100 NACCNEWSLETTER www.WorldForumFoundation.org EXCHANGEMAY/JUNE2012

•-

Overthenextyear,WonderwillbefilledwithideasforusingfreetoolsavailableontheWorldForumwebsiteintheEnvironmental Action Kit: Connecting the World’s Children with Nature,whichcanbeaccessedatwww.worldforumfoundation.org/nature.

Inthiseditionwe’llexploreoneofthe“UniversalPrinciplesforConnectingChildrenwithNature”thatweredevel-opedbyleadersandmembersoftheNatureActionCollaborativeforChildren:

Nature should be integral in the design process of children’s indoor

and outdoor environments.

We’llbeespeciallyfocusingontheimpor-tanceofbringingnatureindoors.Inthefuturewe’lllookmorecloselyatideasfordevelopingandenhancingnature-filledoutdoorspaces.

TwopartsoftheEnvironmental Action Kitcanhelpyouusethisprinciplemorefullyinyourwork.ThefirstisintheResourcesandProfessionalArticles sectionwhereyou’llfind“BenefitsofNaturetoChildren”byLouiseChawla.Thisfactsheetsummarizesseveralstudiesthatidentifywhatchildrengainfromdeeperconnectionswithnature,includ-ingincreasedconcentrationandschoolachievement,andastrongerfoundationforlife-longenvironmentalstewardship.

Feelfreetoshareitwithstaffandfamilies.

AsecondresourceisintheEducatorandFamilyMaterialssectionoftheEnviron-mental Action Kit.ClickontheToolkitforEducatorsandgotopages15-17tofindanadventureexperiencecalled“BreathingwithaTree.”Alloftheactivi-tiesinthissection,called‘adventures,’havebeendesignedinconsultationwitheducators,designers,andenviron-mentalistsworldwide.Eachadventureencourageschildrentodevelopadeeperappreciationforoneuniversalelementofourworldwideenvironment,suchaswater,air,orsunshine.Asyourchildrenenjoytheseactivities,letthemknowthat

NEWSLETTER OF THE NATURE ACTION COLLABORATIVE FOR CHILDREN MAY/JUNE 2012

BringingtheWonderofNaturetoChildren’sIndoorEnvironments

childrenallovertheworldaresharingthesameexperiences.It’sawonderfulwaytoencouragefeelingsofunityashumanbeings,agreatneedinourworldtoday.

Sowhatisthe“BreathingwithaTree” adventureallabout?Becauseaircan’tbeseen,it’softendifficultforchildrentounderstandwhatitis.Helpingchildrentuneintohowtheirbodiesfeelastheybreatheinfreshairheightensawarenessandappreciation.Withincreasedaware-nessoftencomesadesiretodosome-thingtoimproveconditionsandcareforoursurroundings.ThisiswhyeachadventureisfollowedbyasectioncalledTakeAction.

100 NACCNEWSLETTER www.WorldForumFoundation.org EXCHANGEMAY/JUNE2012

•-

NEWSLETTER OF THE NATURE ACTION COLLABORATIVE FOR CHILDREN MAY/JUNE 2012

TheTakeAction activity,“BringAir-CleaningPlantsIndoors,”isonpage18oftheToolkit.Discussingthesimpleenvironmentalconceptthatplantsare‘aircleaners’isagreatwaytofosterasenseofstewardshipinyoungchildrenandsetsthestageforadevelopmentallyappropriateenvironmentalactiontheycantake.Involvingchildreninselectingplantsorsmalltreesfortheirindoorclassroomsgivesthemachancetobepartofkeepingtheirschool’sairfreshandhealthy.Forideasaboutgreatindoorplants,readHow to Grow Fresh Air: Fifty Houseplantsthat Purify Your Home or OfficebyB.V.Wolverton.(You’llfindthisintheEnvironmental Action Kit ResourceSection.)

Personal Reflections

EveryissueofWonderwillincludepersonalreflectionsrelatedtosomeaspectofchildren’sconnectionwithnature.Thistime,NACCLeaderClaireWardenfromScotland,sharesawealthofideasthatanyonecanusetobringthenaturalworldinside.KennySpenceandStevenWhite,bothalsofromScotland,sharereflectionscen-teredaroundmeninchildcare,andtherolemencanplayinmorefullysupportingthenature-childconnection.Theirarticlessparkthequestionandthechallenge:Howcanweallworktopro-videmorenature-basedlearningforyoungchildrenandmorechancesforchildrenintheearlyyearstoworkwithmaleteachers?

Men and Children and Nature byKennySpence,Scotland

Forreasonsunexplained,somethingsinlifemakeaperfectfit.AgoodexampleofthisistheworkbeingundertakenbytheWorldForumFoundationtosupportbothchildren’sdeeperconnectionswithnatureandtheprogressbeingmadeinincreasingnumbersofmenworkinginchildcare.InJune2011,aninternationalconference,“EngagingBoysandMeninEducation”tookpartinCrieff,Scotland.(Therewillbeanotherconferenceagainthisyear.)ParticipantsheardaboutthenatureworkofClaireWarden(whosearticleappearsonthenextpage),mywork,theworkofAndersFarstad,managerofaNatureKindergarteninNorway,andanumberofothers.AninterestingstatistictocomeoutoftheworkundertakeninNorwayisthatwhiletheirnationalaverageofmenworkinginchildcareis10%,NatureKindergartenscanhaveupto40%.Thisshowsthatthisisanareaofworkmengravitatetowards.

Mencomeintotheirownwhentheyhavethechancetooverseethephysicaldevelopmentofchildren,suchasrunning,jumping,andthepromotionofmotorskillswhileengaginginplay.Thiscanbeseenonadailybasisinthoseenvironmentswheremenareemployedtoworkwithchildren.Menandwomenplaydifferently,andchildrenbenefitfromthis.Whenchildrenfeelatease,theyshowvitalityandconfidence,aremoreintouchwiththeiremotions,andenjoylifemore.NatureKindergartens(orsimilarenvironments)allowforthiskindofexuberantplay.

www.WorldForumFoundation.org NACCNEWSLETTER 101 MAY/JUNE2012EXCHANGE

Personal Reflections on Men in Nature KindergartensbyStevenWhite,Scotland

Ihaveworkedwithchildrenforover11years,firstwithchildrenages3-16andbeyond,andwithadultsalso.Istartedasasportscoachandranafter-schoolclubsandholidaycamps.IwasalecturerwithtwocollegesinScotlandworkingwithadults,andnowamCoordinatorofaNatureKindergarten.

ThemainquestionIamoftenaskedis“Whyearlyyears?”Inshort,itwasnotearlyyearsthatwasthemainattractionforme,butwork-ingwiththeearlyyearsoutside.LonghadIworkedwithyoungadultshopingtoimplementchangetopeople’soutlookonlifeandtheirsurroundingenvironments.Ialwaysfeltthatmyteachingwasovershadowedbyactivity-and-tick-list-drivenlecturersthatfocusedonactivitieswithlittleornoconnectiontothelandoroneself.So,whenIreadanadvertisementforMindStretchersAuchloneNatureKindergarten,workingwithchildren2-5yearsold,mymindwentintooverdriveabouttheendlesspossibilitiesIwouldencounteronadailybasis.

Inattendingmyfirstlocalauthoritytrainingcourse,myuniquerolehithome;Iwasonemaleoutof50femaleparticipantsthatday.So,thejoyoflaterattendingaconferencethatcombinedmeninchildcarewithnaturemeantthatforthefirsttimeIreallyfeltathome.ARobertBurnspoemcalledA Man’s a Man for Aw That, goeslikethis:

Then let us pray that come it may (as come it will for aw that),That sense and worth, o’er aw the earth, shall bear the free, an aw that,For aw that, an aw that, it’s coming yet for aw that,That man to man, the world o’er, shall brothers be for aw that.

(IamamanforallthatIcanbeforchildren.)

Bring Nature IndoorsbyClaireWarden,Scotland

Ashumans,wearenature.Wedonotneedtoconnect,butre-connecttonatureasourdevelopedworldspullusfurtherandfurtherawayintotheplaceofvirtualworldsthatbearlittleresemblancetoreality.YoumaybethinkingIamonlyreferringtovideogamesandtelevision,butasanobserverofchildrenandfamilylifeIseethevirtualworldsasbeingmorewidespread.Theplacingofveryyoungbabiesindesignerpramsthatarealongwayfromthehumanheartbeatthattheyarehardwiredtolistenformeansequipmenthasbeenreplacedbythehumanface,sothatengagementhasbecomelimitedtoaninflexibletoy,ratherthantheemotionofahuman.

Aschildrenhavebecome‘biggerbusiness,’peoplehavefeltitnecessaryto‘equip‘themwitheverymanneroftoyfromplasticbearstorubberpizza.• Ifwetrusttheopportunitiesforplaythatloosematerialsinnatureprovide,wecanofferabasketofstonesandpebblesinthemathareainthesureknowledgethatchildrenwillcountandsortthem.

• Ifweseethenaturalbeautyofrealmaterials,wewillprovideskeletonleavesonalighttableandplantsinthebookcorner.• Ifweare awareofthesensitivenatureofchildren’svision,wewillgivethemmanyshadesofgreen,notjustone.• Ifweunderstandthesensorialcomplexityofnature,wewillallowchildrentocreatesmallworldsinsidewithrealgrasstrays,twigfences,andstonewalls.

• Ifwebelieveinthecalmingeffectofnature,wewillputleavesinthesandtraytosimplyhandle.

Whenwebelieveintheall-encompassingeffectofconnectingtonature,wewillallowchildrentowatchacandleburnastheyeattheirsnackandreflectontheirtimeoutside,astheysitinthecomfortableknowledgethatnaturehasbeeninvitedin.

Inthephotosshown,wecanseetheplaceofnatureinallitsforms—fromthegentlenessofthecolours,tothemanipulativematerialsusedinside,andtheformingofspacesthatalmosthaveanaturalform.FroebelandSteinerusednatureasastimu-lusfortheactualbuildinglayoutthatchildrenlivein;straightlinesandhardedgesarerareinnature,sotheenvironmentstakeonagentlerform.

OurNatureKindergartens(for2-5yearolds)havereallyallowedustoexplorethedesignoftheindoorspaceinresponsetochildren’svoices:

•Aloftareahasfeltedcushionsandsheepskins.•Theartareahasapaletteofmanybrownsofmudpaint,withtransient(orephemeral)art,afavouriteselection.

•Thereadingareaisunderatreebranchwithclayleaves.•Featherquillsresideinourwritingarea.•Snacktablesalwayshaveminiaturerealchinacups,waterinateapot,andflowersoraleafasthetablecentre.

•Ourcandleholdershavebeencarvedfromabranchandthelightfittingisanolddeerantlerfoundintheforest!

Childrenneedcontactwithnature.Itdoesnotjustbelongoutside;weneedtoinvitenatureinsidesothatitcannurturethemwherevertheyare.

102 NACCNEWSLETTER www.WorldForumFoundation.org EXCHANGEMAY/JUNE2012

PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY MINDSTRETcHERS

www.WorldForumFoundation.org NACCNEWSLETTER 103 MAY/JUNE2012EXCHANGE

AFRICAIrma Allen, Mbabane, SwazilandHadijah Nandyose, Kampala, UgandaSebastian Chuwa, Moshi, Tanzania

ASIABishnu Hari Bhatta, Kathmandu, NepalSwati Popat Vats, Mumbai, India Raed Abu Hayyaneh, Amman, Jordan

NORTH AMERICALinda Esterling, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Berta MacGregor, México City, MéxicoJeanne McCarty, Fort Worth, Texas, United States James Wike, Memphis, Tennessee, United States

OCEANIAToni Christie, Wellington, New ZealandGillian McAuliffe, Floreat, AustraliaFiona Robbe, Arcadia, Australia

EUROPEHelle Nebelong, Gentofke, DenmarkClaire Warden, Perth, ScotlandMarc Veekamp, Apeldoorn, Netherlands

SOUTH AMERICAMartha Cecilia Fajardo, Bogota, ColombiaCaroline Hudicourt, Petion-Ville, HaitiWil Maheia, Punta Gorda Town, Belize

SUPPORT TEAM: Bonnie and Roger Neugebauer, Redmond, Washington, United States Nancy and John Rosenow, Lincoln, Nebraska, United StatesTara Hild, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

PRODUCTION: Scott Bilstad, Seattle, Washington, United StatesCarole White, Lopez Island, Washington, United States

Wonder, the newsletter of the NACC, welcomes submissions from all NACC members. Please join us at: www.worldforumfoundation.org/nature.

The NACC Leadership Team is a core group of early childhood educators, designers, and landscape architects who came together in 2006 with a dream to change the world for young children. They represent six continents across the globe, and serve as key contact points for others around the world who have a desire to improve the lives of young children.

The Leadership Team meets periodically to discuss strategies for increasing NACC’s outreach and membership, and to find new ways for all of us to work together to further our common mission.

Wonder Vitals

The mission of the Nature Action

Collaborative for Children is to re-connect

children with the natural world by making

developmentally appropriate nature

education a sustaining and enriching part

of the daily lives of the world’s children.

Are you reAdy?World Forum International Mud Day is coming June 29, 2012!

MixdirtandwaterwithkidsandYOU!MudDayisanamazingcatharticday

ofmessandblissforall.Joinusandothercentersaroundtheworldinthis

celebrationofmud.Shareyourstoriesandphotoswithusat

www.WorldForumFoundation.org/mudday.

Future Issues of Wonder

Weinviteyoutoemailyourpersonalreflectionsandideasrelatedtothefollowing Universal Principle for Connecting Children with Nature toTara(tarah@natureexplore.org):

We believe it is important for educators to allow enough time each dayfor children to explore freely in nature-based spaces.

Mud DayINTERNATIONAL

World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children

Share your stories and photos!

WorldForumFoundation.org/mudday