What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature
From the beloved host of PBS Kids’ Dinosaur Train, an easy-to-use guide for parents, teachers, and others looking to foster a strong connection between children and nature, complete with engaging activities, troubleshooting advice, and much more
American children spend four to seven minutes a day playing outdoors—90 percent less time than their parents did. Yet recent research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth. Regular exposure to nature can help relieve stress, depression, and attention deficits. It can reduce bullying, combat illness, and boost academic scores. Most critical of all, abundant time in nature seems to yield long-term benefits in kids’ cognitive, emotional, and social development.
Yet teachers, parents, and other caregivers lack a basic understanding of how to engender a meaningful, lasting connection between children and the natural world. How to Raise a Wild Child offers a timely and engaging antidote, showing how kids’ connection to nature changes as they mature.
Distilling the latest research in multiple disciplines, Sampson reveals how adults can help kids fall in love with nature—enlisting technology as an ally, taking advantage of urban nature, and instilling a sense of place along the way.
American children spend four to seven minutes a day playing outdoors—90 percent less time than their parents did. Yet recent research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth. Regular exposure to nature can help relieve stress, depression, and attention deficits. It can reduce bullying, combat illness, and boost academic scores. Most critical of all, abundant time in nature seems to yield long-term benefits in kids’ cognitive, emotional, and social development.
Yet teachers, parents, and other caregivers lack a basic understanding of how to engender a meaningful, lasting connection between children and the natural world. How to Raise a Wild Child offers a timely and engaging antidote, showing how kids’ connection to nature changes as they mature.
Distilling the latest research in multiple disciplines, Sampson reveals how adults can help kids fall in love with nature—enlisting technology as an ally, taking advantage of urban nature, and instilling a sense of place along the way.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2015
730 people are currently reading
6683 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
January 22, 2016
Notes I took on the book are below, but basically the main point is: go outside, and take your kids with you. Benefits to an outdoor lifestyle range from brain development, health (both physical and mental), spiritual, sense of belonging in time and space, etc. There is no downside to spending time outside other than a larger pile of laundry to do when you get home.
How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott Sampson
Reasons for the movement indoors:
• Screens
• Parental fear (abduction, injury, etc.)
• Litigation as a result of injury
• Increased structured “playtime” as a result of fear of litigation
• Less nature readily available (urban sprawl)
• Biology becoming the study of genes and molecules rather than on whole organisms (pg. 43)
“Beyond the obesity, stress and other negative effects of remaining indoors, recent research indicates that unstructured play in natural settings is essential for children’s healthy growth. As any parent or early childhood educator will attest, play is an innate drive. It is also the primary vehicle for youngsters to experience and explore their surroundings. Compared to kids confined indoors, children who regularly play in nature show heightened motor-control – including balance, coordination, and agility. They tend to engage more in imaginative and creative play, which in turn fosters language, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving skills, together with a sense of wonder.” Pg. 37
Chapter 1: Wilding the Mind: What is Nature, and Do We Really Need It?
1. A deep connection with nature doesn’t arise through periodic trips to national parks or other wilderness. While such trips can leave deep impressions, even more important are abundant experiences in wild or semi-wild places, typically close to home.
• Make getting outside a habit; for children as well as adults
• Use weekends for planned trips, night time walks
• Invite nature into your yard; bird houses, logs, rocks, ponds, native flora and fauna
• Make the schoolyard a classroom; relevant, hands-on learning
Chapter 2: The Power of Place: Discovering Nearby Nature
1. A meaningful connection with nature does not arise in a single, emotionally charged event, no matter how powerful. Rather, it emerges organically and gradually over many years, the result of a spiraling feedback loop interweaving emotions with understanding. (pg. 57)
2. Three themes have emerged as being most critical in promotion nature connection:
• Experience:
• Mentoring:
• Children tend to value what you value, so start noticing nature yourself, taking a few minutes each day to become more aware of the other-than-human world around you. (pg. 64) If you don’t value nature, your children won’t either (pg.76)
• Mentors should:
• 1) value the natural world and demonstrate that through their own actions 2) pay close attention to their mentees; How do they learn best? What are their interests? What are their strengths? 3) Active listeners and questioners; seldom answer givers
• Activities: sit-spots to learn the language of birds, tell a non-fiction nature story from the day, nature journal with words, drawings, observations, questions, etc.
• Understanding: what is interesting and meaningful for the child, as well as having and selectively doling out answers to children’s questions.
Chapter 3: The Way of Coyote: Nature Mentoring Basics
1. Pay close attention to children’s interactions with nature and follow their lead. Tailoring experiences and questions to kids’ specific interests is the best path toward inspiring passion for the natural world. (pg. 91)
Chapter 4: Hitched to Everything: Place-Based Learning
1. Place-Based Learning: Uses direct experiences in local landscapes to inform larger-scale explorations. Understand and intimately experience one’s local oak or fir forest (whatever the local environment has) before diving into books and videos about other environments.
• Requires firsthand experience
• Grounded in values such as community, sustainability, and beauty
• Traditional schools can re-think their playgrounds to include vegetable gardens (which get used in the cafeteria), butterfly garden (plants), hummingbird garden, habitat for bees, pond and wetland that support dragonflies, frogs, water-striders and fish. Green natural playgrounds nurture wildlife as well as children; providing natural places to run and play, corners of solitude, shade to escape midday sun. Reduces uncivil behavior and stress while promoting focus. (pg. 113)
• Begin with the big idea that everything (including us) is interwoven with everything else. Then seek out regular opportunities to feed the flame of wonder with this insight. We are part of nature, and nature is part of us! (pg. 119)
• Try putting an imaginary “bubble” around a piece of nature. Experience what it experiences: what does it see, hear, small, touch, taste, feel? Why?
• Discover the role that a certain organism plays, and how it interacts with other organisms: solar energy grabber, plant eater, animal eater, decomposer/recycler, predator/prey, pollinator, earth/animal pairings (worm, soil), how do farm animals and crops affect/integrate with the local ecosystem etc. (pg. 121)
Chapter 5: Mothers All the Way Down
1) Mentors must tell indigenous stories, focusing on how everything is connected and related
• First big idea: Ecology – the interconnectedness of everything with everything else; how nature works.
• Second big idea: Evolution – how nature came to be
• “Your mother wasn’t the only one responsible for your birth. It was your grandmother, and before that your great-grandmother and your great-great grandmother. Long before that, it was the long unbroken chain of mammal mothers, reptile mothers, and amphibian mothers. We also owe a deep thanks to our fish mothers and countless other sea creatures and bacteria that gave rise to them even further back in time. Earth Mother gave birth to the first life, and the Great cosmic Mother birthed the first stars. You can think about it as a huge family tree.” (pg. 141)
• Everything around us is interconnected not just through the ecological flow of energy and matter, but also the flow of relationships through time. We’re surrounded by relatives, all of us intertwined in a grand, unfinished story. Understanding and experiencing this story can help foster deep nature connection. (pg. 142)
Chapter 6: The Playful Scientist: Mentoring Young Children
1) Don’t let facts hinder the experience, because it’s in the experience that young children are likely to find the greatest understanding (pg. 151)
2) Children have “lantern consciousness” where many things are illuminated and considered. Adults have “spotlight consciousness” where focus is narrowly and specifically directed.
3) Psychologists tell us that real play is spontaneous, freely chosen by children and kid-directed. And play activities are intrinsically motivated, with no external goal or reward. (pg. 158) This means parents need to butt out. Unstructured means freeplay without ADULT GUIDANCE OR SUPERVISION. (pg. 170)
• The best toys of all time according to WIRED magazine: 1) stick, 2) box, 3) string, 4) cardboard tube, 5) dirt! These “loose parts” can be anything, where as a toy car is always a car, a doll is always humanistic. (pg. 160)
4. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sixty minutes of unstructured free play per day to support children’s physical, metal and emotional health. (pg. 159)
• Perhaps the greatest secret to being a nature mentor during the early childhood years is at once the easiest and most difficult thing to do. It is, simply, to get kids outside, get out of the way, and let ‘em play! (pg. 170)
Chapter 7: The Age of Competence: Mentoring During the Middle Childhood Years
1) Nine to eleven year olds will start to want to experience nature farther away from the safety and security of mom and dad.
• How do we stem the tide of children falling out of love with nature during middle childhood? One part of the answer may be communities formed around family nature clubs.
• Children and Nature Network (online)
• For children in middle childhood, tap into their longings by fostering nature experiences with plenty of exploration, autonomy, and demonstrations of competence. (pg. 196)
• As children get older, increase the separation to give children the freedom to take some risks, make some mistakes, and deal with consequences. (pg. 197)
Chapter 8: The Social Animal: Mentoring Adolescence
1. For youth today, the all-important impulse control and inhibition system, so highly dependent on experience is underdeveloped by the time adolescence strikes; teens are ill prepared to deal with risk and often end up making poor choices. Ergo, give them plenty of opportunities to make calculated risks during the middle childhood years so soften the transition to adolescence.
2. Put adolescents together in outdoor situations where they can take calculates risks with each other while demonstrating new skills and strengths. Make sure they have a deep degree of autonomy from adults and strong peer support. (pg. 208)
3. Create opportunities for regular time in wild nature where adolescents can engage in challenging, adventurous activities with one another (peers, not parents). (pg. 224)
4. To increase the chances of getting yourself outside (with your kids), pick something that you like to do. Pick something for each season so that you have something to do outside all year long. (pg. 225)
Chapter 9: Dangerous Liasions: Balancing Technology and Nature
1. The hybrid mind is capable of switching back and forth between the digital and physical world. It doesn’t have to be all one or the other. (pg. 239)
• Digital photography, videography, geocacheing, field guide apps, etc.
2. Biomimicry = no longer something to learn about, nature is something to learn from. The idea that nature has already figured out the solution to many of human problems; grab solar energy like a leaf, create color like a butterfly, recycle waste like a swap. (pg. 251)
3. Mentor the children in your life to embrace both technology and nature, to establish a balance where high-tech AND nature-loving become the thriving norm. (pg. 253)
Chapter 10: The Re-wilding Revolution: Growing Nature Lovers in the Big City
1. Thrivability, not just sustainability
2. People are not likely to alter their behavior on global issues, if they’re not engaged locally. We may not be able to change global issues as individuals, but we can change local issues. Changing local issues leads to changing global ones.
• Architects are designing “Living Buildings” that exist in harmony and partnership between human and nature’s needs
3. We no longer know what is “normal” for our area because we see our environment for a relatively short period of time in relation to how long the planet have been around – we’ve lost more than we can imagine without realizing it.
• Going native with plants and animals helps to restore the ecosystem.
4. Rather than sharing knowledge and expertise, your chief goal as a nature mentor is to help instill a deep longing for nature. (pg.281)
How to Raise a Wild Child by Scott Sampson
Reasons for the movement indoors:
• Screens
• Parental fear (abduction, injury, etc.)
• Litigation as a result of injury
• Increased structured “playtime” as a result of fear of litigation
• Less nature readily available (urban sprawl)
• Biology becoming the study of genes and molecules rather than on whole organisms (pg. 43)
“Beyond the obesity, stress and other negative effects of remaining indoors, recent research indicates that unstructured play in natural settings is essential for children’s healthy growth. As any parent or early childhood educator will attest, play is an innate drive. It is also the primary vehicle for youngsters to experience and explore their surroundings. Compared to kids confined indoors, children who regularly play in nature show heightened motor-control – including balance, coordination, and agility. They tend to engage more in imaginative and creative play, which in turn fosters language, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving skills, together with a sense of wonder.” Pg. 37
Chapter 1: Wilding the Mind: What is Nature, and Do We Really Need It?
1. A deep connection with nature doesn’t arise through periodic trips to national parks or other wilderness. While such trips can leave deep impressions, even more important are abundant experiences in wild or semi-wild places, typically close to home.
• Make getting outside a habit; for children as well as adults
• Use weekends for planned trips, night time walks
• Invite nature into your yard; bird houses, logs, rocks, ponds, native flora and fauna
• Make the schoolyard a classroom; relevant, hands-on learning
Chapter 2: The Power of Place: Discovering Nearby Nature
1. A meaningful connection with nature does not arise in a single, emotionally charged event, no matter how powerful. Rather, it emerges organically and gradually over many years, the result of a spiraling feedback loop interweaving emotions with understanding. (pg. 57)
2. Three themes have emerged as being most critical in promotion nature connection:
• Experience:
• Mentoring:
• Children tend to value what you value, so start noticing nature yourself, taking a few minutes each day to become more aware of the other-than-human world around you. (pg. 64) If you don’t value nature, your children won’t either (pg.76)
• Mentors should:
• 1) value the natural world and demonstrate that through their own actions 2) pay close attention to their mentees; How do they learn best? What are their interests? What are their strengths? 3) Active listeners and questioners; seldom answer givers
• Activities: sit-spots to learn the language of birds, tell a non-fiction nature story from the day, nature journal with words, drawings, observations, questions, etc.
• Understanding: what is interesting and meaningful for the child, as well as having and selectively doling out answers to children’s questions.
Chapter 3: The Way of Coyote: Nature Mentoring Basics
1. Pay close attention to children’s interactions with nature and follow their lead. Tailoring experiences and questions to kids’ specific interests is the best path toward inspiring passion for the natural world. (pg. 91)
Chapter 4: Hitched to Everything: Place-Based Learning
1. Place-Based Learning: Uses direct experiences in local landscapes to inform larger-scale explorations. Understand and intimately experience one’s local oak or fir forest (whatever the local environment has) before diving into books and videos about other environments.
• Requires firsthand experience
• Grounded in values such as community, sustainability, and beauty
• Traditional schools can re-think their playgrounds to include vegetable gardens (which get used in the cafeteria), butterfly garden (plants), hummingbird garden, habitat for bees, pond and wetland that support dragonflies, frogs, water-striders and fish. Green natural playgrounds nurture wildlife as well as children; providing natural places to run and play, corners of solitude, shade to escape midday sun. Reduces uncivil behavior and stress while promoting focus. (pg. 113)
• Begin with the big idea that everything (including us) is interwoven with everything else. Then seek out regular opportunities to feed the flame of wonder with this insight. We are part of nature, and nature is part of us! (pg. 119)
• Try putting an imaginary “bubble” around a piece of nature. Experience what it experiences: what does it see, hear, small, touch, taste, feel? Why?
• Discover the role that a certain organism plays, and how it interacts with other organisms: solar energy grabber, plant eater, animal eater, decomposer/recycler, predator/prey, pollinator, earth/animal pairings (worm, soil), how do farm animals and crops affect/integrate with the local ecosystem etc. (pg. 121)
Chapter 5: Mothers All the Way Down
1) Mentors must tell indigenous stories, focusing on how everything is connected and related
• First big idea: Ecology – the interconnectedness of everything with everything else; how nature works.
• Second big idea: Evolution – how nature came to be
• “Your mother wasn’t the only one responsible for your birth. It was your grandmother, and before that your great-grandmother and your great-great grandmother. Long before that, it was the long unbroken chain of mammal mothers, reptile mothers, and amphibian mothers. We also owe a deep thanks to our fish mothers and countless other sea creatures and bacteria that gave rise to them even further back in time. Earth Mother gave birth to the first life, and the Great cosmic Mother birthed the first stars. You can think about it as a huge family tree.” (pg. 141)
• Everything around us is interconnected not just through the ecological flow of energy and matter, but also the flow of relationships through time. We’re surrounded by relatives, all of us intertwined in a grand, unfinished story. Understanding and experiencing this story can help foster deep nature connection. (pg. 142)
Chapter 6: The Playful Scientist: Mentoring Young Children
1) Don’t let facts hinder the experience, because it’s in the experience that young children are likely to find the greatest understanding (pg. 151)
2) Children have “lantern consciousness” where many things are illuminated and considered. Adults have “spotlight consciousness” where focus is narrowly and specifically directed.
3) Psychologists tell us that real play is spontaneous, freely chosen by children and kid-directed. And play activities are intrinsically motivated, with no external goal or reward. (pg. 158) This means parents need to butt out. Unstructured means freeplay without ADULT GUIDANCE OR SUPERVISION. (pg. 170)
• The best toys of all time according to WIRED magazine: 1) stick, 2) box, 3) string, 4) cardboard tube, 5) dirt! These “loose parts” can be anything, where as a toy car is always a car, a doll is always humanistic. (pg. 160)
4. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sixty minutes of unstructured free play per day to support children’s physical, metal and emotional health. (pg. 159)
• Perhaps the greatest secret to being a nature mentor during the early childhood years is at once the easiest and most difficult thing to do. It is, simply, to get kids outside, get out of the way, and let ‘em play! (pg. 170)
Chapter 7: The Age of Competence: Mentoring During the Middle Childhood Years
1) Nine to eleven year olds will start to want to experience nature farther away from the safety and security of mom and dad.
• How do we stem the tide of children falling out of love with nature during middle childhood? One part of the answer may be communities formed around family nature clubs.
• Children and Nature Network (online)
• For children in middle childhood, tap into their longings by fostering nature experiences with plenty of exploration, autonomy, and demonstrations of competence. (pg. 196)
• As children get older, increase the separation to give children the freedom to take some risks, make some mistakes, and deal with consequences. (pg. 197)
Chapter 8: The Social Animal: Mentoring Adolescence
1. For youth today, the all-important impulse control and inhibition system, so highly dependent on experience is underdeveloped by the time adolescence strikes; teens are ill prepared to deal with risk and often end up making poor choices. Ergo, give them plenty of opportunities to make calculated risks during the middle childhood years so soften the transition to adolescence.
2. Put adolescents together in outdoor situations where they can take calculates risks with each other while demonstrating new skills and strengths. Make sure they have a deep degree of autonomy from adults and strong peer support. (pg. 208)
3. Create opportunities for regular time in wild nature where adolescents can engage in challenging, adventurous activities with one another (peers, not parents). (pg. 224)
4. To increase the chances of getting yourself outside (with your kids), pick something that you like to do. Pick something for each season so that you have something to do outside all year long. (pg. 225)
Chapter 9: Dangerous Liasions: Balancing Technology and Nature
1. The hybrid mind is capable of switching back and forth between the digital and physical world. It doesn’t have to be all one or the other. (pg. 239)
• Digital photography, videography, geocacheing, field guide apps, etc.
2. Biomimicry = no longer something to learn about, nature is something to learn from. The idea that nature has already figured out the solution to many of human problems; grab solar energy like a leaf, create color like a butterfly, recycle waste like a swap. (pg. 251)
3. Mentor the children in your life to embrace both technology and nature, to establish a balance where high-tech AND nature-loving become the thriving norm. (pg. 253)
Chapter 10: The Re-wilding Revolution: Growing Nature Lovers in the Big City
1. Thrivability, not just sustainability
2. People are not likely to alter their behavior on global issues, if they’re not engaged locally. We may not be able to change global issues as individuals, but we can change local issues. Changing local issues leads to changing global ones.
• Architects are designing “Living Buildings” that exist in harmony and partnership between human and nature’s needs
3. We no longer know what is “normal” for our area because we see our environment for a relatively short period of time in relation to how long the planet have been around – we’ve lost more than we can imagine without realizing it.
• Going native with plants and animals helps to restore the ecosystem.
4. Rather than sharing knowledge and expertise, your chief goal as a nature mentor is to help instill a deep longing for nature. (pg.281)
October 11, 2018
I ran into the same problem I come across in most parenting books- too much background information and scientific evidence, not enough practical advice. It feels like preaching to the choir when the author spends 90% of the book trying to convince me how important nature is. I already know. That's why I picked up this book!
I would recommend "There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids" instead of this book.
I would recommend "There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids" instead of this book.
May 18, 2021
Dr. Scott, delightful dork of Dinosaur Train, is here to play Mr. Wizard to the newest generation of couch-potato kids (and their parents, too).
3 stars. Part nature memoir, part environmental treatise, part parenting guide. Little new in the way of suggestions, but the author's enthusiasm is catching.
3 stars. Part nature memoir, part environmental treatise, part parenting guide. Little new in the way of suggestions, but the author's enthusiasm is catching.
May 2, 2015
I love parts of this book.
As a child development grad, nature educator, and mom to six, I agree wholeheartedly that free play is where connection happens. Experiences and environment shape us. I also agree that technology can be a valuable tool to connecting with nature, in moderation. Sampson rightly asserts that we don’t have to know it all but we do need to MODEL a love for nature and inquisitiveness in finding out. He describes how important it is not to lead or quiz but ask open questions that further inquiry and communication.
There are excellent suggestions/ideas in this book that include
• Telling nature stories (parent and child telling) both personal, the written word, and of the Universe)
• Watching sunsets, having nature experiences with this child
• Journaling or recording nature with more modern means
• Importance of green and nature play spaces
• Following children’s leads in interests
Sampson mentions Anna Comstock my woman naturalist/educator hero.
How could a nature nut NOT geek out over all of that?
But then...
For a guy who obviously understands the nature of the universe he also falls into assumptions which fail to look at the world complexly, or acknowledge varying degrees of resources and flexibility.
For example, the author suggests that for connection to be made that DAILY free play time in nature is necessary.
What is that you say? You don’t have time with adult responsibilities to be out there with your kids every day? No worries! Mr. Sampson’s idea of free play is both unstructured AND unsupervised! Even for very young children!
In the introduction he blames technology, fear of stranger abduction, urbanization, and litigation for children’s lack of unstructured unsupervised time outdoors.
There ARE safety concerns outside abduction AND parents get reported to cps for ignoring them. Regardless of whether concerns are valid,
this is no longer societally acceptable.
On the flip side, many children in urban environments need MORE time with encouraging adults, not less.
It is entirely possible to have unstructured time that also includes supervision for safety’s sake. Perhaps Sampson understands this as he goes on to make many suggestions where adult supervision IS present.
Yet even so,
time outside for free play in natural spaces is not something that is attainable daily for most parents, or teachers for many reasons, most of which are out of their control.
A teacher cannot say, “Screw teaching to the test! I’m taking these kids outside!” and expect to keep getting a paycheck.
A working parent (especially lower income without M-F 9-5 hours) often doesn’t have the resources in terms of time, or energy.
Another issue, is that like kids in nature book authors before him, there is a casual linking of children’s mental disorders to too much time indoors. Of course ADHD gets mentioned without any real understanding of the nature of the disorder. I would suggest, as a scientist, he have a good look at those “studies” and consider their small sample sizes and lack of follow up. I also wish he would go out to his nature spot have a good think about the danger of this irresponsible linking in terms of stigmatizing kids who live with childhood disorders, and their caregivers.
As a child development grad, nature educator, and mom to six, I agree wholeheartedly that free play is where connection happens. Experiences and environment shape us. I also agree that technology can be a valuable tool to connecting with nature, in moderation. Sampson rightly asserts that we don’t have to know it all but we do need to MODEL a love for nature and inquisitiveness in finding out. He describes how important it is not to lead or quiz but ask open questions that further inquiry and communication.
There are excellent suggestions/ideas in this book that include
• Telling nature stories (parent and child telling) both personal, the written word, and of the Universe)
• Watching sunsets, having nature experiences with this child
• Journaling or recording nature with more modern means
• Importance of green and nature play spaces
• Following children’s leads in interests
Sampson mentions Anna Comstock my woman naturalist/educator hero.
How could a nature nut NOT geek out over all of that?
But then...
For a guy who obviously understands the nature of the universe he also falls into assumptions which fail to look at the world complexly, or acknowledge varying degrees of resources and flexibility.
For example, the author suggests that for connection to be made that DAILY free play time in nature is necessary.
What is that you say? You don’t have time with adult responsibilities to be out there with your kids every day? No worries! Mr. Sampson’s idea of free play is both unstructured AND unsupervised! Even for very young children!
In the introduction he blames technology, fear of stranger abduction, urbanization, and litigation for children’s lack of unstructured unsupervised time outdoors.
There ARE safety concerns outside abduction AND parents get reported to cps for ignoring them. Regardless of whether concerns are valid,
this is no longer societally acceptable.
On the flip side, many children in urban environments need MORE time with encouraging adults, not less.
It is entirely possible to have unstructured time that also includes supervision for safety’s sake. Perhaps Sampson understands this as he goes on to make many suggestions where adult supervision IS present.
Yet even so,
time outside for free play in natural spaces is not something that is attainable daily for most parents, or teachers for many reasons, most of which are out of their control.
A teacher cannot say, “Screw teaching to the test! I’m taking these kids outside!” and expect to keep getting a paycheck.
A working parent (especially lower income without M-F 9-5 hours) often doesn’t have the resources in terms of time, or energy.
Another issue, is that like kids in nature book authors before him, there is a casual linking of children’s mental disorders to too much time indoors. Of course ADHD gets mentioned without any real understanding of the nature of the disorder. I would suggest, as a scientist, he have a good look at those “studies” and consider their small sample sizes and lack of follow up. I also wish he would go out to his nature spot have a good think about the danger of this irresponsible linking in terms of stigmatizing kids who live with childhood disorders, and their caregivers.
June 29, 2017
So first a disclaimer: I did not actually read every page of this book. I read several chapters and skimmed others, but I feel as though I did read enough to write a fair review.
Part of my reason for disliking this book is my own fault. I focused much more on the first part of the title ("How to Raise a Wild Child") than on the second part ("The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature"). I was searching for a book with practical lessons about how to introduce my kid(s) to nature, with perhaps some background. This book was 95% background/science with a few tips and anecdotal stories sprinkled in.
I gave two stars: one for good writing (though dry, in my opinion, since I was hoping for a tutorial and instead got a science textbook) and one for the practical lessons and tips that WERE included. In particular, parts of the chapters that discuss nature by age were helpful.
But, I couldn't give any more stars. Partly because of what I've already explained (that the book was much more science and research-based than I was hoping for). Partly because, not only was the book all about science, it was written by someone who has a completely different view of our development of humans (i.e., evolution) and the creation of our world (i.e., old earth, big bang), than I do. And so many of the things he would say were predicated on those issues, and so it made it a bit difficult for me to connect. Let me be clear, I understand that many intelligent scientists hold those world views and their books are still worth reading. But since this book was SO focused on the science part, and since evolution, etc., were SO important to the author's arguments and discussions, it made it a very difficult book for me to use. That being said, I did read several chapters, but I just couldn't make myself continue. As a good friend recently said, if you actually WANT to do the dishes more than you want to pick a book up to read another chapter, it's not going to be a winner for you. :)
Part of my reason for disliking this book is my own fault. I focused much more on the first part of the title ("How to Raise a Wild Child") than on the second part ("The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature"). I was searching for a book with practical lessons about how to introduce my kid(s) to nature, with perhaps some background. This book was 95% background/science with a few tips and anecdotal stories sprinkled in.
I gave two stars: one for good writing (though dry, in my opinion, since I was hoping for a tutorial and instead got a science textbook) and one for the practical lessons and tips that WERE included. In particular, parts of the chapters that discuss nature by age were helpful.
But, I couldn't give any more stars. Partly because of what I've already explained (that the book was much more science and research-based than I was hoping for). Partly because, not only was the book all about science, it was written by someone who has a completely different view of our development of humans (i.e., evolution) and the creation of our world (i.e., old earth, big bang), than I do. And so many of the things he would say were predicated on those issues, and so it made it a bit difficult for me to connect. Let me be clear, I understand that many intelligent scientists hold those world views and their books are still worth reading. But since this book was SO focused on the science part, and since evolution, etc., were SO important to the author's arguments and discussions, it made it a very difficult book for me to use. That being said, I did read several chapters, but I just couldn't make myself continue. As a good friend recently said, if you actually WANT to do the dishes more than you want to pick a book up to read another chapter, it's not going to be a winner for you. :)
Want to read
April 23, 2015Dude, I entered the giveaway for this back in December. How did I not notice that he is a dinosaur paleontologist and vice president of research and collections for the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, as well as host of the PBS children’s series “Dinosaur Train”???
This is when I wish I loved closer to town. I'd never make it home and then back down here in time.
How to help kids fall in love with nature at the next 'Colorado Matters at the Tattered'
This is when I wish I loved closer to town. I'd never make it home and then back down here in time.
How to help kids fall in love with nature at the next 'Colorado Matters at the Tattered'
April 30, 2021
If your kids ever watched Dinosaur Train on PBS then they probably already met Dr. Scott. This book is often for sale in the Kindle store store and I highly recommend parents pick it up. Paleontologist Scott offers practical advice for providing a nature education for children of all ages in all locations based on lots of research and personal experience. My kid and I often do a “sit spot” during our nature walks and it’s been wonderful. The boy and I have both learned to exercise patience and listening skills. In addition, we’ve taken the time to ask questions when we see nature “clues” to guess what the local animals and plants are up to. Indeed my kid’s interest in nature is pretty fervent now. Every few months, he makes me help him clean up our local trail because he fully realizes the impact of litter on animals, plants, and the environment. Act locally, think globally seems innate to him. And I think this book has helped in shaping this nature steward.
March 20, 2015
I received an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review...and while the book hasn't been "offically released"(it comes out Monday, March 24th 2015), it appears as if my five-star review falls slightly above where other reviews have placed it.
That said, if you read the reviews the others share, there *are* a few reasons why it may not exactly be 5-stars for you. It's a bit redundant. The author's daughter is a tree-hugger. All I can say is: big deal.
I happened to have LOVED this book. "Dr. Scott the palentologist" from PBS KIDS's DINOSAUR TRAIN takes us on an unforgettable journey through the woods, stomping through marshy areas of ponds, and sitting alongside the flotsam and jetsam of the California coast. Sure, he loves nature and so does his daughter, Jade but what better person than a nature-lover to show us parents (and educators), how to roll up the sleeves and immerse oneself into the nature around our little corner of the world.
And that may be the challenge. In today's world, we're so connected that we're disconnected. Follow me? Because of all of our screen-time, we *think* we are staying connected to our jobs, our friends, our family, the things we care about, but in reality, we are alienating ourselves from nature.
One particular "sticking point" from HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD was this: Think about a special childhood place...smell it, feel it, hear the sounds, are you alone--or with someone? Got your place...okay, now were you inside or outside?
Most baby-boomers will indicate an outdoor location. Those born in the late 1960s and 1970s, might as well. Maybe they have both, an indoor and and outdoor location of childhood specialness. If that's the case--great. Dr. Scott goes on to say that children born after this time period *may* not associate their happy childhood place as an outdoor location. The result: they may look back on their childhood years as being happy in front of screen.
Yikes!
HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD delves into ways to bring technology and nature together. Love photography? Gotta a kiddo who does? Why not take nature-inspired photos and make a slide show? Greeting cards? Magnets? Give them as gifts. Other ideas: grow a garden, join a co-op, develop a nature club, etc. There are *countless* suggestions in this book to inspire, educate, and promote being one with nature.
Dr. Scott also brings much educational research to the table, indicating that time in nature actually bolsters performance in the classroom, and why. The educator in mean loves that, the mom in me appreciates it, and the writer in me has made me want to get out of my comfort zone (behind the laptop) and get out in nature.
I think it will you, too.
That said, if you read the reviews the others share, there *are* a few reasons why it may not exactly be 5-stars for you. It's a bit redundant. The author's daughter is a tree-hugger. All I can say is: big deal.
I happened to have LOVED this book. "Dr. Scott the palentologist" from PBS KIDS's DINOSAUR TRAIN takes us on an unforgettable journey through the woods, stomping through marshy areas of ponds, and sitting alongside the flotsam and jetsam of the California coast. Sure, he loves nature and so does his daughter, Jade but what better person than a nature-lover to show us parents (and educators), how to roll up the sleeves and immerse oneself into the nature around our little corner of the world.
And that may be the challenge. In today's world, we're so connected that we're disconnected. Follow me? Because of all of our screen-time, we *think* we are staying connected to our jobs, our friends, our family, the things we care about, but in reality, we are alienating ourselves from nature.
One particular "sticking point" from HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD was this: Think about a special childhood place...smell it, feel it, hear the sounds, are you alone--or with someone? Got your place...okay, now were you inside or outside?
Most baby-boomers will indicate an outdoor location. Those born in the late 1960s and 1970s, might as well. Maybe they have both, an indoor and and outdoor location of childhood specialness. If that's the case--great. Dr. Scott goes on to say that children born after this time period *may* not associate their happy childhood place as an outdoor location. The result: they may look back on their childhood years as being happy in front of screen.
Yikes!
HOW TO RAISE A WILD CHILD delves into ways to bring technology and nature together. Love photography? Gotta a kiddo who does? Why not take nature-inspired photos and make a slide show? Greeting cards? Magnets? Give them as gifts. Other ideas: grow a garden, join a co-op, develop a nature club, etc. There are *countless* suggestions in this book to inspire, educate, and promote being one with nature.
Dr. Scott also brings much educational research to the table, indicating that time in nature actually bolsters performance in the classroom, and why. The educator in mean loves that, the mom in me appreciates it, and the writer in me has made me want to get out of my comfort zone (behind the laptop) and get out in nature.
I think it will you, too.
October 22, 2024
Kaip užauginti gamtos vaiką. Knyga kuri įteigia idėją, jog ją perskaičius žinosim kaip užauginti tikrų tikriausią gamtos vaiką. Tai nei psichologinė, nei socialinė, nei kažkokia patarimų knyga, o turbūt viso to kratinys. Nes tikrai čia galima rasti visko po truputį. Tiek faktų, tiek nuomonių, tiek patarimų.
Tad kokie pastebėjimai šiai knygai?
Knygos minusai:
Visų pirma, ji labiausiai pritaikyta Amerikos rinkai, gamta, įstatymai, organizacijos, veiklos aptariamos būtent amerikietiškos. Žinant kultūrų skirtumus, tikrai ne viskas atrodys naudinga ar išvis duos tos apčiuopiamos naudos.
Pantrinant, praktinių patarimų ir idėjų čia viena kita
- nėra kažkokių daug veiklų su skirtingo amžiaus vaikais ar etapais. O ir skaitant tuos kelis patarimus, kai kuriom vietom atrodo tas pats per tą patį - sviestas sviestuotas arba koks copy-paste.
Per visą knygą tikrai daug asmeninių patirčių, nuomonių, įsimaišo ir politinės, socialinės pažiūros. Vietomis tam duodama tiek erdvės ir puslapių skaičiaus, jog pradeda atrodyt kad daugiau nei pusė skyriaus tam ir skirta.
Pliusai:
Ganėtinai daug cituojamos, pateikiamos literatūros, kiti autoriai ir jų mintys, tad gaunasi geras šaltinis, kitoms knygomos ar autoriams paieškoti, jeigu yra tam noro.
Iškelta daug įdomių minčių ir idėjų pamąstymui. Priverčia stabtelti. Susimąstyti. Gal net paieškoti tam tikrų atsakymų.
Kai kurie ptarimai tikrai pravers tiek nežinantiems nuo ko pradėti, tiek pripratusiems keliauti. Realiai tiems kas ir taip nemažai jau darbo įdėjo gali būt tiesiog kaip parama, jog su tokiu mąstymu ir polekiu nesi vienas, kas irgi pliusas.
Visumoje, galėjo realiai būt trumpesnė knyga, ypač kas liečia praktinius patarimus, idėjas ir teorijas apie gamtos pažinimo sužadinimą gamtai, knyga užsitęsus, nes autorius daug kalba apie asmeninę patirtį, prisiminimus, savo nuomonę į gyvenimą.
Visai rekomenduočiau, bet tik nusileidus kertelę, ko tikėtis iš šios knygos. 💜👌🏼
Tad kokie pastebėjimai šiai knygai?
Knygos minusai:
Visų pirma, ji labiausiai pritaikyta Amerikos rinkai, gamta, įstatymai, organizacijos, veiklos aptariamos būtent amerikietiškos. Žinant kultūrų skirtumus, tikrai ne viskas atrodys naudinga ar išvis duos tos apčiuopiamos naudos.
Pantrinant, praktinių patarimų ir idėjų čia viena kita
- nėra kažkokių daug veiklų su skirtingo amžiaus vaikais ar etapais. O ir skaitant tuos kelis patarimus, kai kuriom vietom atrodo tas pats per tą patį - sviestas sviestuotas arba koks copy-paste.
Per visą knygą tikrai daug asmeninių patirčių, nuomonių, įsimaišo ir politinės, socialinės pažiūros. Vietomis tam duodama tiek erdvės ir puslapių skaičiaus, jog pradeda atrodyt kad daugiau nei pusė skyriaus tam ir skirta.
Pliusai:
Ganėtinai daug cituojamos, pateikiamos literatūros, kiti autoriai ir jų mintys, tad gaunasi geras šaltinis, kitoms knygomos ar autoriams paieškoti, jeigu yra tam noro.
Iškelta daug įdomių minčių ir idėjų pamąstymui. Priverčia stabtelti. Susimąstyti. Gal net paieškoti tam tikrų atsakymų.
Kai kurie ptarimai tikrai pravers tiek nežinantiems nuo ko pradėti, tiek pripratusiems keliauti. Realiai tiems kas ir taip nemažai jau darbo įdėjo gali būt tiesiog kaip parama, jog su tokiu mąstymu ir polekiu nesi vienas, kas irgi pliusas.
Visumoje, galėjo realiai būt trumpesnė knyga, ypač kas liečia praktinius patarimus, idėjas ir teorijas apie gamtos pažinimo sužadinimą gamtai, knyga užsitęsus, nes autorius daug kalba apie asmeninę patirtį, prisiminimus, savo nuomonę į gyvenimą.
Visai rekomenduočiau, bet tik nusileidus kertelę, ko tikėtis iš šios knygos. 💜👌🏼
September 18, 2020
Soooo...yeah. This just wasn't what I wanted it to be, I guess. It's SO much background info and reasons for why you want you kids to spend time in and love nature, but I already knew almost all of this stuff, so it felt really tedious. I wanted waaaaay more of the "How to..." and way less of the justifications for it.
I picked this up because my then 6-month-old son accidentally rolled into the grass on the patio and had a complete melt-down about it and then I of course freaked out and was like, "Oh no! My kid hates grass! What do I do?" Okay, it wasn't really that extreme (he definitely did panic, but sometimes he panics when someone coughs, so). But it did make me think about the fact that I love being outside, I love animals, I love astronomy and weather and camping and plants and the ocean...and I want him to love those things too, and to care about protecting the natural world.
I guess I really wanted something that tells you how to introduce your child to nature at an early age. What kind of activities do I do with a now 7-month-old to get him interested in the world around him? This book does cover getting kids out into nature at different ages, but mainly starting at like, 5 or 6, I think. I personally feel like it's probably good to start earlier, but I don't 100% know how, other than spending a lot of time outside, putting him in the grass on a blanket in a patch where there is no dog poo (hard to find) and letting him explore that way, and bringing his bathtub outside for water play. There might be bits and pieces like that in this book, but there's just SO. MUCH. INFORMATION to wade through.
I think it also sort of annoyed me how it's so many personal examples. Like, look at me, here's how I did it and my kid's amazing! Aren't I the perfect dad and coyote mentor? It just felt off-putting to me. Parenting books are irritating!
I guess I can see this book working for someone who doesn't really know much about why nature is important, only...are those the people who are picking up a book called How to Raise a Wild Child? I'm not convinced.
I picked this up because my then 6-month-old son accidentally rolled into the grass on the patio and had a complete melt-down about it and then I of course freaked out and was like, "Oh no! My kid hates grass! What do I do?" Okay, it wasn't really that extreme (he definitely did panic, but sometimes he panics when someone coughs, so). But it did make me think about the fact that I love being outside, I love animals, I love astronomy and weather and camping and plants and the ocean...and I want him to love those things too, and to care about protecting the natural world.
I guess I really wanted something that tells you how to introduce your child to nature at an early age. What kind of activities do I do with a now 7-month-old to get him interested in the world around him? This book does cover getting kids out into nature at different ages, but mainly starting at like, 5 or 6, I think. I personally feel like it's probably good to start earlier, but I don't 100% know how, other than spending a lot of time outside, putting him in the grass on a blanket in a patch where there is no dog poo (hard to find) and letting him explore that way, and bringing his bathtub outside for water play. There might be bits and pieces like that in this book, but there's just SO. MUCH. INFORMATION to wade through.
I think it also sort of annoyed me how it's so many personal examples. Like, look at me, here's how I did it and my kid's amazing! Aren't I the perfect dad and coyote mentor? It just felt off-putting to me. Parenting books are irritating!
I guess I can see this book working for someone who doesn't really know much about why nature is important, only...are those the people who are picking up a book called How to Raise a Wild Child? I'm not convinced.
August 13, 2017
The first half of this book was awesome! So much great insight into the importance of nature and how to raise a generation of kids who love and respect it. I agree that we need to better understand and have a connection to nature if it has a hope of survival in the future. I especially appreciated the tidbits about mentoring, as I think that is really best way to teach children.
BUT, you can stop reading at page 145. The last two sections are pretty much useless and a repeat of what has already been said. Part III breaks down ways to teach children of different age groups, which is a good idea, but I feel it was actually well covered in the first half of the book, and there was no need to break it down like that. Section IV confused me. Why? It just dragged on.
But I will stop complaining about it because the first half was so inspiring. I have quite a few quotes I will keep. And I will still recommend this book, with the caution as stated above.
Oh, yes! And the other caution. The author is a scientist who believes in the Big Bang Theory and that humans evolved from monkeys. The evolution thing comes up twice and is quick. There is heavy emphasis on the rest of evolution, which I think is real and fits with a Christian view of creationism. I also don't think his view that we evolved from monkeys takes anything away from what he is saying. The Big Bang Theory is discussed at length, but again, not a distraction and not completely at odds with creationism. Just a heads up for anyone interested in those things.
BUT, you can stop reading at page 145. The last two sections are pretty much useless and a repeat of what has already been said. Part III breaks down ways to teach children of different age groups, which is a good idea, but I feel it was actually well covered in the first half of the book, and there was no need to break it down like that. Section IV confused me. Why? It just dragged on.
But I will stop complaining about it because the first half was so inspiring. I have quite a few quotes I will keep. And I will still recommend this book, with the caution as stated above.
Oh, yes! And the other caution. The author is a scientist who believes in the Big Bang Theory and that humans evolved from monkeys. The evolution thing comes up twice and is quick. There is heavy emphasis on the rest of evolution, which I think is real and fits with a Christian view of creationism. I also don't think his view that we evolved from monkeys takes anything away from what he is saying. The Big Bang Theory is discussed at length, but again, not a distraction and not completely at odds with creationism. Just a heads up for anyone interested in those things.
September 23, 2015
It all started when our daughter wouldn't stand on grass.
I - an urban, indoor kid - married an outdoorsy man who has fond memories of all kinds of outdoorsy things I'd only read about in books. We both really want to give our daughter a childhood that looks more like his, but I noticed that over the summer we tended to gravitate more toward things from my childhood - mom & me classes, errands, and air conditioning. I turned to this book hoping to find a way to bridge that gap.
The writing was a bit more verbose than I expected and went in tangents that made me set it down for long stretches. But I appreciated the underlying message - be a nature mentor, give your child space to explore while serving as a guide, learn to hummingbird parent. Some parts are so overwhelming in their earnestness - place based learning, rewilding - but a lot of it spoke to me not only as a parent but an educator.
I wish wholeheartedly to be more like the person he describes in this book (that I read, largely, indoors). For us, this meant incorporating more nature walks as a start - we did one as a family and it was really fun! I've also started to point out more things as we walk to our car. There's a family of hawks that lives in our apartment complex and we stopped to listen/watch them yesterday morning. We pause to watch the early fall wind blow through the trees. Small steps for all involved.
I - an urban, indoor kid - married an outdoorsy man who has fond memories of all kinds of outdoorsy things I'd only read about in books. We both really want to give our daughter a childhood that looks more like his, but I noticed that over the summer we tended to gravitate more toward things from my childhood - mom & me classes, errands, and air conditioning. I turned to this book hoping to find a way to bridge that gap.
The writing was a bit more verbose than I expected and went in tangents that made me set it down for long stretches. But I appreciated the underlying message - be a nature mentor, give your child space to explore while serving as a guide, learn to hummingbird parent. Some parts are so overwhelming in their earnestness - place based learning, rewilding - but a lot of it spoke to me not only as a parent but an educator.
I wish wholeheartedly to be more like the person he describes in this book (that I read, largely, indoors). For us, this meant incorporating more nature walks as a start - we did one as a family and it was really fun! I've also started to point out more things as we walk to our car. There's a family of hawks that lives in our apartment complex and we stopped to listen/watch them yesterday morning. We pause to watch the early fall wind blow through the trees. Small steps for all involved.
September 7, 2018
What a wonderful book--and wonderfully written, too. I have had this topic in mind for a long time for my own kiddo, and this book enhanced and deepened my understanding of both why, and HOW, to "re-wild" our children in general, and help them develop a love for wild nature in all its forms--the galaxy, the planet, wild places, close-by places, our backyard. At about the half-way mark, I also realized that the advice given were in many ways ideas for me to reconnect with nature and wildness myself.
The tips given for various age levels are excellent; I will want to return to this book at least two more times, when my kid is in middle school, and then again in high school.
The tips given for various age levels are excellent; I will want to return to this book at least two more times, when my kid is in middle school, and then again in high school.
January 10, 2019
This book had great potential. Sadly, it just repeated the same message in different ways. I gave up 3/4 of the way through. There are only so many ways that you can say “take your kids outside and encourage their natural curiousity.”
If I had a take away other than “just go outside” it would be this:
You do not have to be a nature expert to instill a love of nature in your children. Being curious with them is half the fun.
That’s about all I have to say about this book. Shall I do what the author did a repeat myself a dozen times? 😉🤪
If I had a take away other than “just go outside” it would be this:
You do not have to be a nature expert to instill a love of nature in your children. Being curious with them is half the fun.
That’s about all I have to say about this book. Shall I do what the author did a repeat myself a dozen times? 😉🤪
October 7, 2019
5 moons for a book that speaks to one of my greatest passions. It has a lot of good suggestions for folks trying to make wild places a part of their family culture. I was reading this when I was diagnosed with cancer, so more than anything: it served as an assurance that I have done some good in my life thus far. (A comforting thought in a trying time.) Even though we have already incorporated many of these tactics in our family, I was still able to find new ideas we could use to get deeper into nature. I also walked away with a substantial list of books to read, which sound yummy. 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙
March 14, 2019
It's hard for me to give stars for most nonfiction books because I usually have to slog through them, but this one was pretty good--I'd give it somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. While I didn't agree with everything Sampson had to say about raising a wild child (I am more traditional in how I approach education), I thought he did a great job of providing examples of ways to get kids out and about if you aren't necessarily a nature lover yourself, and also of discussing how to embrace technology and nature, two fields that are often pitted against each other. Worth a read!
June 24, 2023
This book had so many great nuggets of knowledge and advice for raising kids to love nature however the author said the same thing over and over again. The book could have been cut in half easily and still gotten the point across.
October 20, 2019
Kitabın yazarı Scott D. Sampson bir paleontolog olarak doğa kendi doğa sevgisini ve kızında uyguladığı doğa sevgisini artırıcı etkinlikleri anlatmış.
Kitapta en ilginç bulduğum kısım şu oldu; "Atlantic dergisinde yakın zamanlarda çıkmış Aşırı Korunan Çocuk başlıklı bir makalede Hanna Rosin çağımızın büyük parodokslarından birini tarif eder. Ebeveynler olarak pekçoğumuz çift gelirli aileler olarak ve daha uzun çalışma saatlerinin olağan hale gelmesiyle hiç olmadığımız kadar meşgulüz. Buna rağmen anneler ve babalar çocuklarıyla daha önce hiç geçirmedikleri kadar çok vakit geçiriyorlar."
Bunun nasıl olduğunun cevabı ise son derece açık aslında, çocuklar artık hiç dışarıda vakit geçirmiyor, tüm günlerini okul-ev arasında yaşıyorlar.
Aile Doğa Kulüplerinden bahsetmiş yazar. İnternet aramalarımda Türkiye'de benzer bir kulüp bulamadım malesef. Ancak parkuru hafif doğa kulüplerine ailece katılımlar sağlanabilir düşüncesindeyim.
Bunun dışında çalıştığım ilçede "Orman Okulu" adında bir anaokulu bulunmakta. Çocukların doğayı tanımalarına ve keşfetmelerine fırsat vermek için iyi bir alternatif oluşturmakta. Her yaş kademesi için benzer okullar yapılsa keşke.
Wikipedia'nın kaynak olarak gösterilmesi ise kitaptaki bilgilerin doğruluğu için şüphe oluşturuyor.
Kitapta en ilginç bulduğum kısım şu oldu; "Atlantic dergisinde yakın zamanlarda çıkmış Aşırı Korunan Çocuk başlıklı bir makalede Hanna Rosin çağımızın büyük parodokslarından birini tarif eder. Ebeveynler olarak pekçoğumuz çift gelirli aileler olarak ve daha uzun çalışma saatlerinin olağan hale gelmesiyle hiç olmadığımız kadar meşgulüz. Buna rağmen anneler ve babalar çocuklarıyla daha önce hiç geçirmedikleri kadar çok vakit geçiriyorlar."
Bunun nasıl olduğunun cevabı ise son derece açık aslında, çocuklar artık hiç dışarıda vakit geçirmiyor, tüm günlerini okul-ev arasında yaşıyorlar.
Aile Doğa Kulüplerinden bahsetmiş yazar. İnternet aramalarımda Türkiye'de benzer bir kulüp bulamadım malesef. Ancak parkuru hafif doğa kulüplerine ailece katılımlar sağlanabilir düşüncesindeyim.
Bunun dışında çalıştığım ilçede "Orman Okulu" adında bir anaokulu bulunmakta. Çocukların doğayı tanımalarına ve keşfetmelerine fırsat vermek için iyi bir alternatif oluşturmakta. Her yaş kademesi için benzer okullar yapılsa keşke.
Wikipedia'nın kaynak olarak gösterilmesi ise kitaptaki bilgilerin doğruluğu için şüphe oluşturuyor.
January 29, 2020
We are big fans of Dr. Scott and Dinosaur Train in our house, so I was very excited to find that Dr. Scott wrote a book. This book inspired me to put a greater emphasis on outdoor play for my children. It also helped me realize how some of my biggest interests (gardening and native plants) can be used to my children's advantage. While some of the suggestions for incorporating nature into your life were too involved for me, he had plenty of simple suggestions that I feel I can implement. I'm excited to get outside with my kids, get into nature, and make our own discoveries 😊
May 1, 2018
I’m sure this book would be great for someone who lives in the city, but we have always implemented a way more rigorous nature connection with our kids than this book even touches on. So this is good for those who are nature-clueless but very basic and vanilla for people who are already into nature and an outdoor lifestyle.
April 21, 2017
There were parts that I really enjoyed, but I think the book would have been better if it were about 1/3 as long.
April 30, 2021
4.5
This might be my favorite parenting book so far!
It's major flaw is a lack of clear organization, leading it to be repetitive at times and quite a bit longer than it probably needed to be.
The title might also be slightly deceiving... overall this book talks about how to encourage a love of nature in children and why it's important for our physical, mental and emotional health as well as the future of our planet. But this book is probably 70% or more 'why' and only 30% 'how'—which is not what I expected given the title.
There are a lot of good 'how to' nuggets though. And many of them overlapped with other important ideas I've been learning about/practicing lately, such as mindfulness and how to love where you live. (Although that's probably what drew me to this book in the first place, right?)
I also really loved learning about Sampson's vision of the future, in which we bring nature back to urban areas as a way to combat climate change and species extinction. It sounds very idyllic.
As a side note, I really appreciated the inclusivity of this book. The author very often (always?) used, 'she' when referring to the generic child instead of the often standard 'he'. Which makes a difference in my opinion.
Would recommend from even a non-parenting perspective.
This might be my favorite parenting book so far!
It's major flaw is a lack of clear organization, leading it to be repetitive at times and quite a bit longer than it probably needed to be.
The title might also be slightly deceiving... overall this book talks about how to encourage a love of nature in children and why it's important for our physical, mental and emotional health as well as the future of our planet. But this book is probably 70% or more 'why' and only 30% 'how'—which is not what I expected given the title.
There are a lot of good 'how to' nuggets though. And many of them overlapped with other important ideas I've been learning about/practicing lately, such as mindfulness and how to love where you live. (Although that's probably what drew me to this book in the first place, right?)
I also really loved learning about Sampson's vision of the future, in which we bring nature back to urban areas as a way to combat climate change and species extinction. It sounds very idyllic.
As a side note, I really appreciated the inclusivity of this book. The author very often (always?) used, 'she' when referring to the generic child instead of the often standard 'he'. Which makes a difference in my opinion.
Would recommend from even a non-parenting perspective.
August 2, 2025
You know the nerdy paleontologist guy who pipes up at the end of every PBS Dinosaur Train episode?? He’s the guy who wrote this book and he’s super smart. This book was written in 2015 and felt ahead of its time. I listened to the author read it. Lots of overlap with Richard Louv and Jon Young’s work.
It centers on how to become “a nature mentor” but holds oodles of science and history. I drew a lot from this. I especially enjoyed the chapters that were broken up into early childhood (0-5), middle childhood (6-12), and adolescence (13-18).
The chapter on the importance of oral story telling was fascinating but it leans heavily on bringing special attention to the stories of evolution and the Big Bang theory. That may be off-putting to some.
The ending seemed to veer off course a bit to me then came with some heavy compensation where he goes from advocating green architecture in cities and then creates a gushy fictional scenario where a girl named Mariana Ferguson gives an acceptance speech for some hypothetical nature advocate award. Didn’t flow great for me.
3.5 stars rounded up because there’s still so much good info here valuable to caregivers and educators.
It centers on how to become “a nature mentor” but holds oodles of science and history. I drew a lot from this. I especially enjoyed the chapters that were broken up into early childhood (0-5), middle childhood (6-12), and adolescence (13-18).
The chapter on the importance of oral story telling was fascinating but it leans heavily on bringing special attention to the stories of evolution and the Big Bang theory. That may be off-putting to some.
The ending seemed to veer off course a bit to me then came with some heavy compensation where he goes from advocating green architecture in cities and then creates a gushy fictional scenario where a girl named Mariana Ferguson gives an acceptance speech for some hypothetical nature advocate award. Didn’t flow great for me.
3.5 stars rounded up because there’s still so much good info here valuable to caregivers and educators.
March 22, 2019
Apibendrinant galiu tik pasakyti, jog labai įdomi knygą! Keliauja tiesiai ant mano darbo stalo, kur jau stovi kelios nuolat vartomos ir skaitomos dar ir dar kartą. Pilna ne tik gausios informacijos apie vaikų supažindinimą su gamta, bet ir daugybė įdomių faktų, bei tyrimų ne tik tokių kurie siejasi su gamta, bet ir su pačių vaikų vystymusi, mąstymu, augimu ir pasaulio suvokimu.
Žodžiu, tikrai verta dėmesio ir man LABAI patiko. Verčianti pamąstyti apie tai kokią ateitį mes ruošiamės palikti savo vaikams ir kaip padėti jiems suprasti, kad jų valioje daug ką pakeisti ir pasirūpinti gamta. Ir, žinoma, pradėti tai daryti būtent nuo savęs (tėvų).
Visa apžvalga --> www.knygugurmane.com
Žodžiu, tikrai verta dėmesio ir man LABAI patiko. Verčianti pamąstyti apie tai kokią ateitį mes ruošiamės palikti savo vaikams ir kaip padėti jiems suprasti, kad jų valioje daug ką pakeisti ir pasirūpinti gamta. Ir, žinoma, pradėti tai daryti būtent nuo savęs (tėvų).
Visa apžvalga --> www.knygugurmane.com
November 12, 2021
I have recently started an Outdoor Club at the Elementary School I work at. I thought this book would be a good reference to use when creating some of the curricula. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself engaged throughout the entire book. I took notes, highlighted sections and tried a few of the activities Sampson mentions. The most successful activity was "Sit Spots". To be honest the success of the sit spots blew me away. I had 20 kids engaged and actively writing over the course of an hour. I gave the kids different prompts to use over the course of a few sit spots. Almost all 20 of the kids were engaged for the full hour I had them outside.
April 5, 2023
3.5
I’m trying to read nature related books consistently in order to remind myself of the importance to continually get out with three children in tow! I felt like this one had a good balance of personal stories from the author with research and key points to take away from each chapter. I did skip two chapters as it dealt with navigating the challenges with older kiddos, I didn’t quite relate to all the evolution referencing, and I skimmed the end a bit but overall I found the first half of the book very helpful and encouraging.
I’m trying to read nature related books consistently in order to remind myself of the importance to continually get out with three children in tow! I felt like this one had a good balance of personal stories from the author with research and key points to take away from each chapter. I did skip two chapters as it dealt with navigating the challenges with older kiddos, I didn’t quite relate to all the evolution referencing, and I skimmed the end a bit but overall I found the first half of the book very helpful and encouraging.
May 2, 2021
Go outside! Take your daughter, son, grandchild, nephew, niece and/or companion with you. This wasn’t necessarily a remarkable read but the information and suggestions are great. This is almost a parenting book with child development education all oriented toward protecting and restoring the environment. It could have been more concise but definitely something we all need to consider and apply daily to make the world a better place on so many levels.
July 28, 2018
I have read a number of books about the importants of raising children with a connection to the natural word. This one is probably the best. Dr Scott (known to many parents and children from PBS’ Dinosaur Train) lays out the problems, gives actionable solutions then gives you reference if you want to do more reading on any particular idea. Well done.
August 12, 2018
Solid research, a good basic introduction to understand the importance of he natural world, ways to get kids interested, and the research explaining nature deficit disorder. I particularly liked the focus on attending, related to tv and screens. All children can attend, but engaging is more difficult now.
February 7, 2021
I feel so inspired to play with my son outside at all times of year because of this book! This was a great mixture of science, research, and practical ideas for getting kids to love nature. The phases of childhood chapters were my favorite by far.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews