Suggested
Reading
We know you are busy!
None of this is required, nor is the “recommendation” meant to add to anyone’s pile of shoulds, but here are a few titles we love that share some of the research and thinking behind the importance of outdoor education.
Links to purchase on Amazon are included, though we, of course, encourage buying local whenever possible.
(We don’t benefit at all from these purchases either; we just believe in the content of the books.)
All titles listed here are also available to be borrowed for a month at at time; just ask!
Last Child in the Woods
Richard Louv coined the term “nature-deficit disorder,” asserting that a host of issues in today’s youth can be directly linked to too little unstructured time in nature. Louv offers actionable, simple solutions to this epidemic in this easy-to-read book.
Nature and the Human Soul
Bill Plotkin posits that real maturation and wholeness, both in the microcosm and as a greater community, lies in the completing of a “wheel” of human evolution— one fundamental element of which is ample time in nature as a young child.
Beyond Ecophobia
In this quick read, Sobel articulates how traditional environmental education falls short— often resulting in children, who are either apathetic to nature or afraid of it. He seeks to help lay the foundation for children to understand and be willing to save nature, by first loving it.
A Thousand Mornings
Our namesake!
In this collection, Oliver wanders in words through the coastline of Massachusetts. She captures the true meaning of devotion through her moments of wonder, witnessing the ebbs of the natural world.
Balanced and Barefoot
Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist, discusses the many benefits outdoor play has on children’s fine and gross motor skill and sensory development. She encourages parents to get kids outdoors and skip over-structured schedules in favor of true free play.
How To Raise A Wild Child
Sampson offers caregivers meaningful ways to help children connect to nature that might be as close as our own backyards, heralding the many ways in which a relationship with the outdoor world contributes to the healthy development of young people.