Nature Play at Home

Starred review from March 1, 2019

Building tree houses, climbing trees, and playing ball in backyards are many adults' favorite childhood memories, but structured and supervised may better describe kids at present, with more time spent in front of screens and less time outdoors. Landscape designer and early childhood educator Striniste offers up some good news, however, producing this resource after receiving inquiries from families, schools, early childhood programs, and municipalities looking for places for their children to play in nature. Striniste advocates activities in parks, schoolyards, common spaces in communities, and backyards. Everyday materials such as pizza boxes, duct tape, and PAM cooking spray are used for some of the projects, with others requiring more expensive items. Enjoying gardens that engage the five senses, creating yard fixtures to attract wildlife, and making a butterfly-friendly area are but a few of the ideas included in this eye-catching volume. VERDICT Colorful and filled with great solutions for connecting kids to the natural world; highly recommended.Julia M. Reffner, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2019
The founder of website Earlyspace, with a background in both landscape design and early childhood education, Striniste shares her passion for creating outdoor spaces that connect children with nature in her first book. Beautifully illustrated chapters walk readers through the essential steps of creating their own natural playscapes, no matter the environment. Striniste begins with arranging spaces through welcoming entryways and winding pathways before sharing suggestions for inviting in nature with native plants and wildlife-friendly spaces, offering plentiful design choices along the way. With Striniste's guidance, natural playscapes can awaken the senses, challenge bodies, stir imagination, build confidence, and create comfort for all ages. If a complete redesign is too overwhelming, Strinsite includes 15 smaller hands-on projects to get started. Adults and children will delight in working together to build creations like hillside slides, mosaic streams, insect hotels, a living willow tunnel, and even a bamboo bower. Nature Play at Home is sure to inspire readers to take action in their backyards and encourage creative play in nature for years to come.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from February 1, 2019

Building tree houses, climbing trees, and playing ball in backyards are many adults' favorite childhood memories, but structured and supervised may better describe kids at present, with more time spent in front of screens and less time outdoors. Landscape designer and early childhood educator Striniste offers up some good news, however, producing this resource after receiving inquiries from families, schools, early childhood programs, and municipalities looking for places for their children to play in nature. Striniste advocates activities in parks, schoolyards, common spaces in communities, and backyards. Everyday materials such as pizza boxes, duct tape, and PAM cooking spray are used for some of the projects, with others requiring more expensive items. Enjoying gardens that engage the five senses, creating yard fixtures to attract wildlife, and making a butterfly-friendly area are but a few of the ideas included in this eye-catching volume. VERDICT Colorful and filled with great solutions for connecting kids to the natural world; highly recommended.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.