Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/wonder----nacc-newsletter/5021688/
The Solace of a Quiet PlaceThis edition of Wonder explores one Universal Principle for Connecting the
World’s Children with Nature:
We believe it is important for educators to provide children with opportunities for silence and contemplation in natural settings.
(Find the complete list of principles in the Environmental Action Kit at worldforumfoundation.org/nature.)
Have you ever noticed the way some children intuitively seem to know what they need and can seek and find a place that soothes their senses, settles their emotions, opens space within to think and dream? How about other children who seem to be at odds somehow with the flow of activity, interactions, or even themselves within their own skin? We know that nature-filled outdoor spaces where children have regular and meaningful experiences interacting with the environment can be just what every one of these children need.
In his children’s book, A Quiet Place, author Douglas Wood (2005) writes,
“Sometimes a person needs a quiet place. A place to rest your ears from bells ringing and whistles shrieking and grown-ups talking and engines roaring and horns blaring and grown-ups talking and radios playing and grown-ups. . . . Well, even grown-ups need a quiet place sometimes. But it can be hard to find ...