What’s Happening Wednesday: Playing in the dirt makes you smart

I keep reading about how nature play makes you smarter, betters your life and is an overall very cool thing. I’m glad that my kid spends hours outside every day—but I still feel guilty about not being a huge nature-head myself. I love gardening, I want chickens and I don’t mind a bit of yard work—but I am not a hiker, and she needs a hiking buddy. I may have to try to remedy my reluctance this summer, because she’s getting older and her world continues to expand way beyond me!

This is a really interesting take on making poverty a childhood disease. I think it has some really valid points—more valid than some accepted diseases, even.

This post about what children truly need is lovely.

Check out this cool story about homeschooled kids who learn at the Eden Village program. Our Oak Scouts program is amounting to something like this. I’m an incredibly shy person, believe it or not, and must often force myself to meet people to provide more opportunities to my very extroverted child—so I’m still kind of wading the waters just yet. I do look forward to becoming more involved throughout the summer, though!

Have you heard about these moms using people with disabilities as “guides” at Disneyland so they can skip the lines? I still can’t believe this happens.

This article about variations, as well as similarities, in children’s play around the world is a really interesting read. Some of the images are really sobering, and some have much in common.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia