The children of today are subject to a real house arrest due to their parent’s fears, to the «English-violin-ballet» tight schedule that must be followed so that they can have «opportunities», and also to the inconveniences that arise when children get dirty. But, is it possible to be a child without climbing trees, drilling wells to reach the other end of the planet, and making secret cabins with tree branches?
Everyone agrees that playing is vital for children. However, only a small amount of the time spent on playing takes place outdoors, in the open, without anything other than nature to interact with. And it is precisely this type of playing that is more beneficial for the physical, emotional and social development of our kids; outdoor play is, in fact, the play par excellence.
In this book the author, a biologist, educator and founder of the first outdoor children's school, explains why playing outdoors is essential for our children’s growth and how we can encourage it.
Katia Hueso studied Biology in Leiden (Holland) and, after travelling all over the world, she returned to her homeland to settle down in a quiet village in Sierra de Guadarrama, situated between the provinces of Madrid and Segovia. She is a mother of three daughters and works as a consultant and university professor in the environmental field. In 2011 she founded the Nature Playgroup Saltamontes (Grasshoppers), the first outdoor school in Spain. She is also the author of Somos naturaleza (2017) (We are nature) and Jugar al aire libre (2019) (Playing outdoors), both published by Plataforma Editorial.
