Thank you to my dear friend, Denise T., for sharing the following links to articles about "forest kindergartens", programs that emphasize nature and play-based learning to encourage creativity, healthy conflict resolution and development of large motor skills. Nature and environmental processes are becoming foreign to children all over the world -- someone termed this divorce of humans from nature the "nature deficit disorder." Not all of us may afford the private tuition of a Waldorf school or similar programs, but everybody is capable of integrating more outdoor learning into their children's playtime. Check these out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/nyregion/30forest.html?_r=1
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2009/nov/US-Schools-Realizing-Benefits-of-Forest-Kindergarten.html
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