Why do we stop our kids from engaging in risky play? We don’t want them killed! We want to keep them safe and intact. That’s our job as caregivers and parents, right? Well, sort of. We’re programmed to protect our young. That’s how we keep our species going. But how do our young learn to protect […]
The memory of my grandmother’s voice and joy as she declared, “Serendipity!” came flooding back to me last week. I was spending the day with my friend’s 5-year-old daughter and towards the end of the day, as Sydney stopped suddenly and called out “A slug!” I immediately thought of my grandmother and serendipity. After all, […]
Ok, I admit it—it’s difficult for me when my kids go back to school in the fall. I’m one of those adults who has a tough time saying goodbye to my children’s summer vacation. In some ways, it’s my summer vacation too because I hang out with them in their flow of the days. No […]
Bursts of sunflowers, spirals of a cucumber tendrils, different leaf shapes of the sassafras tree, and the large number of acorns during an oak mast year. These are just a few examples of the rich mathematics opportunities plants provide. Mathematics is the study of numbers, quantities, shapes, and patterns. There is no better place to […]
It was the most healing thing I’d seen during this whole COVID time: children playing together—finally. After how long? Too long. My two sons, 8 and 5, were lucky to have each other during our long social isolation time and their connection deepened immensely. But not every kid has had a sibling to bond with. […]
The world is so noisy! There are dings of email alerts, cars, air conditioners running, lawnmowers, garbage trucks—the list goes on. Metaphorically we’re also surrounded by noise through all of the information and news reports on television, social media, radio, and more. This human-made noise is stressful to our bodies and minds. If you’re like […]
