TGSG Note: I don’t usually double dip, but I couldn’t help but share this post on both blogs. After all, the more kids we get outside, the better!  Bethe

That’s right — it’s International Mud Day! A day where children (and their adults!) around the world are encouraged to get down and dirty!

Mud puddles. Mud pies. You name it — let’s do it and enjoy every squishy, messy moment!

It’s as easy as 1…2…3!

1. Why not…

• Download free “muddy” resources from The World Forum Foundation
• Try one of these mud themed activities
• Ooooh, or one of these…
• Get in the know about what children learn from mud play
• Read, Mud by Wendy Lewison
• Whip up a recipe from the great cookbook, Mud Pies and Other Recipes by Marjorie Winslow

2. Read these, fantastic mud-inspired posts:

• Glorious Mud! from @AdventuresPlay
• Getting Ready for Mud Day
• Mud Kitchen Round Up from @Preschoolplay

3. Watch this video!

OK, that has to be plenty to keep you busy! Get out there and play today. And remember, there is a muddle puddle with your name on it!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Mud Stain Guru

photo credit: [casey]

Recently, I had the opportunity to do a really fun workshop for early childhood educators and caregivers up in Winnipeg, Canada. For me, early childhood is the best place to establish connections with the natural world and help establish preferences for outdoor play and exploration.

Reaching children and families BEFORE the plugging-in of childhood to media and electronic devices is key to help raise a generation of happy, healthy children — and early childhood professionals are  the linchpin for success.

Besides, there is no audience I would rather work with. Early childhood folks have a playful spirit and are so game for anything, including making up dances and cheers about little brown bats, pocket gophers, tree frogs and red squirrels. No, I am not kidding you.

But I digress…

So, I thought I would share one of the outcomes of our workshop here — and let me tell you, we put the work in workshop!  We created a school/program-year calendar of nature and outdoor play ideas and activities.

Click on the link below to download your calendar today. You’ll find a little bit of everything – math, art, movement, science, literacy, and lots of play and exploration. Um, and lots of snow-related activities. It was Canada, after all.

calendar_nature

I hope you enjoy the calendar, and are inspired to take your teaching outside — and bring the outdoors in. I promise, there is no better way to reach and teach all children. Besides, it will “raise your game” as an educator and/or caregiver.

I would love to know what you think. And please share the calendar far and wide. The more kids we get outside, the better!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

PS: To all my groovy workshop attendees, thanks for all the great ideas! What you’ll find here is a combination of your group work, the activities we did in the workshop and additional activities from me to fill in the blanks, etc. Yay team!

This post is part of the We Play link-up at Childhood 101 and the Let’s Play link-up at Let the Children Play. Viva play!

photo credit: Gdpaule

“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unself- consciously to the soughing of the trees.”

~ Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of outdoor preschools, and couldn’t be more excited about them taking root (ha – get it!) here in the United States.

To learn more about this exciting educational approach — and to get some great resources and ideas — visit my friend Ken Finch’s site, Green Hearts.

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.”

- Elizabeth Lawrence

In the last 20 years, we’ve gotten away from the garden that is — or should be — childhood. It’s been replaced by too much structure and too much screen time while play has been disappearing from backyards and schoolyards across the country.

Below you will find 10 thoughts on how we can work together to restore childhood to today’s landscape…and tomorrow’s.

1. You only get one childhood. It should be marked by as much awe and wonder as possible, and spent in supportive communities with plenty of time spent outdoors, just being a kid.

2. Play is at its best when it is child-directed and unplugged. We adults tend to muddle it up with too much structure, too many rules, and prescriptive outcomes. Electronic play takes much of the creativity out of the equation, as well as limiting the all important aspect of social interaction.

3. Givem’ a break! Kids need time to unwind, to play and run, and to decompress. I support recess in schools and a reduced homework load. Not only will it benefit kids’ physical and emotional health, but it will benefit them in terms of learning readiness.

4. You cannot bubble-wrap childhood. Kids fall down, knees get scraped, and sometimes worse. But kids also get back up again. They learn about consequences and to assess risk. They learn about how to interact with the world and learn their place in it, but only when they are allowed to experience it.

5. Screen time should be limited. TV, internet, video games, etc. You might be surprised at how much time you and your family actually spend in front of an electronic screen. It’s simply not just the quality of what kids are watching or playing, educational or otherwise, but the quantity.

6. It’s OK for kids to be “bored.” We seem to have gotten to a place where we think we have to entertain or have a schedule of activities for every minute. It’s important for children to learn to entertain themselves—to create games, to read, to draw, or to just daydream. Getting comfortable with the concept of silence or a bit of down time is an important lesson to learn.

7. Organized sports are great, but they do not count as play time or outdoor time. I know, some will take issue with this, and that’s OK. But truth is, sports are adult-directed, goal-oriented, and task-specific. While kids are getting fresh air and exercise, they are not getting the benefit of exploring their surroundings, free play, or connecting with the natural world.

8. Every child benefits from planting something and watching it grow. Whether it is helping tend the family garden, pots in a windowsill, a container garden, or a plot in a community or school garden. Dirt = good.

9. Adulthood comes all too soon. Don’t rush childhood. If your child’s schedule looks too hectic, rest assured it is. If you spend more time interacting with them in the car as you shuttle from activity to activity than in your backyard or favorite park, then it’s time to take a step back. Simplify, for both your sakes.

10. What children want more than anything is our time. It is more precious than any video game system, MP3 player, or expensive toy. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, mentor, aunt, or neighbor—making the time to interact with kids is priceless. Connect. Play. LIVE.

I would love to hear your thoughts, so please share them below in the comments section.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: Ernst Vikne

As some of you may know, my “day job” is working in early childhood education. (Naturally, my Grass Stain Guru skills come in quite handy!)

Wile I have worked K-12 for many years, I have to say that the need for quality early childhood education is so profound, that it has really stirred my inner advocate (as well as registered voter!) more than any other professional experience to date.

And speaking of powerful, please watch this video from The Ounce, which I hope will stir a fire or two…

Whether you are a parent or not — and regardless of socioeconomic status — this is on your doorstep. It’s on all of our doorsteps.

Step up America. Any way you look at this issue, including bottom line economics, investing in early childhood is investing in our county.

Thanks for indulging my less playful side today, folks.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Can you believe we are up to #60, Nature Detectives?! That’s a lot of critters!

OK, time to play.  Put on your thinking caps and let’s get to it! And remember — no cheating.

CRITTER CLUES:

• I am solitary
• You may be familiar with similar species (but don’t overlook me!)
• I make my home in dense forests
• I am nocturnal for the most part
• I have a very wide range (up to 150 sq miles!)

So, what am I?

Make your guess then go to eNature for the answer and more interesting facts.

Did you get it right?

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: TheNickster

The great blog, Urban Preschool, recently shared this video and I found it so inspiring, I just had to post it as well.

Now, how do we make sure Arne Duncan sees it? And every parent of an infant or preschooler?!

Play.

Child-centered.

Teachers that are trusted to do their jobs.

Real learning.

Did I mention play yet?!

Genius.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” ~Elizabeth Lawrence

As we launch into another new school year, I wanted to revisit the notion of the Super Kid.

I have a secret dream that all parents and educators will put the above quote on their refrigerators to remind themselves what childhood should not only look like — but FEEL like. (Um, well I guess the cat is out of the bag now!) I am not totally naive or going through life with rose colored glasses, but I do think that it is high-time the pendulum swung back the other way on childhood.

I just re-read a great article, Lost in the Meritocracy, by Walter Kirn and was once again struck by just how wrong so much of childhood is these days. In our “quest for the best,” our view of what’s best has become warped and twisted, and incredibly shallow. It might look good on paper and even open a door or two, but are they really doors that we should be aspiring to, or want for our children? Should achievement trump happiness and well-being? Not in my world.

I have written about this notion of the “Super Kid” before. We have all seen them — in classrooms or sometimes on  TV, being held-up as the ideal child. Over-achievers by age six. Children with adult vocabularies and sensibilities, often lacking the ability to connect with their own peer group, or so fearful of getting dirty or doing anything wrong they are stuck almost immobile in uncontrolled or unknown situations. Often, the “success” of these children send parents into panic mode, creating a drive to outdo or out-pace that is visited upon children.

I find it so offensive — whether it is motivated by good intentions or not. On the part of the parents who try to create them — pushing kids to excel at everything or perseverating on one identified skill that must be mastered. And on the part of education and enrichment programs that promise parents ivy-league success by 4th grade and drive young minds and hearts to near exhaustion.

The adulteration of childhood is simply not OK. Not only does it rob children of their right to childhood, but it robs adults of the joy of offering true guidance, warmth, and compassion. It’s a lose-lose situation.

So, I have a proposal. Let’s redefine the Super Kid. Let’s start with a clean slate and give the kids a break.

The NEW and improved Super Kid:

• Laughs and giggles daily more times than he/she can count
• Is in the process of learning about who they are and what they like, versus letting others define them
• Plays for play’s sake
• LOVES to learn
• Stands-up for a friend
• Is not afraid to get dirty
• Is curious, sometimes loud, and capable of dreaming big
• Understands that it’s OK to make mistakes
• Learns that it’s OK not to get everything you want
• Understands that their only job in life is BEING A KID

That, my friend, sounds like a Super Kid to me. One that has time to enjoy being a child and will arrive at adulthood with a sense of self, a capacity for happiness, and the keys to a truly bright future of their choosing.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: {just jennifer}

Last week, I wrote about being boxed in, and some of my favorite tools to break myself out of it. (And, I am happy to report that my tools worked — I am box free!)

So, I thought I would follow-up this week with a few words on happiness and life. You know, the stuff that actually matters…

Gather up your telegrams
Your faded pictures, best laid plans
Books and postcards, 45’s
Every sunset in the sky

Carry with you maps and string, flashlights
Friends who make you sing
And stars to help you find your place
Music, hope and amazing grace

Maybe what we leave
Is nothing but a tangled little mystery
Maybe what we take
Is nothing that has ever had a name

- Mary Chapin Carpenter

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Slow down. Live your life to the fullest. Laugh until you can hardly breath. Increase your capacity for joy. Enjoy the feeling of the breeze on your face.

Focus on experiences and people versus things and labels. Wiggle your toes in the sand and mud.

Unplug and PLAY. Jump for joy, and pass it on.

In your pursuit of happiness you have to remember that it’s always there inside of you. Even on days you scarcely believe it possible. Even when you are inside that box.

Sometimes, you just have to kick off your shoes and go look for it.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go feel the sun on my face and walk barefoot through the grass. How about you?

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: LadyDragonflyCC -Loving the Summertime!!!

You light up my life...

The stark realization has hit: It’s almost August. And the incredible summer days and nights we dream of most of the year are quickly passing us by.

GASP. I know.

So consider this a little Public Service Announcement from your friendly neighborhood Grass Stain Guru…

GO OUTSIDE & PLAY.

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. No more excuses.

1. Catch fireflies
2. Run through the sprinkler or have a wet sponge fight
3. Roast the perfect marshmallow or challenge yourself to come up with a gourmet s’more recipe
4. Head to a nearby fishing hole.  Take a child who has never had the opportunity and watch their eyes light up.
5. Try geocaching
6. Have a watermelon seed spitting contest
7. Camp. Backyard, tree house or nearby county or state park — it doesn’t matter as long as you sleep outside
8. Eat a popsicle under a shade tree and play The Cloud Game
9. Find a nearby trail and hike when the sun is not too high — early in the morning or at dusk
10. _________________ (Use your imagination and share in the comments section! What’s your #10?)

When September comes and the kids head back to school and the summer light starts to fade, you will have such fond memories of time spent in the pursuit of play — and making the most of this gorgeous planet that we call home.

Trust me — this fact will make you happy. The end.

Don’t miss out. Mother Nature has something great waiting for you…

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

PS: And because it always reminds me of summer fun, a little They Might Be Giants. Sing along with me!

photo credit: AshBash!