Alicia recounts:
I’ve never seen so much delight in all my life as I’ve seen in a child engrossed in nature.
Submerged in marsh water.
Coated in mud.
Noses speckled yellow with pollen.
Knees painted grass green.
I’d love to say there’s some grand secret or master formula to eliciting such a joyous response from a child. Alas, there is not.
It’s actually rather simple, for the child at least. It can be a little more challenging for an adult.
In my years of teaching and nurturing in the snow, mud, wind, sunshine, and rain, I have learned that the key to fostering delight in nature goes something like this:
- See children as capable co-teachers and world builders.
- Honor their unique expertise.
- Give them opportunities to speak and be heard.
- Give them space and time to explore.
- Allow them to lead.
- Uphold boundaries, but expect them to make mistakes.
- Encourage them to get messy and help them get clean.
- Give them a second and third and fourth chance to get it right.
- Keep them safe by helping them to recognize when they are behaving safely (the same goes for kindness).
- Take a deep breath, be flexible, and see how it goes.
- Bring lots of water and snacks (extremely important).
In other words, let your kids know that you are happy and comfortable with them being kids, even in a place as unpredictable as the outdoors. In my experience, they will reward you by allowing you to share in their delight.
About Alicia
Alicia M. Highland, M.Ed., MATELED, has always found purpose at the intersections of nature, play, and learning.
Her childhood enthusiasm for rollie pollies and forest hideaways led her to positions in oceanography, avian ecology, and conservation education for folks in historically marginalized communities.
However, Alicia realized that she is truly happiest when creating nature-based opportunities for young people. This led her to complete her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction, with specializations in Environmental Education and Nonprofit Management, and a Master's in Elementary Education.
Now that she is taking a break from the classroom to raise her two littles, Theo ( 3 years old) and Penelope (10 months old), Alicia is focusing her energies into creating a nature-based education community online and in her hometown. Through Tiny Green Learning, Alicia aims to provide families of young children with activities, motivation and information that help them to embrace nature-play.
