No Child Left Inside--tell me about this?

[CactusPair]

I just heard this term and want to know more.

 

Is this a movement among parents, teachers, etc? What specifically is it? How does one get involved politically with the movement, if they do? What is the intent behind it? Is change really possible given our current social environment?

 

How do you specifically incorporate the philosophy in your homeschool?

 

thanks

[Tess in the Burbs]

It's a reaction to kids never being outside. I have no idea about how to get involved in the 'movement' other than get your children outside!

 

Richard Louv wrote the book, "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder."

 

We personally play outside some everyday and we were doing nature walks when doing school but now we tend to just play and play and play. But we will go back to nature walks in the fall. The idea is to let kids enjoy nature again and get dirty :-)

[kalanamak]

I just heard this term and want to know more.

 

Is this a movement among parents, teachers, etc? What specifically is it? How does one get involved politically with the movement, if they do? What is the intent behind it? Is change really possible given our current social environment?

How do you specifically incorporate the philosophy in your homeschool?

 

 

If you google it you will find there is a specific organization, with a big web site, with environmental education ties.

 

I picked the phrase up a few years back when it was the motto of some state part system....CT? or some back east state. I like it. Some people in my area have bumperstickers "Go outside and Play". There is also a book, The Last Child in the Woods....about "nature deficit disorder". I've read neither the book nor the website. I'm sure I'd hate the organization. I rarely find any organization that doesn't get my goat in one fashion or another.

 

While I have less than no interest in joining an organization, my poor hubby, rain or shine, has spent at least 2 hours outside every day for all of kiddo's life. I do some turns, if papa is too busy, and have found I am *always* the only parent in the park with a book.

Kiddo is in the park right now up to his ankles in creek water.

[CoffeeBean]

I think the phrase was coined by CT Governor who read the aforementioned book and want all CT kids to get outdoors and play. I think they have increased budgets for nature centers and such and it pretty much ended there.

 

CoffeeBean

[LaMere Academy]

Here's the CT website

http://www.nochildleftinside.org/

 

Here's another one.

http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_sub_actioncenter_federal_NCLB

 

To me, it's about getting our children out in nature, nature studies and just being kids, playing in the dirt, building forts, the kind of stuff we used to do.

[obiandelismom]

I'm sure you are all correct, but still, I can't hear the phrase without thinking that it would make an excellent t-shirt for the first few post-partum weeks...:p

[Bayt ul-Hikmah]

I do some turns, if papa is too busy, and have found I am *always* the only parent in the park with a book.

 

:iagree: Everyone else seems to be talking on the phone or looking bored.

 

We're definitely an outside family, too. Rain or shine.

[ConnieinCO]

I don't know about the nature part, but I am getting disturbed by the increasing numbers of schools that are limiting activity on the playground (no running, no tag, no jumping, etc.) which just seems so anti-child. It's just plain wrong.

 

Connie

[phathui5]

I saw Richard Louv speak about a year ago and he was big on just letting kids have unstructured time outdoors, to run around, get dirty, explore, etc. While my kids aren't old enough for me to be comfortable letting them run around the neighborhood, I try to send them outside as much as possible.

[CactusPair]

Ok, thanks all. My dc play outside everyday.:001_smile:

[sadiegirl]

This concept seems so simple but I guess there are more kids than not that do not play outside much. I see it the lack of outside interest in my nieces who go to public school. They just want to stay inside and watch TV,movies or play Playstation, or Wii.

I have a rule with my boys that I began many years ago and it is habit and a neccessity for them now. They go out in the morning while I get breakfast ready for them. They love to start their day with a walk with our dog, see what's happening on the lake(bugs, critters, flowers, snow, etc) and then at lunchtime they go back out. After school, depending on the time of year, they are out until dark.