Re-enchanting Childhood: Imaginative Adventures in Parenting, Teaching, and Guiding

If there is a single golden thread that runs through my entire and varied life's work and play, it is imagination. Imagination is everything to me - it is absolute possibility and potential; it is hope and power; it is magic and connection; it is what makes us human and each one unique; it is ridiculous, frivolous, and the very ground of being; it is all the light that we might be. Our hope as a species and as a world relies on our ability to imagine something better. We need beautiful visions and our children need deeply nourished imaginations, imaginations that have grown alongside trees and lakes and wind and wild friends both real and pretend. 

So much research over the past two decades has confirmed that children need lots of unstructured time in nature to play, imagine, and learn. They need unstructured and imaginative nature play not only to THRIVE, but also to just be well. 

After time spent volunteering in environmental education, as well as working outdoors with at-risk teens through the Lane Metro Youth Corps in Eugene as a young adult, I decided that if I ever had children I would home school, with lots of outdoor time. I did and I did (or rather, we did - my husband and I). Now my three children are young adults and each one of them has at various times told me how much they gained from our homeschool experiences and how grateful they are to have had such childhoods. They appreciate having grown up connected to the land and seasons and family, free of screens and social media, and with time to play and imagine. I am so grateful to have been able to experience that journey together with them and to see them glow as young adults. And. . . to have my beliefs and expectations met and confirmed (it wasn't all perfect, but it sure was worth it).

Now I teach history at a small private school - I love small group learning! I still work with imagination and story and nature, too, especially with adults. I draw from my experiences, my love of story and nature, and my deep reverence for the power of imagination. My BS degree in Biology and an MS degree in Folklore Studies provides a strong foundation, as does my 12-year tenure as the director of the McCall Arts and Humanities Council, advocating for the power of imagination and designing programs for all ages. 

If you work with children in any way and want to bring more play, more imagination, and more nature fun into their lives - join me! While outdoor play and imagination can come very naturally to children, sometimes we need to help those who are in recovery from imagination-repression and attention-hijacking to remember this gift. And sometimes, as adults, we just need some new ideas and time to draw from our own imaginative wells. We will spend the day outside at lovely Mavens' Haven, nurturing our own propensity for play and imagination while learning tips, stories, and tactics for engaging children in outdoor imaginative play (which also just happens to foster learning - go figure!!)

Two healthy, simple, and delicious meals will be provided as well. See you soon!