Category: Natural Playgrounds

School's Out! Now...Boredom?

6/11/2019

Right about now children are celebrating the end of the school year. Recently, my mother, sister and I reminisced, remembering how much we looked forward to the end of the school year when we were young and the beginning of summer vacations. What stood out were some of the family trips taken up north and to the lakes but mostly we remembered the boredom. We also remembered the fun and inventive games that grew out of the boredom. I know that the days when my daughter says she is bored, I feel I need to come up with things for her to do but after reading what some child development experts say about allowing children to be bored, I now embrace her boredom. Since she is only three years old, I still make sure that she has toys and items for make-believe as well as situations and opportunities where her imagination and creativity might flourish but I leave it up to her to discover her talents and passion. According to psychologist, Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, a child needs enough stillness to awaken their sense of self and being. When they sit in the nothingness of boredom, they arrive at an understanding of who they are and awaken their own internal drive to be. I remember when my younger brother was bored, he would look for things in the basement or garage to take apart and tinker with (I made sure that my possessions were well hidden) and today he is an engineer. It seems that what he did when he was bored, was who he was.

“Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.”
Robert M. Pirsig

It is said that play is the work of children so it stands to reason that kids are happiest in self-directed play. It is essential for children to decide for themselves how to use periods of unstructured time so that they can learn the art of managing it. An opinion piece in the New York Times titled Let Children Get Bored Again explains that it’s not the boredom itself that is beneficial but what is done with the time that leads to the route of discovery.

Don’t let boredom propel your children to the screens of television, iPads, cell phones and video games but instead encourage them to go outside and engage in physical activity. Bodies are designed to move and staying active actually aids in sustaining attention and elevating mood. If possible, refrain from always having your children play in a factory-made play structure that is often designed for a specific purpose. In a natural play area, with sand, logs, boulders, rocks and/or water, you better stimulate children’s imaginations, increase their energy levels and get their creative juices flowing. There is an element of risk and problem solving, which can make for a magical time of imagination, creativity and self-discovery and also relieves boredom.

*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

Remember that reading is the best prescription for boredom and transports the reader to a new world! Check out our book lists or consider some of the following books about boredom:

Barnacle is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black

The Bored Book by David Michael Slater

There's Nothing To Do by Dev Petty

On a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna

Mother, I'm Bored! by Michelle Hummel

Usborne Never Get Bored Book

Have fun being bored this summer!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 3) for Kate, a son (now 1) and another little boy expected this year for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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June means Fun in the Summer Sun!

5/27/2019

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*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

The long lazy days of summer are soon upon us as well as that much looked forward to break from school. Unfortunately, the summer break can also bring about the summer slide; the tendency for students to lose some of the achievement gains made during the previous school year. Reading and being read to over summer can help alleviate this slide backwards and might even bring about some additional gains so it is imperative to make reading a daily activity. Because most states are now holding children back in the third grade if they do not score proficient in reading, they are being tested upon entering kindergarten. Children are being labeled before they even have a chance to sit in a classroom. Being read aloud to every day (or reading on their own) is the best way to increase reading success. Include visits to your local library to peruse books and to partake of the many activities and story times they offer.

“A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort.”
E. B. White

Not only do we advocate reading and being read to but we also encourage a great deal of outdoor time. Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods, coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” in which he believes that many behavioral problems are a result of children spending less time outdoors. Whether you agree with his views or not, research shows that children in the United States spend an average of 44 hours a week with electronic media and obesity continues to be a problem.

So allow time for free play outdoors as well as time for unrestricted reading. Encourage children to work in the yard or garden, play in natural playgrounds that fuel the imagination or take a walk in a park or on trails to discover the wonders of nature. Remember, summer is a great time for books and hands-on learning opportunities. Take excursions and outings that encourage creativity and problem solving, skills which in turn build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Special Days in June

6th: D-Day, 1944 - Use this day to help older children research and learn about World War II. National Geographic and DK Eyewitness both offer some excellent history books, as well as Usborne Books & More.

9th: Author/Illustrator Molly Idle’s Birthday - Idle’s whimsical illustrations truly make her books special. Some titles to consider are Tea Rex, Sea Rex, Camp Rex, Santa Rex and Flora and the Flamingo. Two marvelous books illustrated by Idle are Rodeo Red by Maripat Perkins and Zombelina by Kristyn Crow.

10th: Author Maurice Sendak’s Birthday - Honor the American illustrator and writer by sharing one of his many books with your child, several of which are Caldecott Award winners. A time-honored favorite is always Where the Wild Things Are, which was also adapted to film, and the Nutshell Library collection.

11th: Author E. B. White’s Birthday - Great time to sit outside and share the classic Charlotte’s Web with your child. Voted top children’s novel in 2012. Also consider his other classics Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan.

18th: Author Chris Van Allsburg’s Birthday - The author and illustrator won Caldecott medals for U.S. picture book illustration for both Jumanji and The Polar Express. Share one of his books with your child.

25th: Author Eric Carle’s Birthday - Very young children still delight in Carle’s classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Choose one of his bright and colorful books to share with your young child. We are particularly fond of Today is Monday. With older children, discuss Carle’s art and technique and let them try their hand at creating their own unique form.

Third Sunday: Father's Day - Don’t forget to honor the dad’s in your life, perhaps with a book. For some reason, boys are increasingly viewing reading as something for girls and the best way to combat this attitude is for them to see dad or grandpa read or better yet have dad or grandpa read a favorite book to them.

“I don’t remember my father reading to me, but I remember him telling me bedtime stories.
I got to pick what was in them, then he’d make them up.”
Caroline Kennedy

Happy reading!

-Kate @ BTBL

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest editions, a daughter for Kate (now 3) and a son for Amanda (now 1.) We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.

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Summer is approaching...

5/7/2018

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For most of us, this past winter had such a tenacious grip that didn’t seem to want to let go but now it seems that the warmer weather is finally here to stay and summer is just around the corner. For parents that means summer vacation and sometimes, countless hours of endless boredom to combat. But summer should ultimately be a time for children to gain independence, build memories and partake of new experiences. The best way to do this is by embracing nature, encouraging creative play, supplying them with good books and reading aloud to your child or having them read aloud to you. Over the next several months, we will be blogging about how to encourage your child to connect with nature, the joy of gardening and cooking, helping your child to become unplugged and offering ideas to help combat the summer learning slide and, of course, recommending books to share that follow these themes.

Summer truly should be about play and ideally, outdoor play. Research tells us that children who engage in play are healthier, happier, more intelligent and more curious. But not all playgrounds offer the same benefits. In recent years, there has been research emerging from the Natural Learning Initiative at North Carolina State University that details the need to embrace natural playgrounds and the many benefits of connecting children with nature. Researchers at the University of Western Australia found that natural playgrounds provide children with more opportunities to develop gross motor skills than typical, pre-fabricated playgrounds do. Natural playgrounds also encourage children to engage all of their senses and stimulate creativity and imagination. So when seeking out a play place for your children, look for those that use natural elements such as wood, stone, sand and water creating natural landscapes where children can climb, dig, build, explore and unleash their creative potential.

Stay tuned for our next summer blog offering ideas and suggestions for making this summer unforgetable!

In the meantime, snuggle up and share one of these stories with your child to get in the summertime mood: