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You are here: Home / Archives for nature play

nature play

The Smoldering Fire of Progress….

March 26, 2014

adventure play

So there I was, heading to the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone at the Ithaca Children’s Garden. It was winter play camp week during the winter break and I was coming to hang with the kids and see what sort of fun things were happening. I arrived mid-morning and was excited to check out the scene. Much to my surprise as I pulled up: nobody was there. It was a beautiful sunny day — the perfect day for outside winter camp — but where was everybody? I could see a small drift of smoke from the where the campfire is located—but no one there? I don’t get it. I gather my stuff and get out of the car and head to the fire and picnic table, all the while trying to solve this puzzle. Nobody was in the garden anywhere. “They wouldn’t have left. No way! What the heck is going on?” I set my things down, poke the fire a little bit then stop and look up and there’s the answer: everybody—the kids and all the playworkers— were across the way sledding and having fun. Perfect! Of course!  Mystery solved! Too funny. Eventually everybody makes their way back to the garden, happily pooped and ready for lunch: hotdogs roasted over the fire. Perfect timing, Keeler!

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What a relaxed and happy scene. Some kids roasting the dogs, some kids taking a break, one kid in a tree, playworkers sharpening hotdog sticks and blowing on the fire. After lunch kids played games in a willow tunnel while a group of playworkers made a humongous snowball and rolled it to a central location. Much fun was had climbing on the tall snow sculpture, jumping off, and finally sliding down the snow slide we built—an idea of one of the kids. It wasn’t until I got home and started looking at pictures from the day that it dawned on me: something special is going on. A change is underway. More than a decade ago I visited a number of adventure playgrounds in Germany and took loads of pictures of what I saw. These were amazing places filled with kid-built wooden structures, farm animals, wild gardens, and loose parts. One of my favorite shockers in the slideshow would always be the one of an untended fire, smoldering away with nobody around—as if audiences would think it was crazy and totally impossible to imagine that happening in our country. And yes, back then it was a bit shocking. Conversations were just starting about how to bring plants and dirt to children’s spaces. But with this fire i realized how far we have come and that we’ve taken it to the next level. At this moment in time there are adults everywhere rethinking the “safety at all costs” attitude and finding ways to apply common sense to children’s play opportunities.  Adults everywhere are finding ways to say yes to children’s play—yes to climbing trees, building fires, growing food, tending animals and kids building their own worlds with loose parts and tools.

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Now, saying yes is great, but it’s not that simple of course, is it? (at least not that simple for we adults. it’s quite simple for kids: we say yes and the kids go play) There are many factors to consider and many hoops to jump through for us to feel comfortable with yes. But that’s ok. We’re ready. And together we’re making doing it. We’re making great strides and inspiring each other to support children’s play in greater and more interesting ways. At the recent US Play Coalition conference at Clemson University in South Carolina much of the talk revolved around communities working together to increase children’s play opportunities and at the same time actually looking at the benefits of risk, rather than only the management and removal of risk. How refreshing! How interesting. And how beneficial to the lives of children.
I’m inspired, amazed, and excited to watch this adventure play renaissance unfolding. But don’t get me wrong. Leaving fires unattended is not the end-all be-all goal of this movement. The goal is freedom to play. What excites me about that fire is what led up to that fire’s very existence:

  • Interested adults committing to enriching the lives of children through play
  • An organization willing to create host a site for adventurous play
  • Thorough conversations about play and risk benefits
  • Intensive playwork training and self-reflective practice
  • Financial support – from both governmental and non-profit organizations
  • Community support in building and visiting the space
  • Trust and communication with children (and parents)
  • Interest in not just summer camp but winter camp too
  • Interest in having fires to cook on and support for children around the fire
  • Trust in community, kids, and the site to have a fire and even be able to leave it unattended from time to time

When you see children in free play it seems so obvious, natural, normal. And it is. But to make it happen today it often takes thoughtful conversations and careful planning by adults. And while that hasn’t necessarily been the natural thought process adults in recent times—in schools, parks, neighborhoods—the times they are a-changing. And we’re finding more ways every day of saying yes to children’s play.

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Categories: Adventure Play, Earthplay Blog Tags: adventure play, adventure playground, children and fire, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature play, overprotected kid, rusty keeler

my little JJ, away!

July 23, 2013

I just dropped my little 18-month old son JJ off  at “childcare” for the first time. My heart is overflowing with emotions. We had been keeping his care “in the family” so to speak, so far splitting childcare time between myself, my wife, and my parents who live nearby (plus close friends and neighbors – it takes a village, right?). But for various reasons during these next two weeks we needed extra help. Actual “childcare”. Whoa.

The place we found is beautiful: “The Magic Garden“, totally rootsy, rural, and relaxed. Wild gardens, berries, hills, fruit  trees, chickens, cats/dogs/horses/sheep + super kind and loving people. It’s totally the type of place I would want to see him at….but oh my heart! I can’t help but sob, both recognizing a marker/milestone in JJ’s (and our) life and that’s he’s “somewhere else” with “other people”. But also sad to be missing it; missing watching him explore and grow, to be there along with him for the ride and adventure. oh life! I’ve been working with childcare places for so long; seeing kids, caregivers, and parents picking up, dropping off … but now it’s here for me up close and personal. From the inside. What a heart-string pull… so many feelings…

 

(here’s a little look at his first wanderings of the place)

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Categories: Earthplay Blog Tags: childcare center, early childhood, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature, nature play

MUD! it’s ok, mamas and papas….

May 14, 2013

natural playscape

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 that? How do they talk about the positive impact on children’s learning and exploration to parents? How do they help parents understand? How do they make it work??

Check out this fine example of a “we love mud’ flier recently posted for parents to see at the wonderful Center for Child Development at Kansas State University. Not only do they share the positive learning potentials with parents, but they even invite the parents to join in the process. Nice job!

Categories: Adventure Play, Earthplay Blog Tags: adventure play, childcare center, early childhood, mud, mud day, mud play, natural playground, nature play, playscape, water play

It’s Willow Hut Building Time!

April 16, 2013

That’s right folks: early spring is the perfect time to plant the willow hut you’ve been dreaming about. If you live in the northern hemisphere this means now! Hooray!

Ready to build? Here is the How to Build a Willow Hut piece from my book Natural Playscapes.  : )

The best way to get the “bush willow” varieties is to harvest it from the creeks or wetlands in your region. It’s a fun nature experience  in itself: scouting the rivers for bush willow, getting landowner permission to cut,  then hanging out in a wild patch of landscape and cutting willow whips for your kids’ willow structure. Awesome! (Bring your kids along of course. You never know what you’ll get into!)

If you can’t locate willow in your area we sell willow. The good stuff, too!

Here is a time lapse video of friends at the Dodge Nature Center Preschool building a living willow hut.

So grab those shovels and pruners and twine and go for it! Building a willow hut is a fun project that soon sprouts into a magical natural play space for your children…

 

 

Categories: Adventure Play, DIY, Earthplay Blog, step by step Tags: adventure playground, living willow, living willow hut, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature play, play, playscape, willow hut

Another kid loving a creek…

April 9, 2013

Another kid loving a little creek… but this time it’s my own 15-month old JJ!  Out on a family hike we passed a tiny drainage creek flowing under the trail. JJ heard the trickle  and immediately wanted to get down and investigate. Amazing. We know kids love water, and feel connected to the elements. A kinship even. And here it was happening anew with this little guy. Together we checked the creeklet out, listened to the burbling, threw little rocks in, then of course it was time to step into the flow. Sploosh! Kids want to investigate water and see how it works. They love squishing and touching. You know it’s true. All we need to do as adults is create opportunities for children to connect with water and  the natural living world. (oh, and provide  mud boots!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Adventure Play, Earthplay Blog, water play Tags: adventure play, creeks and kids, nature play, play, toddler play, water play, woods

Adventure School meets The Anarchy Zone!

December 2, 2012

So if you remember, I’ve been working with local friends to create a day-a-week traveling “forest school” for our preschool-age kids — “Adventure School” . Each week we pick a different family’s land to visit where the children can explore, play, create, construct, balance, and build fires. We’ve visited forests in fall, creeks in summer, farms, fields, hills, and hollows with more kids and families joining the crew each session.

“Who’s place this week?” is the normal question we pose on our email list.

“How about The Anarchy Zone??” someone recently suggested.

YES! The Anarchy Zone and Adventure School: a perfect meeting of philosophies and ideas: a place to explore and dig and balance and take risks (careful about falling in the chilly deep mud puddle!) while celebrating children’s natural curiosities, creativity, and connection to the natural world. Success! Take a peek….





Categories: Adventure Play, Earthplay Blog Tags: adventure play, adventure playground, forest kindergarten, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature play, playwork, wonder

Adventure School Group – in session!

September 13, 2012




Friends and I have been dreaming of starting an adventure school and this week we began the first Tuesday of the Adventure School Group’s 2012-13 school year. Yay!  Inspired by forest schools and nature kindergartens we are starting with a one-day-a-week morning adventure session rotating between various locations. (some families live by a creek. others on a farm. others in the forest.) Each week a different location but with a common theme: child-led adventure and discovery. Ages range from 8 months to 7 years. Here is the post-adventure write up from Miss Maggie, adventure leader extraordinaire, day one. And check out our blog. Fun stuff!

 

As the first adventurers showed up to play, so did a tiny, baby chipmunk!

The morning was chilly, but Nick had a bonfire going to welcome everyone.

We walked down to the creek, fished and climbed all over the rocks.

Then we took a nice, long walk up the creek and found more fallen trees to climb on.

Some of the folks scrambled through the woods back to the house,

while the others walked back down the creek.

We ended the morning with a picnic in the sun to dry us out!!

“JJ chased, and pet, and chased again the chipmunk we saw.”

Taryn, “I caught a fish”

Coulter, “I was fishing too!”

Alden, “I got a fish too. I just holded on and one bite-ed onto it!”

Nimah, “We got WET!”

“EmmyLou touched the fish in the bowl.”

Amani, “I was holding the fish.”

Alden, “I was holding the fish too!”

“JJ tasted lots of rocks and dipped his toes in the water. He also touched a fish.”

We all had a wonderful morning! Can’t wait for next Tuesday’s Adventure!!

 

Categories: Adventure Play, Earthplay Blog, water play Tags: adventure play, adventure school, forest kindergarten, natural playscapes, nature play, outside, water play, wonder, woods

Montessori PLAYSCAPE DESIGN

August 13, 2012

Here’s the current project I’m working on at a wonderful Montessori school in Newport News, VA. Located in a business park, the current play area is on top of an asphalt parking lot. Well, let the transformations begin! When I visited earlier this year the kids and staff shared amazing ideas and visions for their new yards. Here they are incorporated into the Master Plan….

Categories: Earthplay Blog Tags: design, montessori, montessori playground, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature, nature play, outside, playscape, rusty keeler

Creativity in the Anarchy Zone mud pit

July 18, 2012

You could simply call this “play”, or like Morgan Leichter-Saxby, you could also call this “building, engineering, balancing, experimenting, splashing, and focusing”– all in the Mud at the Ithaca Children’s Garden’s ANARCHY ZONE.

Mud Constructions at the hands-on-nature ANARCHY ZONE from rusty keeler on Vimeo.

 

Categories: Adventure Play, Earthplay Blog Tags: mud, mud day, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature play, rusty keeler, water play, wonder

Creekside Adventure School

May 16, 2012

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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 Farm Forest Adventure School with best friends, right??

So, here we are enjoying a creekside kid adventure day on Taughannock Creek outside of Ithaca, NY. Four adults, seven kids ages 4 months (Julian!) through 9 years old. It’s all about discovering new things (salamanders, water spiders, how to catch a crayfish, which bark boat floats down the current fastest) taking risks (ankle deep, knee deep, fall in? no!), and enjoying the environment with all the senses. And swinging on vines. And building fires. And stacking rocks. And pouring water out of your rubber boots.

We all have much to learn every time we step outside. Especially children. So why not give them the opportunity to experience the world firsthand. Got a creek? A nearby woods? A meadow? A yard? A garden? Nearly any natural place will do.

Bring on the adventure!

Categories: Earthplay Blog Tags: alternative school, creeks and kids, early childhood, earthplay, forest kindergarten, forest school, freeschool, Ithaca, natural playground, natural playscapes, nature and kids, nature play, outside, rusty keeler, unschool, water play, woods

Water. You Know What to Do.

September 29, 2011

Summer is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dip in the water a little bit longer. Here is a fun sequence of my awesome niece ZORA enjoying the shallow water at Buttermilk Falls State park in Ithaca, NY. She lives in the big city of Washington, DC, but give her a creek and some rocks and she knows what to do. Kids need rocks and water. You know it’s true. What do your kids do?




Categories: DIY, Earthplay Blog Tags: kids and nature, nature, nature play, stacking rocks, water play

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