I have had several daycare people bring this book to my attention. I am there to design a playground and they want to make sure the kids get outside and are stimulated by more than just video games, central air and fruit snacks, doritos or the like.
I remember catchting frogs by geygers pond and wading through creeks to find crawfish. What fun. Even as we got older just exploring the changes in the woods was fascinating. Now with all the media about all the creeps that exist in the world, it is no wonder we worry to send our kids into the great wide open. Some how we must trust them to check it out on their own and not under some forced learning environement.
Anyway, I found a good synopsis on the book. I still think we need safe playgrounds near the woods :-)
Last Child in the Woods
In this influential work about the staggering divide between children and the outdoors, child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation - he calls it nature-deficit - to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS is the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. More than just raising an alarm, Louv offers practical solutions and simple ways to heal the broken bond - and they are right in our own backyard.
