Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children - Paperback

by Angela J. Hanscom (Author), Richard Louv (Foreword by)

"Angela Hanscom is a powerful voice for balance."
--Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods

In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children's cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.

Today's kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need "rough and tumble" outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses?

Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program--that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis--author Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help your child thrive, even if you live in an urban environment.

Today it is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, or spinning in circles just for fun. We've taken away merry-go-rounds, shortened the length of swings, and done away with teeter-totters to keep children safe. Children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play than ever before, and recess times at school are shrinking due to demanding educational environments.

With this book, you'll discover little things you can do anytime, anywhere to help your kids achieve the movement they need to be happy and healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

Back Jacket

Today it s rare to find children rolling down grassy hills or climbing trees just for fun. We ve taken away merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters to keep kids safe. And as children s lives become more virtual via TV, smartphones, and computer screens, teachers are noticing a decrease in attention and doctors are reporting an alarming increase in sensory and emotional disorders. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses? In "Balanced and Barefoot," Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook, shines a light on the silent epidemic affecting modern kids, explains why unrestrained movement and outdoor play are "vital" for your child s cognitive and physical development, and even offers fun, engaging strategies to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.
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Author Biography

Angela J. Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook--an award-winning developmental and nature-based program that has gained international popularity. She holds a master's degree in occupational therapy, and an undergraduate degree in kinesiology (the study of movement) with a concentration in health fitness. Awarded a "Hometown Hero" by Glamour magazine for her innovative work with TimberNook, Hanscom has also been a frequent contributor to The Washington Post's "Answer Sheet" column, and was featured on the NPR education blogs Children & Nature Network and MindShift. Hanscom resides in Barrington, NH.

Foreword writer Richard Louv is a journalist, and author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle. He is cofounder of the Children and Nature Network--an organization helping to connect people to the natural world. He's written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more, and appears on programs such as NBC's Today and NPR's Fresh Air.