Pop quiz:What toy is "found in all sizes in nature, inspires spontaneous,unstructured play, and can be used in unending imaginative ways?"Here's a hint: this same toy can be used "to draw in the sand on thebeach or to use as a magic wand, sling shot, light saber, fishing rod,or walking stick." Here's one more clue: It doesn't cost a thing.
Ifyou haven't guessed it by now, the press release quoted above refers tothe stick. Note the lack of a trademark registration: I'm talking abouta plain old garden-variety stick. As in a broken branch. A piece oftree.
A stick.
Joiningsuch luminaries as Crayola® crayons, alphabet blocks, and the equallyverstaile cardboard box, the stick was recently inducted into theNational Toy Hall of Fame. This level of recognition is unsurpassed inthe annals of garden debris. Selecting the stick for this honorengendered a sarcastic sally or two, of course, including a headlinefrom TV's Best Week Ever, noting, "Stone and dirt file protest, hoping for consideration."
Jokingaside, sticks and stones do make great toys, whether you're tossing theformer to your dog or skimming the latter across a pond. When was thelast time your kids took part in either of these simple pastimes? Oddsare, not lately.
Unsurprisingly,statistics show that today's children spend less time playing outdoorsthan ever before, devoting far more time to television and electronicmedia than to physical activities. Even when they do play outside, themajority of it is spent in structured activities. Although we, asparents, have memories of playing in mud puddles, climbing trees,riding bikes, and hiking in the woods, very few of us take part inthese activities today. Research has shown that kids are far morelikely to enjoy nature if a parent or caretaker explores the outdoorswith them.
Thefirst generation raised in the 21st century faces serious healthproblems, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and attentiondeficit disorder, as a result of decreased physical activity. Unless wedo something to change the current trend, our children will haveshorter, less healthy lives than their parents. The landmark No ChildLeft Inside (NCLI) Act—inspired by Richard Louv's award-winning book, Last Child in the Woods—promises to provide funding for environmental instruction, teach professionaldevelopment, and support outdoor learning activities. All of thosethings will have an impact.
If passed by Congress, the NCLI Act would be the first environmental education bill to be approved in a quarter century.
Anumber of states and environmental organizations have institutedChildren's Outdoor Bill of Rights—not mandates, but reminders that kidsare entitled to free, unstructured time to discover their connections to the world around them. For example, the Chicago Wilderness partnership's Children's OutdoorBill of Rights states that every child should have the opportunity to:
- Discover wilderness: praries, dunes, forests, savannas, and wetlands
- Camp under the stars
- Follow a trail
- Catch and release fish, frogs, and insects
- Climb a tree
- Explore nature in neighborhoods and cities
- Celebrate heritage
- Plant a flower
- Play in the mud or a stream
- Learn to swim
When my son was young, he loved to squeeze the flower buds of hostas, which made asatisfiying "pop." He would walk throught he garden, stroking the softfronds of the tall grasses, and dig for fossils in the backyard. Hediscovered how to take a broad piece of crabgrass, flatten it betweenhis thumbs, and blow--it makes a great whistle when you get it right.
Communingwith nature is as simple as sticks and stones. It involves goingoutside and becoming aware of all the little miracles we take forgranted. We can't teach our kids the joy of discovery; all we can do isallow it to happen. Take your kids outside—go on, do it now. Introduceyour kids to that great toy, the stick, and let their imaginations takeit from there.
Who knows? You might even enjoy it yourself.
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