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01/05/2010

Nature Can Be Everywhere

Laughter is an instant vacation.
Milton Berle (1908 - 2002), American comedian

Rusty Keeler, author of the popular Exchange book, Natural Playscapes: Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soul, addresses the questions of many who provide care in settings where nature is far removed...

"I know what you are thinking:  You love natural playscapes.  You dream of providing your children with the opportunities to play and discover the world of nature.  But you just don’t have the space.  You don’t have the right conditions.  You don’t have sunlight or you don’t get enough rain.  Don’t let that stop you!  Centers all over the world are looking at their outdoor spaces — big and small — and deciding to take the plunge and begin to add natural elements to their yards.  It doesn’t take the perfect piece of land or picture-perfect conditions to be able to make beautiful changes to your outdoor space.  All it takes is some creativity and helping hands.  You can do it."

In this article, "Small space made natural," in the November 2009 issue of Exchange, Rusty describes how a center in Portland, Oregon, introduced natural spaces into their urban center.


Great Resources on Environments at Exchange

Exchange has a wide variety of resources on environments, which can be purchased separately on altogether at a discounted price in our Environments Tool Kit.  Exchange environmental resources in the kit include...

Books:
Beginning Workshop Units:



Bring Reading to Life for Your Students: PBS KIDS Raising Readers

Online Professional Development Courses:
-Preparing Preschoolers for Success
-Ready to Read and Write with Digital Media $129 each

pbs.org/pd/raisingreaders





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For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.



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