My springtime adventures began with a trip to a very special school in Calgary, Alberta Canada. I was invited to lead a natural play workshop for teachers and staff at Renfrew Education Services — a five-site school  that specializes in children with special needs, preK through teen who’s moto is “helping kids soar”. The facilities are amazing, the staff is incredible, and the dedication to children’s growth and development is inspiring. Families of children with special needs from  [read more →]

This past weekend I had the pleasure of building another great living willow hut…this time in a sweet public park in my own town of Spencer, NY. Local organizer and volunteer extraordinaire, Nicole O’Connell-Avery, is spearheading a natural playscape project for little kids in the park. The first build of the project: a Living Willow Hut of course! Nicole and I have been plotting and planning over the winter and last weekend was the big day. We had arranged to  [read more →]

Here is another wonderful home-based preschool center in Ithaca, NY that I love visiting throughout the seasons: Corner of the Sky, run by my friend Valerie http://cornerofthesky.org/ As the snow continued to recede children found spring bulbs, protected delicate green tree-seedlings from trampling feet, and rode the wagon through the barely budding lilac tree tunnel. “Smell the lilacs Rusty. It smells like spring!” I used my sensory imagination…and sure enough, I smelled it too! Playscapes don’t always have to  [read more →]