MUD! it’s ok, mamas and papas….
So we all know kids love mud and puddles and jumping in mud and puddles. And yes, we parents know it too – but do we like it? Not always! And now schools and childcare centers are intentionally allowing and encouraging children to explore the mud and mess? Oh my goodness! How do teachers handle ...read more
Playscape Build…in Action!
It’s playground building season again and this time I’m down in Atlanta, GA working with the amazing Rukia Rogers to create a wild space for city kids at her soon-to-open childcare center, The Highlander School. We’ve got carpenters, concrete water feature-makers, tree specialists, children’s garden workers, and a load of volunteers all coming together to ...read more
Earthplay Water Tower
Here it is! One of our new Earthplay Water Features: the WATER TOWER! For the past year I’ve been working to create simple, durable water play items that people can add to their natural playscapes. I have a friend with a large stand of Black Locust trees which are perfect for children’s play areas: beefy, ...read more
East Tennessee SWARM BUILD
Here we are: another volunteer community “Swarm Build” — this one at the East Tennessee State University Child Study Center in Johnson City, TN. Fun! We timed it to fit in with the ETSU Early Childhood conference and offered conference-goers a chance to step away from the air-conditioned conference center, put on work clothes, roll ...read more
Playscape Log Gathering, Community Built Style!
Here’s one way to do it. During a natural playscape build at Faith Childcare and Nursery School in Rochester, NY we had a big space designated as “log climbing area”. Great. But then we needed to get some logs to fill it. We put the word out to parents and sure enough: one dad ...read more
Creekside Adventure School
Gotta love it: learning about the world by being in the world. Up close and personal style. After all the years of dreaming and designing children’s spaces I finally have a child of my own: Julian James Keeler, born Jan 8, 2012. yay! So what’s a new parent to do but dream up an Art ...read more
Kids in The Wild Woods
We’re halfway into our New Zealand – Australia journey, kicking back for a day in Christchurch, NZ – the biggest city on New Zealand’s south island. After spending our first week on the north island, yesterday we took a 3-hour ferry ride to the south island. All was perfectly smooth and calm for our crossing ...read more
