How To Raise A Wild Child

The beloved host of PBS Kids' Dinosaur Train presents an activity-complemented guide for caregivers and teachers on how to alleviate common childhood challenges by forging strong connections between children and nature. 25,000 first printing.

Shortlisted for The Wainwright Prize for Nature and Conservation Writing for Children Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Children's Travel Book of the Year Join the brilliant Dara McAnulty, winner of the Wainwright Prize for Diary of a Young Naturalist, as he takes you on a nature walk that starts just beyond your own front door, and shares the joy of connecting with the natural world on a multi sensory journey. Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature is a beautiful book, illustrated in full colour by Barry Falls, and divided into five sections: looking out of the window, venturing out into the garden, walking in the woods, investigating heathland and wandering on the river bank. Dara pauses to tell you about each habitat and provides fantastic facts about the native birds, animals and plants you will find there – including wrens, blackbirds, butterflies, tadpoles, bluebells, bees, hen harriers, otters, dandelions, oak trees and many more. Each section contains a discovery section where you will have a closer look at natural phenomenon such as metamorphoses and migration, learn about categorization in the animal kingdom or become an expert on the collective nouns for birds. Every chapter finishes with an activity to do when you get home: plant wild flowers, make a bird feeder, try pond dipping, make a journey stick and build a terrarium. Dara closes the book with his own inspirational advice for young conservationists, making this the perfect guide for an aspiring naturalist.

“Quiet but compelling arguments about the importance of kids getting out more and connecting to nature . . . A book that deserves to flourish.” —The Guardian From climbing trees and making dens, to building sandcastles and pond-dipping, many of the activities we associate with a happy childhood take place outdoors. And yet, the reality for many contemporary children is very different. The studies tell us that we are raising a generation who are so alienated from nature that they can’t identify the commonest birds or plants, they don’t know where their food comes from, they are shuttled between home, school and the shops and spend very little time in green spaces—let alone roaming free. In this timely and personal book, celebrated nature writer Patrick Barkham draws on his own experience as a parent and a forest school volunteer to explore the relationship between children and nature. Unfolding over the course of a year of snowsuits, muddy wellies, and sunhats, Wild Child is both an intimate story of children finding their place in the natural world and a celebration of the delight we can all find in even modest patches of green. “Entrancing . . . If ever there was a book to fuel the ecological interest of future generations, this is it.”—Isabella Tree, author of Wilding “Barkham takes us through a year giving his children an education in wildness. He encourages them that a physical relationship with wildlife is of the utmost importance . . . His memoir reveals the abundance of wildlife that can be explored in our own back gardens.” —The Herald

Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this “fascinating exploration of the importance of the outdoors to childhood development” (Kirkus Reviews) from a Swedish-American mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children. Could the Scandinavian philosophy of “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” hold the key to happier, healthier lives for American children? When Swedish-born Linda Åkeson McGurk moved to Indiana, she quickly learned that the nature-centric parenting philosophies of her native Scandinavia were not the norm. In Sweden, children play outdoors year-round, regardless of the weather, and letting babies nap outside in freezing temperatures is common and recommended by physicians. Preschoolers spend their days climbing trees, catching frogs, and learning to compost, and environmental education is a key part of the public-school curriculum. In the US, McGurk found the playgrounds deserted, and preschoolers were getting drilled on academics with little time for free play in nature. And when a swimming outing at a nearby creek ended with a fine from a park officer, McGurk realized that the parenting philosophies of her native country and her adopted homeland were worlds apart. Struggling to decide what was best for her family, McGurk embarked on a six-month journey to Sweden with her two daughters to see how their lives would change in a place where spending time in nature is considered essential to a good childhood. Insightful and lively, There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is a fascinating personal narrative that illustrates how Scandinavian culture could hold the key to raising healthy, resilient, and confident children in America.

"Angela Hanscom is a powerful voice for balance." —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children’s cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults. Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses? Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program—that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis—author Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help your child thrive, even if you live in an urban environment. Today it is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, or spinning in circles just for fun. We’ve taken away merry-go-rounds, shortened the length of swings, and done away with teeter-totters to keep children safe. Children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play than ever before, and recess times at school are shrinking due to demanding educational environments. With this book, you’ll discover little things you can do anytime, anywhere to help your kids achieve the movement they need to be happy and healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.

How can we create schools that reinforce each child's joy of life, curiosity, individuality, the natural conviction of his or her own self-worth and the worth of others--and that meet the highest academic standards as well? Rebeca Wild, a principal in a Pestalozzi school in Ecuador--the model for a grassroots educational movement in several European countries--reveals how the children in her Pesta classroom experience reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as art, music, geography, the natural sciences, social issues, even matters of life and death. Rebeca Wild shares the organic process by which the Pesta method evolved and explains how the Pesta experience transforms not only the children--including many diagnosed with various psychological problems and learning disabilities--but the parents and teachers as well.

Following on from the success of the first book by Brooke Davis, Your Wild Imagination, comes Your Wild Child - a new book that your family will love! Full of new and interesting nature based activities for children aged 2-12 years, this beautiful, practical and easy to use book will captivate your children and encourage independent play with nature.You will discover new ideas for outdoor play, and also find ways to bring nature indoors - perfect for those times when you're stuck inside.Your Wild Child includes more than 150 stunning full colour photographs, accompanied by simple and easy to follow instructions. The activities can be adapted to suit your children's age and interest. Some activities may require adult assistance for younger Nature Warriors, but there are often alternatives presented for how you can provide a more or less challenging activity.The activities are open-ended, meaning that children can use their imaginations and create dozens of things from one activity prompt. This book shows actual creations made by children and does not encourage all crafts to turn out looking the same. Instead the activities can boost creativity, problem solving and persistence. Nature play also improves fine motor skills, physical strength and coordination.The book allows you to easily adapt the activities to suit your location. Using nature as the primary resource reduces the need for craft purchases, making the activities very inexpensive to implement.Inside the book you will find more than 20 nature play activities that are fun and easy to implement, including:-Leaf crowns-Nature wings-Boats and rafts-Stick frames-Nature weaving-Bug journal-Pick up sticks-Light catcher-Leaf art and more.The hardcover, full colour book measures 16cm x 24cm and is printed in Australia on sustainably sourced paper. It's the perfect backpack size and easy to manage with little hands.This book is a wonderful resource for early years and primary teachers, home schoolers, parents and grandparents seeking more nature play ideas. It's also perfect for taking camping and for school holiday play ideas.