What a beautiful day!
I’m putting together a quick list of the greatest hits of nature & play books for grown-ups. Here’s a secret tip: if your child thinks you’re occupied in some important way, they might be more inclined to play independently. Reading a real book (not a screen!) is a great way to ‘occupy’ yourself so that your children are more interested in other things.
Screens don’t work, mainly because these are seen as super fun ways to play games or watch things, and playing games with you is way more fun than playing independently alone and watching screens is like the greatest of greatest thing to do ever. Eliminate this battle by changing the environment and reading a physical book instead, and model that reading is a fun hobby!
Best Books on Nature, Play, & Young Children
Full book list found here at Amazon for those wanting to see it all in one place. (Play Frontier is an Amazon Associate, so any books you buy directly from these links will help fund our amazing school!)
Richard Louv:
David Sobel:
Rachel A Larimore:
Angela J Hanscom: “Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children”
Scott D Samson: “How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature”
Linda Akeson McGurk: “There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandanavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids”
Ainsley Arment: “Call of the Wild and Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education”
Rusty Keeler: “Seasons of Play: Natural Environments of Wonder”
Nancy Striniste: “Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children with the Natural World”
Julie Powers and Sheila Williams Ridge: “Nature-Based Learning for Young Children”
David Orr: “Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World”
Robin Wall Kimmerer: “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants”
Gary Paul Nabhan and Stephen Trimble: “The Geography of Childhood”
Best Articles on Nature, Play, & Young Children
This is a nerd fest, watch out! If you haven’t done an internet deep dive with me before, check out my favorite search engines scholar.google.com and www.jstor.org for science/peer-reviewed articles. Jstor is my jam, and usually you have to pay or have the sweet sweet alumni/school hook-up, but its free until June 30 because of COVID-19, so read all the things while you can!
Brussoni, Mariana, Rebecca Gibbons, Casey Gray, Takuro Ishikawa, Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Adam Bienenstock, Guylaine Chabot, et al. “What Is the Relationship between Risky Outdoor Play and Health in Children? A Systematic Review.”
Brussoni, Mariana, Lise L. Olsen, Ian Pike, and David A. Sleet. “Risky Play and Children’s Safety: Balancing Priorities for Optimal Child Development.”
Chawla, Louise, Kelly Keena, Illène Pevec, and Emily Stanley. “Green Schoolyards as Havens from Stress and Resources for Resilience in Childhood and Adolescence.”
Faber Taylor, Andrea, and Frances E. Kuo. “Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park.”
Faber Taylor, Andrea, and Frances E. (Ming) Kuo. “Could Exposure to Everyday Green Spaces Help Treat ADHD? Evidence from Children’s Play Settings.”
Tremblay, Mark S., Casey Gray, Shawna Babcock, Joel Barnes, Christa Costas Bradstreet, Dawn Carr, Guylaine Chabot, et al. “Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play.”
Wells, Nancy M., and Kristi S. Lekies. “Nature and the Life Course: Pathways from Childhood Nature Experiences to Adult Environmentalism.”
Still want more?! Full list of references in pdf form here for anyone SERIOUS about their book list!