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December 5 - December 7, 2024
nature is not an abstract concept that is taught only on Earth Day and through textbooks about bees and butterflies.
by June, when Scandinavians celebrate midsommar by making flower wreaths, dancing around a maypole, and worshipping at the altar of the sun that never sets, they are ready to recommit to their homeland, body and light-starved soul.
if we want children to care about nature, they need to spend time in it first.
In Sweden, friluftsliv is generally defined as “physical activity outdoors to get a change of scenery and experience nature, with no pressure to achieve or compete.”
Prioritize daily outdoor time from when your child is a baby to make it a natural part of your routine from the get-go. Remember that not every nature experience must entail a grand adventure to a scenic national park—watching a caterpillar make its way across a sidewalk or simply lying in the grass and watching the clouds go by in the backyard can be a great adventure to a small child. Celebrate these everyday nature experiences together, and come back to the same places often to make sure your child forms a bond with your community and its natural areas.
“fresh air impoverishes the doctor.”
“all children and young people need to play. The impulse to play is innate. Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity, and is fundamental to the healthy development and well-being of individuals and communities.”
Plato said that “the most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”
we have faith in the child’s own curiosity and desire to learn.
researchers have found that children play even more creatively when they don’t have ready-made toys at hand.
“We see childhood as an important part of a human’s life and not as a race to adulthood. We believe and respect the fact that children have the right to a happy childhood.”
education in the early years should focus on supporting children’s curiosity and sense of wonder, and getting them excited about the world around them.
As a parent, a great way to support them is simply to spend a lot of time outside, ask open-ended questions, and encourage your child’s innate curiosity and willingness to investigate.
Hanscom recommends as much as five to eight hours of active play every day, preferably outdoors, for toddlers and preschoolers, and four to five hours of physical activity and outdoor play for school-age children up to the age of thirteen.
“I think it’s pretty nice that they don’t have that much going on, at least until they themselves ask for it. I think it’s healthy for their development to be able to influence their free time as well.”
“Kids shouldn’t get enrolled in organized sports until they want to themselves,” he
A study by the University of Copenhagen showed that children actually got more exercise while playing freely outdoors than when they participated in organized sports.
boredom is key to achieving better balance within yourself,
I almost wish I’d left cross-country skiing where it was for more than twenty years—a quaint childhood memory in a dusty filing cabinet in a rarely used part of my brain.
