Enriching the lives of children by working with the adults who
affect their lives - parents, caregivers, and educators.
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Spearfish Expo
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For information about Early Childhood Connections' Child Passenger Safety program, click here |
"Only as a child's awareness and reverence for the wholeness of life are developed can his humanity to his own kind reach its full development." Rachel Carson, Edge of the Sea
Make a Commitment to take action to strengthen children’s connection to nature- making developmentally appropriate nature education a sustaining and enriching, fully integrated part of the daily lives and education of the world’s children.
We do know that reconnecting babies, toddlers and young children to the natural world:
- Is crucial for their optimal intellectual and physical development;
- Provides a sense of refuge and healing in a somewhat violent and frightening world;
- Helps them grow into adults who care about environmental stewardship; and
- Nurtures a sense of shared community among the world’s peoples. (Nature Action Collaborative for Children, 2007)
Re-connecting children to nature can be as simple an experience in the natural world as helping to plant a roof top garden, listening to the sounds of nature all around us, or playing outside in freshly fallen snow. Unfortunately, even in the beautiful environment we live in here in the Black Hills that connection with nature is slipping away from many of us – and especially our children. Join a call to action that beckons educators, families and leaders world wide to take action: www.worldforumfoundation.org/nature
More Nature Resources:
Eco-Healthy Child Care Checklist (pdf document): http://www.sehn.org/pdf/EHCC_ChecklistFINAL.pdf
http://www.childrennatureandyou.org/index.html
http://www.dimensionsfoundation.org/index.cfm
