“Run wild and free.” Today I’m sharing an article I wrote for a newly founded nanny magazine in the United States. Not Your Average Nanny Magazine is a magazine that caters to parents who employ nannies to care for their children. With articles written by nannies, it helps bridge the gap of communication and understanding between employer and employee. The magazine focuses on childcare related topics and features prominent nannies located worldwide. Founder & Editor-In-Chief, Brittney Schering, is a professional nanny herself and freelance writer.

WIDE OPEN SPACES; LETTING CREATIVITY GO WILD

The art of play is important to children, allowing them the freedom to engage a curious mind. Through play they learn about themselves and the world around them. Through play, children gain the confidence to express themselves and to test the barriers of societal customs. Most of all, it gives children an outlet to put forth their creativity, to release stresses and to process emotions.

As adults we do this too. Only gone are the dolls and matchbox cars in favour of structured uses like visual arts, dance, or music. We see these as hobbies, as extracurricular activities to enjoy when we’ve got some free time, as moments to wile away a holiday.

For children, this time honoured expression of themselves is vital and holds prime place within the structure of their day. Be it playing physically or playing with objects, symbolic play or even games with rules, they follow a pathway. It’s a pathway for children to learn and grow, a pathway to explore and freedom to try on different roles. The process of play also enables children to make mistakes within a semi-controlled environment and to learn from them.

But does this play always have to follow a structure? Does it need to be scheduled into the routine with a projected forecast of learning outcomes? Can play occur in the freedom of wide open spaces? Can free play still be as beneficial? Does it still provide avenues for the development of motor skills, problem solving skills and interpersonal skills crucial to their intellectual and emotional development?

| Can children run wild and free?

Ask any child (or adult) who grew up in the countryside and they’ll answer yes. Ask any child who enjoys regular camping or fishing trips and they’ll answer yes. Ask any child who enjoys venturing off in the morning and returning at nightfall, tummies hungry but minds satisfied, and they’ll say yes.

Why? Because play occurs within any activity, so long as you have the vision (or the magic) to see the potential.

As a child I grew up in the country. We had horses, chooks, guinea pigs, a cow and at one stage a goat named ‘Nanny’. Each day we had chores, but we also had freedom. We had wide open spaces as far the eye could see.

There was a river to explore by kayak, mountains to trek, and flats to work the horses. To visit out friends house, we walked, or rode our bikes or our horses. To get the school bus, we rode our horses bareback from one side of the paddock to the other as a shortcut. In summer we’d spend all day in the pool, and winter rugged up in the sun.

| “We made our own fun, and we played all day.”

Despite the increased risk of potential dangers, these days we’d probably do the same. Except we’d have a cell phone for emergencies and not be so quick to jump in the back of the neighbour’s ute to give us a lift up the hill.

Not to be misconstrued, we had plenty of toys too. Arts and craft were fun on rainy days and rock cakes were popular in the kitchen. It was only that these activities paled in comparison to what we could play with and engage in when out in the open, with our imaginations wild and free.

Growing up in this lifestyle, we didn’t have set learning outcomes. Although we still learnt and grew and developed. We knew the value of responsibility and time management. We also knew of the fun to be had and of our own ability to occupy and amuse ourselves.

Creativity ran free. We had the benefit of free play and discovery. We had the freedom to express ourselves and forge our own paths.

As summer is in full swing for the US, and we here in Australia enjoy crisp but generally pleasant winter weekends, there are many possibilities to get the kids outside. Opportunities to let them explore their creativity outside in the wide open spaces. And whilst the notion of coaxing potentially unwilling kids out into the big unknown may be daunting, I’m willing to bet they’ll be more than happy after a few hours with their unleashed imaginations!

So here’s a few ideas to get the kids into the outdoors to run wild and free:

lace up | grab your hiking boots and head off to the mountains for a day of bush walking. For the truly adventurous, put together a scavenger hunt of ‘must find’ landmarks or items whilst out on the trails

rough it | pack your camping and fishing gear and head to your nearest dam, lake or waterway for a night spent under the stars. Bonus points if you catch dinner!

go country | load up the car and make your way into the countryside. Maybe even do a weekend farm stay if you’re feeling brave. Introduce the kids to life in the country and farm work. If you’re game, I can assure you they’ll soon be taken with the fun to be had on off-road four-wheel motorbikes.

picnic luncheon | collect some delicacies into a picnic basket and set yourselves up for a day in the park. Take a football and a frisbee and engage in a little friendly competition.

sea change | if you’re lucky enough to be by the coast, hit the beach for a day in the sun. Just don’t forget the sunscreen and sun hats! Take a camera to photograph or a notebook to draw the different eco-systems you find living by the beach. More bonus points if you go home and research them later. If that’s not your thing, take the surfboards, boogie boards or snorkels and explore the water – Marco Polo sees a new level of difficulty when encountering rolling ocean waves.

And for those times when big, wide open spaces simply aren’t available (or for the car journeys en route) remember to pack a “busy bag” of child appropriate activities to keep their creative side flowing and plenty of free-play happening. And most of all, have fun yourself!

This article appeared first in published and digital print in Not Your Average Nanny Magazine, July Issue, 2014.

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What’s your favourite outdoors activity, and how do you normally get the kids outside?

Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT.