Monday, November 5, 2012
Books You Will Love: Last Child in the Woods
Well, hopefully. I know that not everyone will love every book equally, but I am fairly certain that the first installment of this feature will be a winner.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
,Richard Louv's new classic is the perfect introduction to the many reasons why children need to be exposed to nature on a regular basis, and why there is no substitute for hours spent in free play with natural materials. More and more of our playspaces in the United States are being paved over, fenced in, and overly organized, which while often done under the name of safety has eliminated many of the safe risks that we grew up with, and the chance to learn our own boundaries and abilities.
Louv's book explores this issue, and does so without guilting parents and caregivers into action, rather he reminds them of their own childhood spent exploring and enjoying the world around them and the simple beauty of this, that for many of our children has been taken away in the name of safety. 
This issue is of particular interest to me as a mom because we currently live in a townhome community that, while it has numerous trails, a nice sized back yard and parks nearby, it does not provide the free space that I long for for my son, and any time spent outside needs to be closely watched over as we can't fence in our yard.
This books reminds me of the continued need to look for ways to let my son explore and have independent play, whether that is in our small back yard, or if it is in the space of the woods in one of our local park reserves. This issue is one that is central to my mothering and determines many of the events and activities that I encourage Noah to participate in, as well as those activities that I hold off on because they over-schedule his time and will not allow this badly needed freedom.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment