BALANCED AND BAREFOOT

Studies show that children need “rough-and-tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. 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. So, how can readers ensure their children are fully engaging their bodies, minds, and all of their senses—even if they live in an urban environment?

In this important book, founder of TimberNook Angela Hanscom shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for kids' development and growth. Using the philosophy that lies at the heart of her TimberNook program—that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that children's mental and physical health improves when they spend time outside on a regular basis— Hanscom offers tons of fun, engaging strategies to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.

Angela J. Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook—a developmental nature-based program that's become an international brand. She's contributed to The Washington Post and has been featured on the NPR education blog, Johnson & Johnson TEDx Talks, The Huffington Post, and more. 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 & Nature Network— an organization helping 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 Today and NPR's Fresh Air.