A trailblazing environmental educator raised his children in the heart
of nature. His story shows other parents how they can counter today's
pervasive "nature deficit." Updated wtih new essays.
When David Sobel's children, Tara and Eli, were toddlers, he set out to
integrate a wide range of nature experiences into their family life,
play, and story telling. Blending his passion as a parent with his
professional expertise, he created adventures tailored to their
developmental stages: cultivating empathy with animals in early
childhood, exploring the woods in middle childhood, and devising rites
of passage in adolescence.
Wild Play is Sobel's vivid and moving memoir of their journey and an
in spiring guide for all parents who seek to help their children bond
with the natural world. Through this family's experiences, we observe
how free play in nature hones a sense of wonder, provides healthy
challenges, and nurtures earth stewardship. "Parents need to support
kids' access to independent outdoor play," says Sobel. "Of course they
should use judgment, but the benefits outweigh the risks."
Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods identified the urgent problem
of "nature deficit" in today's children, sounding the alarm for parents,
educators, and policy-makers. Wild Play is a hopeful response,
offering families myriad ways to blaze their own trails.
