When I taught grades K-8 in a one-room schoolhouse, we began each morning with the sun salutation, only I called it the “good morning” stretch in order to not freak out some right wing parents.
We would go to the grassy field, form a circle, and flow through this vinyasa each morning. On rainy days, we modified this practice in the classroom. I’ve recently come across several articles about yoga in the classroom and the benefits to children.
In this week’s Sierra Club Insider, it was stated that the family vacation is disappearing from American culture.
According to Treehugger, a new study by Oliver Pergams of the University of Illinois-Chicago and Patricia Zaradic of the Environmental Leadership Program found that “the time children spend in nature — particularly the activities we looked at in this study — determines their environmental awareness as adults.”
Citing the same study co-sponsored by the Nature Conservancy, the Grist states
Kids — and adults — these days are “videophiliacs” who prefer their nature through the TV screen rather than personally experienced, says a new study. It estimates that Americans’ participation in outdoor recreation has dropped as much as 25 percent over the past 20 years.
What’s a green family to do? Beyond offsetting your typical trip to Disneyland, there are now many eco travel tours and trips for families. Of course you don’t have to join a tour to take a memorable eco trip with your family. Camping and backpacking provide wonderful opportunities for families to experience nature; however, a well-designed eco trip will allow you to meet other families and take some of the responsibility off of your shoulders.
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