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Quick recap: I assigned myself a summer reading book, How To Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature, to help me have a better relationship with nature and encourage that relationship in my children.  I’m jotting down some notes and thoughts as I read through it this month and sharing them here.  Maybe it will inspire you in a new way too!

The book is divided into four sections.  (Find my notes on Part One here.)  Part Two contains Chapters 3, 4 and 5 and is called “Essential Elements.”

Chapter 3: The Way of Coyote

…nature mentors value the natural world and demonstrate it as much through actions as words.  They regularly marvel at nature’s wonders, seek to deepen their own awareness and connection, and probe mysteries that catch their interest. (p.76)

 Notes and takeaways from this chapter:

• I have the privilege of being a mentor to my children.  Nature mentors have three roles, with an emphasis on the last two:
• Teacher: “a person who conveys information”
• Questioner: “the one always seeking to ask that next query to pique curiosity and engagement”
• Trickster: “the clever Coyote who hides in plain sight, able to leverage a child’s longings into stretch edges”
• Regular time outside is the best way to experience nature.  Unstructured play is perfect for little ones, but bigger kids might benefit from other activities like a walkabout or a sit spot.  Our property is perfect for both!
• A new question to add to the dinner table: “What’s the coolest thing you discovered outside today?”
• Food for thought from Jon Young: “The antidote to Nature Deficit Disorder may be this simple: get people to spend time in nature, and when they return, be there to ask good questions and catch their stories.”

Chapter 4: Hitched to Everything

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I’m playing catch up.  With back to back (to back…) pregnancies and backyards that were difficult/too small to enjoy, my kids have largely been “indoor kids.”  In some ways, I’m an “indoor kid” too!  I have to “learn” how to enjoy the outdoors: educating myself on dangerous plants, noticing trees and flowers, and learning what “to do” when you spend time outside. 

To help me out, I assigned myself a bit of summer reading: How To Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature.  It’s written by the host of Dinosaur Train, Scott the Paleontologist, and it seems like the perfect book to usher me into a better relationship with nature.  I thought it would be fun to jot down some notes and thoughts as I read through it this month and share them here.  Maybe it will inspire you in a new way too!

The book is divided into four sections.  Part One contains Chapters 1 and 2 and is called “Nature, Lost and Found.”

Chapter 1: Wilding the Mind

Compared to kids confined indoors, children who regularly play in nature show heightened motor control – including balance, coordination, and agility.  They tend to engage more in imaginative and creative play, which in turn fosters language, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving skills, together with a sense of wonder.  Nature play is superior at engendering a sense of self and a sense of place, allowing children to recognize both their independence and interdependence.  Play in outdoor settings also exceeds indoor alternatives in fostering cognitive, emotional, and moral development.  And individuals who spend abundant time playing outdoors as children are more likely to grow up with a strong attachment to place and an environmental ethic. (p.37)

 Notes and takeaways from this chapter:

• Nature is so good for us!  It’s encouraging to learn the science behind what I already imagined to be true – in short, nature is incredibly beneficial to both body and soul.
• I have the Handbook of Nature Study collecting dust in our school room.  It’s time to take it off the shelf and check it out!  From what I little I know about it, I think it will give me some structure as I guide my children.
• Like anything in life, being outside takes time to become a habit.  Working on our 1000 Hours Outside Challenge will help this.
• A good way to change things up might be to go somewhere new on weekends with Mark.  Maybe there’s a local nature center nearby?
• Try doing schoolwork outside.  I’m hesitant about this because I feel like they would be distracted, but I won’t know for sure until I try.
• Camping or hiking should go on the schedule as the kids get older.  Having the boys in Trail Life will help this area too.

Chapter 2: The Power of Place