The physical exercise and emotional stretching that children enjoy in unorganized play is more varied and less time-bound than is found in organized sports. Playtime—especially unstructured, imaginative, exploratory play—is increasingly recognized as an essential component of wholesome child development.

The real cultural war is between the culture of narcissism and what might be called the culture of renewal.

Most people are either awakened to or are strengthened in their spiritual journey by experiences in the natural world.

Unlike television, reading does not swallow the senses or dictate thought. Reading stimulates the ecology of the imagination. Can you remember the wonder you felt when first reading The Jungle Book or Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn? Kipling’s world within a world; Twain’s slow river, the feel of freedom and sand on the secret island, and in the depths of the cave?

Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity.

Nature is beautiful, but not always pretty.

Kids are absolutely starved for positive adult contact.