photo credit: Gdpaule

TGSG Note: Sometimes, posts are worth another visit. I think this is one of them. I hope you do too.

When people ask me what I write about — what I do — I often get strange looks. It appears that dedicating oneself to unstructured play and connecting children (and adults) with nature can be perceived as a frivolous thing. I get that. I mean, it is play, after all. People tend to associate play and exploration with fun. In turn, they associate fun with anything but serious.

But here’s the thing: This subject is anything but frivolous. In fact, I propose it is quite serious.

If you think about it, if you take the issue of today’s childhood — the well-documented and increasing gap between children and nature — and look at it in its entirety, it’s really quite an enormous issue. A societal issue requiring a societal response.

Here are just a few lenses we can use to look at the issue. Each of these is a post or series of posts in their own right, so these are simple “thought bubbles” for the moment. Consider:

Public Health: Childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing, as is the medication of children for ADHD. Childhood and adolescent depression are also on the rise. Consider how spending time in nature, being active outdoors, playing, and having fun might impact these health problems and be part of a wellness and disease prevention paradigm.

Education (and reform): Mandatory recess. Establishing reasonable and thoughtful homework policies that impact not only the lives of students, but of educators, parents, and families. Protecting play-based learning in Kindergarten. On and on. We cannot expect kids to get outside and play if we do not provide opportunities for them to do so, or value those opportunities in the learning readiness of all students. Additionally, environmental education is a vital, viable win-win educational opportunity to enrich the school environment. Its hands-on, real-world approach is a powerful tool for engaging all learning styles.

Urban Planning: Planning community green-spaces, nature trails and community-connecting bike and walking paths. Creating safe walking routes to school. Sidewalks in neighborhoods. Traffic patterns. You name it — urban planners have a great power to create and refit healthy communities that foster time outdoors.

Social Justice: How are poor areas impacted in greater ways? Is it safe to go outside some places? What can be done about that?  In areas heavily populated by recent immigrants with a different, and often more deep connection to the land, how are we engaging them in programs and efforts? What could we do better? What do they need?

Conservation: Without a connection to nature, what will the next generation do? One cannot protect what they do not know. Who will take the jobs of the people retiring  in the conservation field, if kids grow up with no interest or connection? Who will vote to protect land, species, etc.? Who will become members and donors of NGOs that work on conservation issues?

Quality of Life: This one is key. Time outdoors. Unplugged time. Time to make connections to the land, ourselves, our families, and our communities in more meaningful ways. Time to recharge our batteries. Time to simply be. Time for children to play, which is how they restore.

This time — this magic time of unplugging and connecting — is a powerful way to be a happier, healthier person. Doing so can help you be a better parent or mentor, a better employee or employer. A better you. How can society not be served by better versions of us all, young and old alike?

Steeped in awe and wonder, time spent playing and exploring the outdoors is indeed, quite fun. It is also a very important issue, and quite serious. It requires all of us to work together — professionals from a variety of disciplines, parents and grandparents, educators and caregivers, and concerned citizens.

I hope you will join me. We have lots of work to do. But luckily, much of this worthy work is, as it turns out, PLAY!

See you outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

In The States, it’s the Memorial Day Weekend, which means the kick-off of summer. Even here in Washington DC, ties are loosened and permission is granted to connect with your playful-side for the next few months.

Of course, readers of this blog know that connecting with our playful sides is a year-round pursuit!

So here is a bit of whimsy and play from around the web:

• I love this idea of building a fairy garden from @angpang
• @slowfamily schools us in Gardening 101
• Great nature play ideas from @preschoolplay
• If you can’t get out of town, why not go backyard camping?!

And, in the news you can use department, I give you:

• Fighting to take back recess
• Susan Linn makes The Case for Make Believe
• Joan Gussow, Teacher of Teachers talks about food and health
• Science Daily asks, Can bacteria make you smarter?
• Happy news indeed!  Forest preschools are taking root in the USA

Remember, it doesn’t matter what you do –  just get out there and have some fun. Go barefoot and use your outside voice!

Consider this your permission slip.

Need help finding places and events to get out and play? Click here.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: ben.chaney

Saturday, September 26th is the Wordlwide Day of Play. Of course, around these parts, EVERY DAY is a day of play. It’s also National Public Lands Day — a day when you can give back to the parks, trails, and public lands that enrich your life.

There are thousands of events at schools, parks, and recreation centers going on around the country. Find out what’s going on near you and take a day to connect with your community.

How will you celebrate? What can you do to honor the role play plays in enriching your life and the lives of the children in your world? Let me know — I would love to hear about it!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: wickenden

I am interrupting our regularly scheduled Frolic Friday post to reflect on what a good week it has been for play. Of course, this does not excuse you from getting outside and playing this long holiday weekend! But with all of the trips to the beach and cookouts planned as part of the holiday tradition, I figured you all are covered.

As an advocate, it’s exciting to see the issue you care about start popping up in mainstream news sources. While this has been happening with play here and there, this week, there seemed to be a flurry of pieces popping up. As children are starting back to school, I am encouraged to see the need for play making headlines.

Talking Play…

• BBC News ran an article, “Make time for play, schools urged”. The UK is far ahead of the United States in the play movement, long recognizing the health, educational, and societal benefits of play. I would love to see an American version of Play England. (Naturally, I would need to work there!)
• The New York Times ran a great post from noted researcher and author Dr. Stuart Brown, “Let The Children Play (Some More)“
• USA Today talks childhood obesity; among the solutions — more play, parks, and playgrounds
• Babble.com ran a great story, “In Defense of Play-Based Education,” which piggy-backed nicely on The Boston Globe Magazine’s article on the loss of play in kindergarten
• To actually hear me speak about play, please listen to the radio show I taped with the great Jay Koch this week. It’s a 15 minute show, and I will be doing a follow-up live call in-show on Tuesday, Sept 8th at 8 pm EST.

That should be plenty to keep you busy! To learn more about some of the research behind play, check out the resource list at the end of this post.

Have a safe, fun-filled holiday weekend, folks! Get outside and play. It’s really good for you — or haven’t your heard?!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: Nicholas Hall

TGSG Note:  As you probably know by now, I don’t just believe in playing outdoors, but also in being a good steward of the environment. I am so happy to share this post today and be part of #Tweehive, an international Twitter event to raise awareness about the plight of bees. And besides — bees are really incredible creatures! They get short-changed in the shadow of “sexier” critters like wolves and bald eagles. I say, viva bees! Frolic Friday will return next week (but don’t forget to go outside and play this weekend!) See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

When’s the last time you gave bees a thought? That’s right: BEES. Unless you are a gardener or entomologist, you probably don’t think much about them at all. Sure, we LOVE flowers — getting them for birthdays or Valentine’s Day. We like to have pots of flowers on our porches and see fields full of them when we drive down the highway. Or, how about honey? We love it in our tea or spread on toast, but how often do we think about all the work that went into making it?

Um, without bees –  no flowers or honey. It’s pretty simple math, really.

Or how about food? Do you like eating? A fan of food? Scientists estimate that every 3rd bite of food we eat comes to use via animal pollination — or roughly 80% of crops (Source: Pollinator Partnership). Amazing, isn’t it?! So you see, bees play a big part of our daily rituals and happiness, not to mention feeding us, whether we think about it or not.

Bees, as it turns out, are vitally important to life. So, let’s get excited about helping them out! Like other pollinators, they are in peril, and we need to step up to the plate to protect them.

Here’s a few things you can do:

• Plant a bee-friendly garden in your yard or community garden! Pollinator Partnership has a free downloadable plant guide (by zip code);
• Get educated! Learn more about bees native to North America and why they need our help; and
• Have some fun with the kids with these bee craft & song ideas from DLTK. You’ll have the kids buzzing in no time and help teach them that bees are not to be feared, but celebrated!

And remember, next time someone tells you you’re the bees knees, take it as the highest form of compliment! I know I will.

photo credit: glyn_nelson

]]> http://grassstainguru.com/2009/08/07/buzzing-about-bees/feed/ 22 Jardin des Plantes bee2 Creative Commons License http://grassstainguru.com/2009/06/05/a-few-qs-with-the-guru/ http://grassstainguru.com/2009/06/05/a-few-qs-with-the-guru/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:05:08 +0000 Bethe http://grassstainguru.com/?p=1940

TGSG Note: My friend, writer and fellow blogger Wendy Gabriel was kind enough to include me in her “Four Questions With…” series for The Examiner.  Such an honor! (And a challenge, since there is a word limit. And you all know I can go on and on!) You can follow Wendy on her great blog, My Green Side, where you will be treated to all sorts of green living topics and parenting advice.  See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

Four Questions With Bethe Almeras: Interview by Wendy Gabriel

1.  How do you make your day-to-day life a little greener?

For me, being greener starts with getting outside and actually enjoying this beautiful planet of ours. I worry that in today’s society, people are so focused on saving the planet that they forget to appreciate its beauty and teach children to know the Earth before we ask them to save it.

Naturally, I do things like recycle, buy less, and take public transit. Living in downtown DC is a great way to go green. Limited square footage keeps any desire to buy “stuff” in check, and living a block from the Metro is a dream.

2.  What kind of advice would you give parents to encourage them to get their children (and themselves) outdoors?

Start early and make it a habit before you introduce TV and video games. Limit screen-time, including TV, video games, and computer. Trade some of their structured activities for free time. Appeal to kids’ natural interests (e.g. sports: try hiking or canoeing, science: try gardening or rock collecting). Model outdoor time behavior yourself and focus on fun!

For adults, realize the physical, emotional, and mental health benefits of play and time in nature for kids and adults alike. Make the time to unplug and go outside and play, and notice how good you feel.

3.  In an interview you did for Robin Shreeves, I read that you started The Grass Stain Guru because you are so passionate about the issues of unstructured play, connecting people with nature, and education reform. How does your blog address these issues?

Yes, all three of those topics really boil down to one thing for me: restoring childhood, and saving ourselves in the process. I write about all of these issues on my blog, and bring attention to the need for play and nature as part of a healthy, happy lifestyle — and for kids, an important aspect of proper development and learning readiness. I believe strongly that kids should be kids, and a huge part of that is time for unplugged, unstructured play.

4.  What is your favorite way to play outdoors?

It sounds simple, but a nice walk on my own. No MP3 player or agenda — just the sights and sounds of nature to keep my thoughts company. And if I can wade in a creek, I’m in heaven.

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm.  ~Bill Vaughan

If you’ve never spent any time in a botanical garden, I urge you to back away from the computer right this moment and go do so. No really, I am not kidding. If you  have been to a botanical garden before, I am sure you will join me in urging your fellow readers to unplug and go experience the wonder to be found on the grandest and most colorful of scales in such a garden.

I had the pleasure to attend a symposium — Restoring Nature to Early Childhood — at the amazing Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, Virginia for the past day and a half. Made possible through a grant from The Robins Foundation and support from The Center for Life Sciences Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, the event brought together classroom teachers, non-formal educators, daycare providers, and others interested in early childhood education.

Speakers C. Donahue, A. Donahue, A. Price & R. Moore (Not pictured, J. Kirkland)

Surrounded by dedicated garden staff and speakers from a variety of areas and disciplines, we gathered to not only recognize the need for kids to spend more time outdoors, but to explore this wonderland and share ideas and inspiration. Having been in the business of connecting people with nature for many years, the speakers and their work were very familiar to me. Jane Kirkland, Robin Moore, Akiima Price, and Chip and Ashleigh Donahue shared stories, case studies, research, and their enthusiasm with the crowd.  (I have to admit this — I have followed Robin Moore’s work for many years — um, since my tragic-haired college days in urban planning and park design courses, actually. Seeing him is always a treat for me!)

What struck me most about the time together was what went on between the sessions. Teachers sharing ideas and frustrations. Little groups wondering around, taking pictures, laughing, and really taking the time to enjoy what Mother Nature had to offer. I even spotted another woman, who like me, had taken her shoes off on a stunning spring evening and was walking through the soft grass, stealing a few moments alone to recharge and gather her thoughts. It made me smile.

Kids at play in the garden.

Touring the children’s garden was the highlight for many — such an amazing, playful and thoughtfully designed space. (I defy you to go to a children’s garden and not feel giddy.) Garden educators led activities, and folks were given time to just explore and engage their own awe. I spent time chatting with preschool teachers, one that I had met at a conference in Nebraska last year. At another table, I spent time with a group of Kindergarten teachers. We chatted about how much joy and learning we see when kids are engaged in real play outdoors. There were lots of nodding heads and knowing smiles in that group.

I saw so many people engage their kids at heart during the last two days, and for me, that is the best indicator that this movement to connect children with nature has the chance at great success. Yes, we need research, legislation, and dedicated advocates, but we also need that joy and passion for what it is we are really fighting to restore. If we can keep that ever-present, then we are half-way there in my book.

I left the event knowing that while we indeed have a long way to go, that I have no doubt that we will get there. When given the chance to bloom, every kid and kid at heart will do so. Just step outdoors or into a garden. You’re bound to see it happen if you take a moment to look.

Like this needs words?!

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

No doubt you have heard of No Child Left Behind, but have you heard of the  No Child Left Inside (NCLI) legislation?

Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the No Child Left Inside Act, which is about to be reintroduced in the Senate and House. If passed, and signed by President Obama, No Child Left Inside will bring environmental education to K-12 grades in America’s public school system. Among the items included in the bill are requirements for increased teacher training, as well as funding to help schools pay for outdoor education.

Led by The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the NCLI coalition has over 1,100 member organizations. Learn more about NCLI here. Interested in learning more about environmental education? Visit the North American Association of Environmental Education.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

“Finally, a good excuse to goof off … Brown builds a compelling case for the importance of recreation to success and creativity — and insists that grown-ups need it too.” – Discover Magazine

I couldn’t have said it better myself! If you are not familiar with the work of Dr. Stuart Brown, then you will find the video interesting. If you are familiar with Dr. Brown, you will really enjoy it. There is something so powerful about hearing someone that you have read and followed in articles actually give a speech. (OK, and granted, I am an education geek! I tend to get very excited about learning. Do forgive.)

Brown is the founder of the National Institute of Play (in the Links section of TGSG), and is a leader in the scientific research of play. His training in general/internal medicine, clinical research, and psychiatry are a powerful combination. He started the Institute after retiring from clinical practice, and has studied a variety of human and animal populations that have shaped his work. (CSI fans might be interested in the fact that he has taken the play histories of murders, finding a lack of play in childhood to be a common factor.)

Watch TED Video: Dr. Stuart Brown on Why Play is Vital at Any Age

Dr. Brown just released a new book, aptly titled, play. (Yes, with a lower case p!) A review of that to come on TGSG later. In the meantime, when you have time, watch the video and perhaps take a closer look at the way that the children in your world play, as well as yourself. Don’t take the fun out of it, of course, just allow a fresh perspective to sneak in from time to time.

Now, it’s time to unplug and go play! Come join me.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

From the amazing folks at Play Pumps International, an altogether different look at the power of play in action. Powerful. Life-changing. This is about much more than play. It’s about clean water, empowerment, public health, education, and community building. That said, the fact they utilize children’s play as a catalyst is inspired.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru