articles about the forest kindergarten philosophy:

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• Early childhood education takes to the outdoors

• Out of the classroom and into the woods

• You can't bounce off the walls if there are no walls

• Geo: Kinder, raus in die Natur

• Wald macht schlau

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articles on play:

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• Five ways to let more risk into your child's play

• Isn't it dangerous?

• Science Says Let your Kid Push Boundaries

• Look! Don't touch!

• A parent's guide to nature play

• Nurturing nature play: ten tips for parents

• Reinforcing the thin green line

• The theory of loose parts

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the effects of nature on health:

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• This is your brain on nature

• Respite in shades of green

• Children's health and nature

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articles about child development and discipline:

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• Young children and friendships

• Making sense of conflict: Seeking solutions together

• Understanding gun play: A teacher's journey

• In praise of better praise

• Tips on temperament

• Time-outs are hurting your child

• Effects of academic versus play-based prekindergarten programs

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recommended books:

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"Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv

"Free to Learn" by Peter Gray

"Listen" by Patty Wipfler

"Unconditional Parenting" by Alfie Kohn

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interesting videos:

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• Why kids need nature

• The decline of play

• Tools to effectively set limits with children

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Quotes we love:

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"Kinder wollen nicht wie Fässer gefüllt, sondern wie Fackeln entzündet werden."

Francois Rabelais

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"They can't bounce off the walls, if you take away the walls."

Erin Kenney
 

“The problems many children have are actually generated by too much time spent in environments in which children are expected to "behave."  When a restricted environment isn't balanced out by an hour or more a day when children can run hard, laugh hard, wrestle, be daring, and engage in spontaneous play, the strain shows in their behavior.” – Patty Wipfler

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"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."

Mister Rogers

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“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” -Carl Jung

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“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” ― John Lubbock

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"There is no single effort more radical in its potential for saving the world than a transformation in the way we raise our children." - Marianne Williamson

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“Parenting with gentle discipline does not mean that we let our kids walk all over us. It does not mean that we fail to set boundaries. It simply means that we approach our children with the same respect that we desire for ourselves.” – CodeNameMama

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“Rewards and punishments are the lowest form of education.”-- Chuang-Tzu

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“When little people are overwhelmed by big emotions, it’s our job to share our calm, not to join their chaos.” -L.R. Knost

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“Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.”
― Catherine M. Wallace

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Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. ~James Baldwin

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“Correct children with respect and kindness and they will respond back with respect and kindness – if not immediately, then surely in time." - The Dalai Lama

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“Remember that your child needs to disagree. It’s part of growing. The better the parent, the more the child dares to disagree.”   – Magda Gerber

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