Play is powerful. Play heals, teaches, motivates, and brings us closer to ourselves and and the people around us. As Maria Montessori put it, ‘Play is the work of the child’. Of course, our children love play, and they LOVE toys. They would have millions if they could. And while our delayed journey towards toy minimalism is not the subject of this post, there is an aspect of it we feel is so important and that we’ve managed to implement: playing outside without toys. Whether on the beach, in the forest, or in an empty field of grass and flowers, we love to experiment with meeting Mother Earth without toys as an intermediary.
Playing outside without toys has brought us so many unique opportunities to go deep into the world we inhabit.
When we aren’t distracted by the toys in our hands, we meet the world as it is. We listen to the birds, we feel the soil between our fingers, and there are so many questions, and discussions, new games, and fun connections. Without toys, creativity soars, and we create a direct relationship between ourselves and our Earth. What can we learn about sustainability through play?
Here are 11 ways to connect to Mother Earth thru play...