Why aren’t children connecting to nature? http://www.nwf.org/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There.aspx Why should children connect with nature? Quotes http://www.childrennatureandyou.org/quotes.html   Join an online challenge or group Seasonal photo challenges http://www.goexplorenature.com/2012/12/2013-winter-nature-photo-scavenger-hunt.html Weekly topic challenges http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/  Outdoor family communities http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/naturalfamilies/   State Programs DNR—Get Up and Go Outside http://www.in.gov/dnr/kids/5991.htm DNR Kids Page http://www.in.gov/dnr/kids/5991.htm Hoosier Outdoor Child Indiana Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights Patch Programs—challenge, encouragement http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2418.htm   National Programs National Parks—build them into vacations http://www.nps.gov/index.htm NP Webrangers http://www.nps.gov/webrangers/ NP Junior Ranger Programs http://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.cfm No Child Left Inside http://www.eenc.org/index.php/in-the-news/no-child-left-inside   Websites http://www.childrenandnature.org/ http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/ Outdoor study challenges www.goexplorenature.com   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Loose Parts Nature Play

Connecting Our Children with Nature

Exchange Article Link:  https://bit.ly/260-Gull-Rosengarten-Goldstein   Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms https://amzn.to/2UoE2ws   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Go Climb a Tree!

Share Tree Climbing Toolkit Risk benefit Consider your risk tolerance What to Say Instead of Be Careful July/Aug 2021 Commonly Asked Tree Climbing Questions in Exchange   Animal architects—build like the animals—podcast episode   Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms https://amzn.to/2UoE2ws     Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Barriers to Getting Outside

Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms https://amzn.to/2UoE2ws   Definitions of Loose Parts in Early Childhood Outdoor Classrooms: A Scoping Review https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1225658.pdf   Nurture in Nature https://nurtureinnature.com.au/   Nicholson’s Theory of Loose Parts https://media.kaboom.org/docs/documents/pdf/ip/Imagination-Playground-Theory-of-Loose-Parts-Simon-Nicholson.pdf   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Loose Parts Learning in K-3 Classrooms

10 Amazing Animal Architects: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/g518/8-amazing-architects-of-the-animal-kingdom/slide-4   Types of Bird Nests: http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdnests.html   Animal Architects Podcast Episode: https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/animal-architects   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Animal Homes

Animal Architects   IJECEE Animal Architect Book Review: https://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/journal/8._book_and_resource_review_-_animal_architects.pdf   Architecture Podcast Episode: https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/architecture   Connecting Children to Nature Podcast Episode: https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/connecting-children-to-animals   Dreaming Up: https://amzn.to/3eodzqE   I’m Done: https://amzn.to/3tlTi9d   Mama Built a Little Nest: https://amzn.to/3xPqg5l   We Build our Homes: https://amzn.to/3xSh9Rc   A Nest is Noisy: https://amzn.to/3xRmA2P   Animal Architects: https://amzn.to/3tplisq   Roberto: The Insect Architect: https://amzn.to/3vQDLjz   Seaver the Weaver: https://amzn.to/3h5xi00   Connecting Animals and Children in Early Childhood: https://amzn.to/3tnS65g   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Animal Architects

Early Educators’ Perspectives on Tree Climbing https://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/journal/6._gull_et_al_0.pdf   Father’s Perspective on Tree Climbing https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/fathers-perspectives-on-tree-climbing   Tree Climbing https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/tree-climbing   What to Say to Kids Instead of Be Careful https://www.backwoodsmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/What-to-Say-Instead-of-_Be-Careful_.pdf   Book Pick: Adventures in Risky Play: What is your Yes? https://amzn.to/3gPv5Wn   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Early Educators’ Perspectives on Tree Climbing

Children usually prefer play that stimulates their curiosity and gives free rein to the imaginations and creativity. Incorporating loose parts into the environment will enhance their natural curiosity. –Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky   Tinkergarten Color Activities Frozen colored water on white sheet Chalks/water/paintbrushes on dark sheet and other options Skittles and water Natural egg dyeing Milk, food coloring, dish soap Shaving cream and food coloring Colored ice, salt, pipettes https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/ice-as-a-loose-part Clear cup and food coloring—wanted to put it on the overhead projector Light and color Blacklights Light table—transparent colored fabrics, papers, etc. https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/light-painting Tissue paper that bleeds colors https://amzn.to/2NWZxS7 Watercolors on snow or ice Transparent colored dividers Self serve jars of colored water (Umbrella House—Tammy Lockwood) Paint in a plastic baggie Colored water spraying on white sheet Collage Color wheel: create out of found items/collage Color sets/sorting—Grapat Natural color wheel with colors we find in nature Lights/flashlights with colors Paint Swatches Pipettes coffee filters https://amzn.to/3sIlyCX https://amzn.to/3rbzVzu Glue/salt Marbling Liquid water colors https://amzn.to/3bacUaE   Principles: Allow experimentation. Get rid of the “recipe”. Pause for observation, wonder, and awe. Follow the child’s lead. I wonder if . . . Ask children how they might extend and explore this more. What might they use next time? What other ways might they mix and explore colors? Leave materials out, if possible, to allow for additional experimentation. Document the experience with photos, journaling, and capturing the inquisitiveness. Be open to color exploration in other aspects. Let the learning emerge rather than telling how it should happen.   Japanese Suminagashi: https://amzn.to/2MLxhS8   Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment. –Claude Monet I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way. –Georgia O’Keefe   Book Picks: Mix It Up! https://amzn.to/2NWpzVB Mixed: A colorful story https://amzn.to/3sJBTHK   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Color Exploration

Those who do not think outside the box are easily contained. –Nicolas Manetta   Makerspace Classes—Trina Deboree https://trina-deboree.mykajabi.com/msreg   Tips for Parents on Teenagers and Creativity: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/creativity-and-critical-thinking/development-milestones/creative-development-adolescents.html   Light Painting https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/light-painting   Fire https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/fire-as-a-loose-part   Tinker Cart https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/tinker-carts   Rube Goldberg Machines https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/rube-goldberg-machines   Exploring Creativity and Loose Parts as Adults https://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/exploring-creativity-and-loose-parts-as-adults   Book Pick: Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith https://amzn.to/3dhVv1e   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Teenagers and Loose Parts

52 Things Outside in Winter:  https://52thingsoutside.org/winter/   Book Pick Snowflake Bentley: https://amzn.to/3rCXMbg     Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

52 Things Outside in Winter

Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/loosepartsplay?listId=3JS6DYBFWMX0   Blog Post: https://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com/2021/01/winter-wonderland-books.html   IJECEE: https://naturalstart.org/research     Loose Parts Play Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LoosePartsPlay/ Loose Parts Play Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutsideMichiana/   Loose Parts Nature Play Website: http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com 

Winter Books

Article: https://bit.ly/256BRAP   Exchange: https://www.childcareexchange.com/   Definitions of Loose Parts in Early Childhood Outdoor Classrooms: A Scoping Review - https://naturalstart.org/sites/default/files/journal/6._gull_et_al._formatted_draft_v2.pdf Loose Parts Nature Play Podcast - http://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/    Loose Parts Play Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoosePartsPlay/    30 Plus Approaches to Loose Parts Blog Post - http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com/2017/05/30-plus-ways-to-approach-loose-parts.html    Approaches to Loose Parts Podcast Episode - http://loosepartsnatureplay.libsyn.com/approaches-to-loose-parts-play    Loose Parts and Intelligent Playthings Categorized by Schema - https://brucecounty.on.ca/sites/default/files/Loose%20Parts%20By%20Schema_0.pdf     Loose Parts Play Facebook Page   Loose Parts Play Facebook Group   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page   Loose Parts Nature Play Website   

7 Loose Parts Myths

Math and Loose Parts on Amazon Book Pick: Messy Maths   Loose Parts Play Facebook Page   Loose Parts Play Facebook Group   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page   Loose Parts Nature Play Website  

Math and Loose Parts in Nature

Special episode for the Environmental Education Association of Indiana’s Vision 2020 virtual conference! http://eeai.org/2020-Conference Listen to a special guest, Indiana Master Naturalist, Jim Carpenter, read his nature poetry. I was mesmerized! Hope it brings you back to dipping your toes in the water too!    Loose Parts Play Facebook Page   Loose Parts Play Facebook Group   Inside Outside Michiana Facebook Page   Loose Parts Nature Play Website 

Nature Poetry

Building creativity one leaf and bolt at a time. Join Dr. Carla Gull, educator and mother of four boys, as she talks about getting outside and exploring loose parts.

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Loose Parts Nature Play

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