Angela J. Hanscom - Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children

Balanced and Barefoot offers new ways to see, solve, and prevent the reactive behaviors and emotions that cause kids to struggle and parents to worry. Full of practical ways to give kids the kinds of experiences that will help them thrive, this book is a must-read for parents and teachers alike.

Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline

Angela Hanscom explainsbeautifully and convincinglywhy unrestricted outdoor play is essential to childrens healthy sensory, motor, social, and intellectual development, and she shows how we can enable such play in todays world. I recommend this book highly to all parents, educators, and pediatric health professionals, and to anyone involved in making decisions that affect childrens lives.

Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College, and author of Free to Learn

In Balanced and Barefoot, Angela Hanscom gives adults permission to release the reigns without fear. Her expertise as an occupational therapist affirms what so many of us know intuitively: children thrive when they have access to rich, self-directed play opportunities.

Erin Davis, director of The Land: An Adventure Play Documentary

Here I am, the Free-Range Lady, and I, too, was often shocked and saddened to see my kids (and others) not know how to organize their own games outside with their friends. This is the book I needed when they were younger!

Lenore Skenazy, founder of the book, blog, and movement, Free-Range Kids

I am a fan and proponent of Angela Hanscoms nature-based philosophy. Her new book is an eye-opener as she presents from experience, observation, and scientific research not only the benefits of physical activity and free play for children, but also the mental and emotional necessity. In a culture that markets devices that restrict infant movement, endorses early education for toddlers, and over-schedules structured activities for children of all ages, Hanscoms book is both illuminating and timely. Eloquent, logical, and reasoned, Balanced and Barefoot is a gift and an important read for educators, caregivers, and parents.

Janet Lansbury, author of Elevating Child Care and No Bad Kids

Exposure to nature in early childhood provides a wide range of sensory and psychological advantages for child development. Stimulation of all senses improves physical and mental balance. Natural, free playas proposed by Angela Hanscomis essential for nurturing stronger and healthier bodies and minds. I recommend this important book to all parents and teachers, because we need to have the TimberNook experience everywhere.

John M. Tew, Jr., MD, professor of neurosurgery, surgery, and radiology at the University of Cincinnati, and executive director of community affairs at UC Health and UC College of Medicine

Balanced and Barefoot offers a refreshingly straightforward approach that counters the pressures many well-intentioned parents feel in raising children today. Its about backing off and giving children the space to do what they naturally doto explore and figure out the world, to make decisions, and use their imagination. Being outdoors allows children to learn about themselves, gain confidence and flexibility, learn to problem solve, and get along with others. These are all traits they need for healthy development. I recommend this book for every parent looking to raise an independent, caring, resilient and confident child.

Tovah P. Klein, PhD, director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, and author of How Toddlers Thrive

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2016 by Angela J. Hanscom

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Debbie Berne; Cover photo and author photo by Millissa Gass at MadLivn Design and Photography; Acquired by Melissa Kirk; Edited by James Lainsbury; Indexed by James Minkin

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hanscom, Angela J., author.

Title: Balanced and barefoot : how unrestricted outdoor play makes for strong, confident, and capable children / Angela J. Hanscom ; foreword by Richard Louv.

Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015047849 (print) | LCCN 2016005040 (ebook) | ISBN 9781626253735 (paperback) | ISBN 9781626253742 (pdf e-book) | ISBN 9781626253759 (epub) | ISBN 9781626253742 (PDF e-book) | ISBN 9781626253759 (ePub)

Subjects: LCSH: Play. | Outdoor recreation. | Nature. | Child development. | BISAC: FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / General. | NATURE / General. | SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Neuroscience. | FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Children with Special Needs. | MEDICAL / Allied Health Services / Occupational Therapy.

Classification: LCC HQ782 .H346 2016 (print) | LCC HQ782 (ebook) | DDC 306.4/81--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015047849

This book is dedicated to Joelle, Charlotte, and Noah Hanscom.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, The Nature Principle, and Vitamin N

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

1 Why Cant My Child Sit Still? 7

2 The Body and the Senses 31

3 From Restricted Movement to Active Free Play 61

4 The Therapeutic Value of Outdoor Play 89

5 Safety First Equals Child Development Later 113

6 Whats Wrong with the Playgrounds and Indoor Play Spaces of Today? 133

7 Rethinking Recess and the Classroom 153

8 When Is My Baby Ready for the Outdoors? 175

9 Getting Children to Play Creatively and Independently Outdoors 197

Acknowledgments 217

Recommended Reading 219

References 221

Index 235

I n recent years, a new nature movement has emerged that includes traditional conservation and sustainability, but gives special attention to the right of every child to the benefits that nature brings to childrens physical and mental health and their ability to learn and create. This movement is based on a growing body of scientific evidencemost of it correlative, because research in this arena is relatively new (and overdue), but it all points in the same direction.

As a result, families are joining other families to get their kids outdoors. Regional campaigns have emerged in cities and states in North America and overseas, and many of the nations mayors are taking action. In education, teachers are creating school gardens and championing nature-based approaches. Mental health professionals are weaving nature into their practices. Within the health care community, a growing number of pediatricians have begun to prescribe nature time to the families they serve.

In Balanced and Barefoot, Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist, makes a passionate case that nature play is necessary for a truly balanced childhood. Correctly, she does not claim that nature play is a panacea, or necessarily a replacement for other therapies, but that it can be a strong component in prevention and therapy. And for some children, it can make all the difference. As Angela eloquently illustrates, too many of todays children miss out on the full sensory richness offered beyond the walls of a classroom or home. Manageable risk and independent, imaginative play are essential not only to physical health but to the development of self-directed young minds.