But what exactly do we mean by play? Let’s begin to narrow the field by looking at what this kind of play is not: Not driven by the commercial culture; not based on a movie, not “themed”, not initiated in order to sell merchandise, not packaged, not bought or sold. Not technological, does not […]
July 16, 2023 This article was originally published for our 2017 Summer edition newsletter, Finding Fairyland: Introducing Earth, Wind, Fire & Water into Outdoor Play. I spent hours up in the trees as a child. Climbing as high as I could possibly manage, I would step out as far as I could while still holding
Living Arts Weekly: Building a Relationship with the Four Elements Read More »
May 7, 2023 It’s the beginning of summer gardening in many parts of the United States! Between end of the year fundraisers, meetings and events, I’ve stolen every moment I can to be in my gardens. Like the children in my care, my mood reflects the season’s fast expansion: I want to be outdoors every
Living Arts Weekly: Gardening as an Integral Part of My LifeWays Care Setting Read More »
January 23, 2021 Games are the most elevated form of investigation. -Albert Einstein We had the luck of a beautiful snowfall this past weekend, and with the chance of another snowfall always being a guess, we made a priority to get out to play! ! The cold nipped at our cheeks and toes, but the
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October 24, 2021 There once was a family of a mother, father and three sisters. The parents worked hard at providing for the family, but constantly had to beg the daughters for help. They also had to continually stop them from arguing and fighting. The three sisters were different from each other and also
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August 22, 2021 Today’s guest blog post is from LifeWays Training graduate Erin Houlihan, director of Violet Glen School in the Woods, in East Troy, WI: I got to watch my daughters jump from a cliff this summer. There are selective things in life I hope for them to experience. Physically jumping from the edge
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August 1, 2021 No matter how old you get, may you always stop to fill your pockets with smooth stones, empty snail shells and other little treasures — Nicolette Sowder I know I am receiving something quite special when we are outdoors on a walk or playing in the yard and a little one comes
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July 11, 2021 To be native to a place we must learn to speak its language. ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass My family just spent a long weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks. We have a small house directly on the lake that has belonged to my family since my dad was a
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April 11, 2021 Each of us is carving a stone, erecting a column, or cutting a piece of stained glass in the construction of something much bigger than ourselves. – Adrienne Clarkson Did you ever build an outdoor fort or tree house when you were little? Or a blanket-and-sheet fort indoors? I’ve been wondering about
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March 14, 2021 The little brown bulb went to sleep in the ground, In his little brown nightie, he slept very sound. King Winter, he roared and he raged overhead, But the little brown bulb didn’t move in his bed. When Springtime came tip-toeing over the lea, Finger to lips, as soft as can be,
Living Arts Weekly: A Spring Story Read More »
