Peace and calm

Hi mamas!

It was so nice to see you and your little ones this morning! I really want HOPE Grove to be a place where you and your family can come and enjoy, set worries and stresses aside and just BE. Today felt so peaceful and calm and it was so lovely to see each of the children participating in activities that were meaningful to them!! It was wonderful to see the moms connecting as well. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their time, I never even got out the parachute activity I had planned :)

I was telling some of you about the inspiration for HOPE Grove and thought I'd share some of my story here as well.

I am passionate about allowing time and space for kids to be kids and to enjoy the simple pleasures and joys of childhood. When we started staying home at the beginning of COVID I started reading and researching different homeschooling options. I was drawn to books that talked about children's instincts and ability to learn without such structured methods. I have always been a proponent of letting kids be kids and not pushing traditional schooling too early as current expectations do not always match developmental abilities and needs of young children. Children are curious and motivated and learn best through free play. As an OT, I understand the need for kids to spin, swing, jump, climb, assess and take risks.

Before the pandemic, each of my kids was dropped off somewhere different for the entire day while my husband and I worked: daycare, preschool and elementary school. When they were home they always needed an adult to play with them or wanted a structured activity and rarely did I notice pretend imaginative play schemes.

With us all home during the pandemic I started encouraging more free time in our yard, giving them a bit more space and allowing them to build confidence in themselves without an adult needing to be actively involved in every game. They had all day together and time to really use their imaginations and work together. I hated trying to stop their good play to say it was time to log into distance learning. Their imaginations were coming alive and they were really playing and learning together!

I decided to start my own nature based programming as I noticed a need for this type of service that just isn’t available in our area. It is clear that all children need more active free play and nature is the perfect setting. Nature boosts immunity, offers multisensory stimulation, opportunities for gross motor strength and coordination that kids just can't get when expected to sit in chairs so much time each day. Mental health concerns have been and continue to rise for children of all ages and time in nature is proven to be beneficial.

Here is a list of some of the books I have read that highlight the importance of free play and nature play that you may enjoy as well. 

Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom

Free to Learn by Peter Gray

The Call of the Wild & Free by Ainsley Arment

I also have a few handouts with nature based ideas to do with babies, toddlers and preschoolers I wanted to share with you as well. If you are interested in these please let me know and I will get you a copy!

Thanks for spending your morning with us, see you next week!

Angela