Today the door is open. My children are freely wandering inside and outside. I can tell that they are having a good time by the melodic tones of their voices, even small arguments are resolved as they practicing the art of negotiation with one another. I feel lucky that we have a yard, a haven for the boys to play and safely learn about the world.
Mom come here "look at the pollen!" says S. I wander out and see T playing with a small figure, dancing her in the pollen of a newly opened flower. The wildflower seeds we planted in late spring have just come into bloom. The boys are enchanted; as am I. Each time we walk outside we notice something new, something familiar and something of interest.
My most current reading has been a chapter called "Healthy Planet, Healthy Children: Designing Nature into the Daily Spaces of Childhood" by Robin C. Moore and Clare Cooper Marcus. It is part of a book called The Theory Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life: Biophilic Design by Stephen R Kellert, Judith Heerwagen, and Martin L Mador. I am inspired to be reading about urban planning with a deep respect for children and nature. This chapter gives great suggestions of how to get children exposed to nature in natural ways, especially by thinking about schoolyard designs and neighborhood parks. I hope to share this resource with my own community as we go through the design process of re-imagining our own play-field. It also reminds me that part of the reason behind our efforts of creating great playspaces for children is to create safe places for them to play independently. It must be connected to larger efforts of improving the walkability of our neighborhoods so that children can get there on their own and have their own play.
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