The children gathered their sticks and found their familiar spaces to enjoy some time in the woods, unstructured but well supervised play for an extended length of time. The benefits of outdoor time for children are well documented:
"Free and unstructured play in the outdoors boosts problem-solving skills, focus and self-discipline. Socially, it improves cooperation, flexibility, and self-awareness. Emotional benefits include reduced aggression and increased happiness. "Children will be smarter, better able to get along with others, healthier and happier when they have regular opportunities for free and unstructured play in the out-of-doors," concluded one authoritative study published by the American Medical Association in 2005." ( http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/16/)
Sometimes it takes a while for us to get outfitted for our time outdoors-but once we have made it to our destination, the children embrace their time and space and are completely engaged for the hour or so that we are outside.
Until Next Time,
Michele
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| there was a lot of work happening here-scraping away the dirt from the roots of the tree-would it collapse? |
