Active Children’s Games for Ecological Awareness and Health / a new book: Circling the Sun, Racing the Moon

Here’s a book for teachers of children (ages 3 – 12) that offers over two dozen lively games, creative dramatics, and interactive illustrations. It’s titled: Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind. The games are aligned with the U.S.A.’s Next Generation Science Standards / NGSS, and most are best when played out of doors. The collection sets forth educational practices and perspectives that can lead to more empowering, inclusive, and enjoyable understandings (and appreciation) of the ecology of Place and of human beings’ potentially life-enhancing role within the precious biosphere. The focus is on the Eastern Temperate Forestlands of N. America, yet many of the games can be readily adapted for different biomes. By utilizing evolutionarily harmonious forms of socialization and learning, loosely based upon aesthetically rich traditional children’s games of N. America and the British Isles, these projects seek to generate more fully informed, biophilic, and zestful young people. The collection points towards practical ways that we can transform and augment our present day-to-day teaching in schools, nature centers, forest preschools, or other settings in an ongoing effort to generate scientifically knowledgeable young people who are also imaginative, healthy, artistic, and compassionate in their dealings with each other and this lovely planet – a planet which, as part of the greater Cosmos, birthed and sustains us all.

The first link displayed below will take you to the website of the publisher of this book, Green Writers Press of Brattleboro, VT. There you’ll find sample pages of the book and more information, including options for purchasing. The second link provides access to a free, online, early draft of what eventually became the printed collection.