Here's What the Rooftop Healing Garden at Children's National Will Look Like | Washingtonian

Here's What the Rooftop Healing Garden at Children's National Will Look Like | Washingtonian

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The last wish of a patient at Children’s National was to go outside–but the complex life support treatments that the child’s condition required made it a complicated dream for her doctors, nurses, and the biomedical staff to fulfill.

“That child really inspired us to say that every single child, who is complex or not, should deserve the privilege of being outside,” says Kathleen Gorman, COO at Children’s National.

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Thus, the idea for a 7,200-square-foot rooftop garden, equipped with electrical outlets to power treatments and therapies, was born. Though the rooftop garden was first suggested about four years ago, it wasn’t until just recently that adequate funds were raised, allowing construction to begin.

Richmond Made A Playground Risky. Now Another Community Is Following Suit.

Richmond Made A Playground Risky. Now Another Community Is Following Suit.

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'The goal is "to raise a generation of kids that feel comfortable with trying new things and being creative and feel comfortable failing," UBC professor Mariana Brussoni told CTV.

Learning how to handle risks teaches kids how to "protect themselves in challenging environments," according to University of Texas professor Joe Frost. "The view that children must somehow be sheltered from all risks of injury is a common misconception of adults."

"The view that children must somehow be sheltered from all risks of injury is a common misconception of adults," he wrote in a 2006 paper. Frost said that limiting kids' outdoor play can harm them later in life during an interview with the Journal of Play two years later. "It limits their physical fitness, hurts their health, and reduces learning and the ability to cope with trauma," the professor said. "Research shows that when children engage in free, spontaneous play outdoors, they adapt more readily to their culture, to society, and to the world. They build fine and gross motor skills. They learn to negotiate and solve problems. They stretch their imagination."

Syrian Children Delight In A Subterranean Damascus Playground, Safe From Civil War Shelling

Syrian Children Delight In A Subterranean Damascus Playground, Safe From Civil War Shelling

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I'd written a blog post recently about how sometimes environmental concerns can force childrens playspaces to be built undercover. At the time I hadn't considered bombing or biological warfare to be one of those concerns. More power to the people and organisation who constructed this beautiful playspace.

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'Children in Damascus are able to play safely from the shelling in the streets above thanks to an underground playground constructed by activists. The subterranean park, which was built in Ghouta in the eastern part of the capital city, allows the city's youth to have a glimpse of a normal childhood away from the bloodshed of the civil war... at least for a while.'

I'd written a blog post recently about how sometimes environmental concerns can force childrens to be built undercover. At the time I hadn't considered bombing or biological warfare to be one of those concerns. More power to the people and organisation who constructed this beautiful playspace.

Sneak peak tour of the newest Green Elephant Early Learning Centre - Waterloo

Once again it was a total pleasure working with Greg And Effie to create a design for this purpose built centre. It makes a great difference to have owners and architects who are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic to embrace the benefits of natural play environments. I have previously discussed the emergence in Sydney of centres such as this in my post Childcare playspace design response to population density changes.  This centre sits within a large complex and helps to define the space, adds to the total greenspace and provides a homelike environment for children of families who live and work in the area.

Balancing the Digital Divide: With Santa Fe Public Schools' Digital Learning Plan funded to move forward, some question whether that means kids need to learn how to power-down, too

Balancing the Digital Divide: With Santa Fe Public Schools' Digital Learning Plan funded to move forward, some question whether that means kids need to learn how to power-down, too

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During a field trip about a decade ago, Katherine Bueler stopped her science students beside a duck pond to soak in the spring afternoon. She broke out a Frisbee and asked who wanted to play. None of them did, instead turning their eyes down to their cellphones.

“It was disappointing and kind of freaky,” Bueler says. “It was one of those early moments where I realized, whoa, this is different.”

Local councils still using pesticide that WHO warns 'probably causes cancer' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Local councils still using pesticide that WHO warns 'probably causes cancer' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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The subject of the use of pesticides and fungicides in playgrounds and playspaces is covered comprehensively in Garden maintenance for playspaces

"Councils across Australia are using the pesticide glyphosate to kill weeds in sensitive areas like playgrounds, despite a World Health Organisation (WHO) warning the chemical probably causes cancer."

We're Doing Preschool All Wrong, Says New Book

We're Doing Preschool All Wrong, Says New Book

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Preschool expulsions? ADD drugs for 2-3 to three year olds? This could be the terrifying road ECE in Australia could go down by aping the US.  "Disappearing are the days when preschools were havens for free play and make believe. They're now factories for rote memorization and dry instruction,.......What Preschoolers Really Need From Grownups, she argues that preschools are no longer giving children enough room to play, leading them to become less inquisitive, curious thinkers -- qualities they need to become successful adults......."Why, when kids are so programmed to learn, are they having trouble?" ....... "We know they're having trouble because we have an actual epidemic of preschool expulsions, kids are being medicated off-label as early as 2 or 3 [years old] with attention management drugs, and also we have more anecdotal evidence that parents are very frustrated."