Daniel makes stuff, and, in his spare time, writes about things like movies, kid culture, and geek stuff.
Exploring the Forest: Wild Places in Childhood (PDF)

Some really wonderful stuff in here.

Even if you’re familiar with much of the “children in nature” literature, preschool teacher Anna Golden brings it all together so very nicely with this narrative account of her class’s exploration of the nearby woods. A completely enjoyable read, all throughout.

Don’t forget to check out the references at the end – there’s some fantastic writing there, with Rich Louv, Robin Moore and Roger Hart’s works about children in nature; Louise Chawla, Elizabeth Goodenough and David Sobel’s explorations of the meaning of places in childhood; and lastly, writing about the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education. I’d recommend every one of them.

Feb 03, 2010 :: Tagged under: , , , :: #

Pokemon for the Real World

As Jason Kottke describes The Phylomon Project:

Kids can remember hundreds of Pokémon characters but very few animals. The solution? The Phylomon Project is an open source initiative aiming to make Pokemon-type cards for actual animals.

Looks like fun, and a refreshing way to capitalise on children’s love of trading cards.

I have minor quibbles in the idea that we need to co-opt every popular meta-story or brand out there in the media world that kids enjoy, and somehow turn it into a “good-for-you” sort of thing, but there’s no doubt that there’s some solid reasoning behind using trading cards as a way for kids to engage in nature. There’s just something in them – perhaps epitomised in Pokémon – that makes cards a great outlet for children’s collection, categorisation and meta-labelling, and it seems a perfect way to explore the natural world as well. (Interestingly, Pokémon itself stemmed from its creator’s love of insect collecting as a child – so I suppose you could say the Phylomon project is only returning Pokémon back to its roots.)

Now they just need to come up with a catchy way for me to play and pit my “Vulpes vulpes” up against your “Procyon lotor.”

UPDATE: The Xeko website and “eco-adventure” game is already up and running, and basically utilises the same “Playing Cards for Animals” concept.

Jan 23, 2010 :: Tagged under: , , , :: #

Kindergarten Outdoors, Rain or Shine

Stories like this, of an outdoor kindergarten near Saratoga Springs, N.Y., always make me smile:

Fat, cold droplets splashed from the sky as the students struggled into their uniforms: rain pants, boots, mittens and hats. Once buttoned and bundled, they scattered toward favorite spaces: a crab apple tree made for climbing, a cluster of bushes forming a secret nook under a willow tree, a sandbox growing muddier by the minute.

They planted garlic bulbs, discovered a worm. The rain continued to fall. It was 8:30 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, and the Waldorf School’s “forest kindergarten” was officially in session.

Forest kindergartens, outdoor nurseries, nature schools… whatever you call them, they’ve been around a long time, and they’re really quite common in much of the world. In fact, Kindergarten itself has its roots in Friedrich Fröbel’s original kindergarten – or “children’s garden” – which was conducted outdoors, amongst nature.

As Richard Louv’s message of “nature deficit” childhoods becomes a more engrained part of our cultural knowledge, and as we begin to see the effects of the over-standardization of education, I think (and hope) we’ll see many more programs like this take root.

Nov 30, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , , , :: #

Venturing Into the Land of the Wild Things

NPR spends some time talking with author Dave Eggers, who co-wrote the film adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are.” I think I’ve covered the film and its history pretty well, but saw this bit and had to include it.

Eggers tells Melissa Block that his attraction to the Wild Things project sprung from his love of the Maurice Sendak children’s book upon which the movie is based. He was particularly drawn to Sendak’s vision of free-form childhood:

“I spent most of my time growing up … in the woods making forts, breaking stuff and playing in the mud,” he says. “I think most kids, but boys especially, need to sometimes pick up a stick and hit other trees with it.”

Eggers contrasts that aspect of his youth with the depictions of childhood commonly seen in modern Hollywood movies: “You see a much more indoor version of childhood,” he says. “It’s safe and sanitary.”

There’s so much truth in that.

Oct 18, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , , , :: #

How to Lick a Slug

New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, about a recent backpacking trip he took with his young daughter to Mount Hood, Oregon:

We debated whether to put up our light tarp to protect us from rain. “No need,” I advised my daughter patronizingly. “There’s zero chance it’ll rain. And it’ll be more fun to be able to look up at shooting stars.”

It was, until we awoke at 4 a.m. to a freezing drizzle.

The rain not only punctured the doctrine of Paternal Infallibility but also offered one of nature’s dazzlingly important lessons in perspective, reminding us that we’re just tenants — and ones without much sway.

We’re just tenants.

We need to remember that. We need to give our kids the opportunities to be outside – by sharing with them our own joys of being outside, and by giving them permission to roam freely – so that they remember that, too.

Kristof echos the sentiments Richard Louv expressed in his book, “Last Child in the Woods”, and ends with a poignant message: “Let’s protect nature, yes, but let’s also maintain trails, restore the Forest Service and support programs that get young people rained on in the woods. Let’s acknowledge that getting kids awed by nature is as important as getting them reading.”

Not only do our forests and societies depend on it, but our kids’ lives do too. If nothing else, how would they ever know how to lick a banana slug?

(Via Free Range Kids.)

Aug 02, 2009 :: Tagged under: , , , :: #