Happy First Day of Spring!

Tomorrow is the first day of spring! Here at The Adventurous Child we are very excited to welcome in the warm weather.  One of our favorite things to do in the spring is to plant a garden.  Gardening is one … READ MORE

Too Much Sitting Contributes to Childhood Obesity

In a recent article, Richard Louv writes “But at other schools, too many students spend most of their time sitting. At their desks, in front of computers, taking tests, sitting in schools where recess and gym class have been restricted or … READ MORE

Have You Heard of This Old Gardening Tradition?

In Sharon Lovejoy’s book Hollyhock Days, she writes “Sow sweet peas on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.  It’s one of those old wives’ tales.” The practice of planting sweet peas on St. Patrick’s day comes from an old Irish gardening … READ MORE

3 Rules for Being a Good Naturalist

In Discovering Nature with Young Children, Ingrid Chalufour and Karen Worth list 3 things to keep in mind when discussing how to be a good naturalist. 1)      “Stay safe (such as what can be touched, what should be avoided)” Child … READ MORE

New Product Release: Natural Obstacle Course

We are working on putting several new products up on our website.  One of our new products for the natural preschool playground is the Obstacle Course which we have designed using all natural materials – Logs, Stepping Stumps, Stepping Boulders, … READ MORE

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is this Thursday. I know it’s still mid February, but my mind is heading towards the springtime and flowers.  Valentine’s Day, when many of us will be thinking flowers for gifts, is a good time to start planning … READ MORE

A Log Fort on the Preschool Playground

We are working on putting several new products up on our website. I will be introducing some of these new products here on our blog.  One of our new products for the natural preschool playground is the Log Fort.  We … READ MORE

Groundhog Day Shadow Play

This Saturday is Groundhog Day and people across the country will be waiting to see if winter will be sticking around a little longer or if warm weather is on the way.  In preschool, this holiday is a good time … READ MORE

Exploring Art on the Preschool Playground

At many preschools, art is an indoor activity… a messy indoor activity.  Some mess in preschool is a good thing, but when you have an art project that could cause a lot of mess, why not bring the project outdoors? … READ MORE

Silent Emergencies

In Cultivating Outdoor Classrooms, Eric Nelson describes 7 “Silent Emergencies” that young children face today.  The 7 he listed are: Lack of exercise Preoccupation with electronic media Perception of outdoors as an unsafe place to play Isolation from and fear … READ MORE