Click here to view the press release from the City of Toronto
Globe & Mail report on Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds
"Adam
Bienenstock spends much of his day playing outside with his two
children. But don't get the wrong idea. He is actually working. As the
founder of
Gardens For Living, the 43-year-old's goal is to bring children and nature together through the installation of natural playgrounds..."
click here for full article...
Tots Learn to Answer Call of Nature - Wall Street Journal
"Each
weekday, come rain or shine, a group of children, ages 3 to 6, walk
into a forest outside Frankfurt to sing songs, build fires and roll in
the mud. To relax, they kick back in a giant "sofa" made of tree stumps
and twigs."
Click Here For Full Article
Nature's Instruments
This
is a deeply resonant instrument with tongues that resonate at different
wave lengths. This is our most durable instrument and is made of heavy
gage, powder coated steel in any colour or design you can imagine. It
is an ideal instrument for hearing impaired children and often we find
a child lying on the ground beside the drum, giggling as the ground
vibrates around them. To purchase this component and others visit www.naturesinstruments.com. For more information about our the components and design of Bienenstock Natural Playgroundsclick here
More News about Natural Playgrounds
"A weekend Back to Nature conference inside a concrete-walled auditorium at the Royal Botanical Gardens Centre resulted in a plan to bring together parks, recreation, health, education, church and environmental groups to promote the benefits of getting children outdoors to play and learn." Click here for the complete article...
~Across North America and around the Earth, children in affluent countries are living a lifestyle that is setting them up for a lifetime of health concerns.
~Reasons why the environment and nature should be incorporated into the curriculum of our youths.
~This research can apply to all levels of education: Toddlers, Preschool, Kindergarten and up.
Toronto Sun – July 13, 2008
By Marilyn Linton
Play is children's work, someone once observed, while author Diane Ackerman wrote that play is our brain's favourite way of learning.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play allows children to use their creativity while developing imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength.
Undirected play helps kids to learn how to work in groups, share, negotiate, resolve conflicts and learn self-advocacy. Pica couldn't agree more.
The happy laughing, the sounds of the instruments and the smiling faces of the kids showed quite clearly that there is hope for a great future as long as we decide to take part in changing the way we live and teach and being more mindful. Interactive playing for kids doesn’t have to include an electrical plug or an internet connection!
"For a playground to be considered a "playscape" the space should be as natural as possible... Using native plants, rolling hills, lots of trees; playscapes represent a natural place."
"In a September 2004 study published in APHA’s American Journal of Public Health, researchers found that exposure to natural settings helped reduce the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children."