Outdoor Classrooms Library Book Tour

Book 1: NATURAL PLAYSCAPES by Rusty Keeler

If you have been to any of my workshops, you know that I have a tendency to bring as many resource books as I can carry.  A few weeks ago, I found myself laughing with teachers at the image of me hauling my entire library of favorite books. I love them all.  I have stumbled upon and aquired so many incredible resources that have sparked my imagination for creating thoughtful outdoor learning spaces.  Therefore, as my  Teaching in the Dirt: Designing Outdoor Classrooms e-course gets under way, I thought it would be fun to go on a Outdoor Classrooms Library Book Tour and offer a sneak peek at some of the amazing resources that will be available within the e-course.

It goes without saying, teachers are each others best resource. Therefore, the invitation is open for you to add any of your own favorite resource books to our growing library. Let’s create a conversation around books that inspire us to design “beautiful worlds for children”.

Our Outdoor Classrooms Library Book Tour kicks off with a beautiful book called  Natural Playscapes by Rusty Keeler.

The reviews are glowing.

“In the book Natural Playscapes, Rusty Keeler describes a new movement in childrens outdoor play areas, one with endless possibilities, transformable by seasons, days, and rhythms of nature as well as the children themselves.  Full of poetry, art, and bits of wisdom, the book is an inspiration for outdoor environments that are beautiful, playful, magical, transformable, and designed for the holistic development of children.” —Victoria Derr, PhD, Journal of Children, Youth, and Environments

“There are times when you can judge a book by its cover. Two imps peering out from behind a moss covered tree trunk suggest that Natural Playspaces; Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soul is going to be a joyous and playful journey of discovery. This is a book about planning for play where the primary focus is the child, and the title refers not to the body but to the soul. Bliss.”
—Ric McConaghy, Australia, International Play Association

“I like the pictures because they are so cool.. I want to build the stuff and look at the book at the same time. I marked all the best pictures in the book but I ran out osticky notes. Thank you for a cool book!”
—Trenton, age 6

Registration for our Teaching in the Dirt: Designing Outdoor Classrooms E-course is still OPEN.  In the coming weeks, we will be digging into our imaginations and creating, designing, and transforming our outdoor spaces into one-of-a-kind Outdoor Classrooms. I will be working alongside students and have already picked out my outdoor space that I am planning to transform. Come join us and witness the possibiliites.