Photograph Courtesy of family+footprints. For those of you who celebrate Father’s Day, this weekend may already be filled with traditions. If you are still looking for ways to do something special with the dad in your little one’s lives, consider spending time outdoors as a way of combing all…
Photograph Courtesy of family+footprints. Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. I see you over there reading all about the benefits to the outdoors. Kids running free in the woods. Climbing trees. Splashing in puddles. Overturning rocks. You want to love it. You really do. It looks like everyone is having a great…
Last week we talked all about the different ways semi-structured activities can have a powerful impact on a child. Yes. To complement that, though, of course we want to talk about all the ways in which structure is not necessarily needed in outdoor play. The forest is filled with millions of…
Forest Friday is here! We would love if you would share a picture of this week’s forest adventures with the whole community on our facebook page. Show off your adventure and inspire others to get out into the woods and play.
Much of the Forest School For All style of forest play in unstructured. We love the power of child-led exploration and free play in an open environment. But there is something equally powerful about semi-structured outdoor experiences, ones that involve activities such as challenge courses, creative prompts and survival skills. Let’s…
When I imagine enjoying the outdoors with my family, there are few things that are often part of this vision. It is warm, but not hot; sunny, with maybe a few clouds here and there; and never raining or snowing. My vision is colorful and temperate and let’s be honest,…
It didn’t take long for me to realize that my young daughter and I can have different intentions when we walk through the woods. If it’s just me on a walk, I plan to hike or stroll from point A to point B – and point B is usually a fair distance…
Communities have much to offer in the lives of our children, as well as for us adults. Chances are, if you are part of an outdoor play community, you’ve already felt the benefits of having like-minded and supportive people around you. You know how special these groups are in your weekly rhythms. If you…
Outdoor play is a powerfully beneficial activity for kids, but in today’s day and age it’s happening less and less. Enter forest schools, group-based outdoor experiences for youth. Forest schools are relatively new to the US, but are catching on as parents hear about or witness first-hand, the immediate benefits…
