play in these areas. Something sturdy that would last New England winters and strong summer sun and possibility of fading. They may include the education guidelines as set by DOE/OCCS. Quick blurbs, nothing to wordy that harried parents are going to take to long to read. How about focus letters instead of actual newsletters every so often. They can list the highlights of the outdoor “curriculum” and tell parents what we are “working on” outside when the weather breaks.
any thoughts?
Just thinking too, about an educational series that was presented by the early intervention team for children at a local hospital. It was geared toward and actually called a Parent Information series. It was VERY well attended, free, and publicized in the local newspaper… I wonder if that could be something for us to do in our respective communities. If the series were endorsed by a psychologist or nutritionist, or some other –ist we could use their resources as well. It also may help increase the number of attendees. It also can be done as a hands-on thing (once you get them there) to help them recapture, or introduce the joys of nature play.
I am discovering lots of great ideas and thinking of ways to adapt them to different programs. Patricia suggested sharing her weekend activities with parents. I wonder if the start of the week could revolve around children sharing what they did outside over the weekend and recording it on chart paper or the wipe-off board and sharing it with parents. I also liked Abigail’s idea of sharing a weekend walk and picnic with her families, but I fear that some parents and staff would consider that just one more thing on their TO DO list. I am thinking of trying a “Playground Potluck” to be held on a summer evening on the playground. The goals and the results would hopefully be the same, but it might be easier for parents and staff to attend. My only concern goes back to FEAR, how do we un-invite the bugs and mosquitoes? I also want to try Joanne’s idea of having a photo gallery in addition to our usual art gallery so that parents can see the fun that their children are having. That would work particularly well at this time of year, because it is sometimes still too cold or too dark to be outside when the last parent picks up. I used to always plan slide shows for parents – recently someone suggested having a digital frame where parents sign in. What a great way to share events with parents. They might not have time to read a newsletter, but they will always take the time to view pictures of their child.
Parent Education- For the most part at our Center, we have good parental support for our desire to promote outdoor play and a love for nature in children. The parents are aware that we go outdoors twice daily, weather permitting, throughout the year. If parents forget to send in warm clothes for their child, we use our spare clothes so that the child can participate with the group. When we do not go outdoors, we bring in a variety of nature items for them to explore on the science table. Photos are also displayed in the hallway of different experiences such as gardening, nature walks, bird and insect sightings and playing in the snow. These strategies help to show the parents that we value these hands on learning experiences as well as outdoor play and nature in general. The children get excited about what they have learned and then go home and tell their parents about it. We can only hope that their enthusiasm will give the parents an incentive to spend more time outdoors and discover what nature around them has to offer.
We can also help to educate the parents on this topic through newsletters, various articles and sharing our resources with them. I agree with Louv’s statement in Ch.13 on p.161- “Nature as antidote. Stress reduction, greater physical health, deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even safer life-these are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into their lives.” I realize that many families are very busy both with their own and children’s schedules throughout the week, but people can always make time for outdoor activities if they truly value them.
The following is a list of some children books and child friendly websites to explore.
Books-
Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward
Earth Day Birthday by Pattie Schnetzler
Earth and Me by Patricia Lewis
Tell Me Tree by Gail gibbons
Under One Rock by Anthony Fredericks
Everything Changes by Ruth Howell
Websites-
www.eartheasy.com
www.animaldiscovery.com
www.sciencepreschoolrock.com
www.pbs.org/wnet/nature
www.naturedetectives.org/.UK
In my System it is tough to get the parents to actually sit down and understand what their children are doing at daycare. It always seems like they are in a rush or just do not have the time. I really like the idea of a digital frame, this takes very little time and it would be very rewarding.
I think it is not only beneficial for parents to know the benefits of the outdoors, but what their children are doing doing the day. Whether it be reading a book or going outside, they should be part of it.
I have tried the newsletter and it did not get a bad responds, it just got no responds. So I felt as though it was kind of a waste of time.
Fears are natural, if my provider tried to sit me down to discuss the fears I have for my child, I probably would not listen. My child is my child, and nobody is going to talk me out of a fear I may have. I guess these things just have to be experienced between parent and child.
We cannot “make” our parents do anything, we can only help them to become more aware of the benefits of connect or re-connecting with nature. As Joanne has spoken of at our center, we have been taking photos of the children and have found it is certainly the quickest way to communicate to parents their child’s enjoyment of nature. For those who cannot spend money on the ink for printing out the photos, it is amazing what you can do w/digital cameras and burning a disc or emailing photos to parents is another great low to no cost alternative! I would also suggest using un-posed photos, they are more authentic then a posed photo. Keeping books such as Richard Louv’s on display and available for their reading pleasure as well as doing a bullet style fact sheet on benefits of nature for their child may prove helpful. Why not post something such as that fact sheet or names of local great parks on the door or near the children’s coats so that they read quickly and pick up information without necessarily taking the time to sit down. Inspire parents to become like their children again and look through the eyes of their child – have their child ask their parent about past experiences in nature – have they ever gone camping? Who were they with? Where did they go? Do try and take field trips if you can! Encourage a parent “meet up” at a local park or beach for a day of exploration. Encourage parents to grow a garden - or just plant a flower box with their child. Although we can’t change the world, maybe we can change the mind of just one parent and really, isn’t that what it is all about? Small change leads the way for further change. Being in education, many of you may already be familiar with this short story but it is one that keeps coming to my mind and I want to share it again or for the first time if you haven't heard it before:
The Starfish Story - Original Story by: Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.”
While parents may not take the time to read Louv’s book, we can make time to show them the gains to be had when we allow children to get outside. I think one of the best ideas is to have them drop-off and pick-up their children from our outside play spaces. Providing them with concrete ideas or resources to address their fears is another way to support and encourage parents to let their children play outside. (One of the many courses I have taken over the years was one on sun safety; I later presented a workshop on this topic to 15 family child care providers. There are great choices for bug repellants available now from those with DEET to all natural repellants.)Those who run licensed programs are forced to follow state regulations for safety. The Children’s Museum in Easton undertook the challenge of re-designing their outside yard - among many of the priorities, one of the first given the location of the space was to erect a fence. If anyone is interesting gin visiting me here please do not hesitate to contact me at the Museum; I would be happy to show off our new yard and share the why’s of why we did what we did in the effort to increase children’s contact with nature in a hands-on, play-filled way. Our role as educators could be to help parents address their fears, then help them to see all the benefits outdoor time has. In the summer 2008 The American Journal of Play two articles in particular relate to the need for outdoor play; one by David Elkind on The Power of Play where he comments on the amount of toys children have, the outside school hours structure of activities for children and the need for schools to test and assign homework. He goes on to discuss the many merits of play – creativity, social skills, learning experiences (I so enjoyed Lao’s list of what children learn when they build tree houses), emotional and intellectual skills children might not acquire if not allowed to play. Jaak Panksepp writes about Play, ADHD and the Construction of the Social Brain: Should the First Class Each Day Be Recess? Helping parent to see the benefits to play is another way we can educate the parents of the children we spend time with. Sharing summaries of articles, listing outdoor places to visit, letting them see first hand the discoveries and fun the children have and providing tips for outside family projects like simple container gardens to make are resources we can give to the parents we work with.
Jane Rotondi
We too, like the idea of parents picking up or dropping off while we are outdoors. I've noticed that very often if we're outside at the end of the day a parent will actually sit and talk with us and watch their child outside. Usually when we're inside it's a quick pick-up and right out the door.
I can relate to so many of the things you all said, from asking and asking for appropriate clothing, to our newsletters. We also post pictures of our activities in our foyer and it is always a great draw for parents.
I think capitalizing on the things we've had success with - being outdoors when parents arrive (whenever possible), using photo displays of activities, planned family activities that focus on the outdoors, and yes, even newletters (even though I don't think anyone really reads them lol) are all great ideas.
There are many parents who just don't have time every day to spend time outdoors. Many of our children are in care for 9-10 hours a day and parents get home, cook dinner, make lunches, etc. and before you know it it's bedtime. It the nature of our society today. By inviting them to events we plan (like the nature day Abigail suggested at a park or forest with education by a ranger) we can raise awareness and engage them rather than bombard them with more paper that they probably don't have time to read. While many of our parents look to us for advice (they see us as the experts) we have to be careful in how we present this.
Maybe once we get them out and interested it can be a vehicle for change for them. I also like the idea of presenting it from the perspective of living simply and going green as suggested by Theresa. Using that point of view and appealing to their desire to be good parents may provide us with more success. I don't think its so much about educating parents but reawakening their awareness of the benefits and fun of being outside.
I don't know if we'll ever really be able to completely break them from the desire to keep their children tightly under their wings...too much would have to change, media images, etc. but small steps are the key.
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