Inspiration
Play Day
Scott Vanderlip, an active parent and member of the community, brims
with ideas to connect children with nature and encourage unstructured
play. One of his ideas was creating a simple “play day”
in a local park.
The Children In Nature Play Day on October 27th was created as an opportunity for families to get together to explore and enjoy nature in the natural environment of Sanborn County Park (about 10 miles from San Jose and about 3 miles outside of Saratoga).
I was excited about creating an unstructured Play Day as a way for kids and families to connect with nature and potentially meet other families who also enjoy and value time in nature. My hope was that these families would then be inspired to create more time and space in their calendars for time in nature with family and friends.
The Play Day included loosely scheduled events to allow families to share time in nature by exploring the redwood trails of the park, visiting the frog pond next to the youth hostel, taking nature walks, and mingling with others interested in connecting kids with nature. To best describe how the event was enjoyed, is a note I received after the event:
We are so thankful for the opportunity you created for all of us to play in nature at Sanborn Park last weekend. It became one of those unforgettable memories in our lives. The pond was frequently referred to as the frog pond by our kids. Lukas just could not wait to tell all his friends about the fun of the frog, the great woods, the hostel stay and even the ball game. Thanks for your time and effort to make this happen. We like the movement to go back to nature play. Last weekend’s event just got us started on this subject and we will carry on the spirit into our neighborhood.
Ling, Eric, Lukas, Niklas and Thomas
I felt it was important for parents to experience being role models
by providing patience and finding wonder in nature too. On a hike that
day, two young boys under the age of five stood for five minutes
watching two ants battling in a small ant hole. Rather than a giving a
scientific explanation or asking them to move on, it was rewarding to
all of us on that hike, and throughout the day, to just let the kids
watch and learn on their own.
Scott Vanderlip
