Reflections of Childhood Nostalgia
Written by Gouri J. Nair; Edited by Malcolm Bundy and Wendi Wu
Now that the warm summer weather has begun to fade, I get nostalgic for my spring school days. I went to Aronimink Elementary School, a pretty good place all things considered. My parents were often too busy to pick me up right after school, so I spent my afternoons at our after-care program. Usually, we’d be taken outside, from 3-6, pretty much left to invent our own fun, and what fun we’d invent! The most popular games that were played were ones like house, four corners, and weaving. But we’d also commonly play games with nature on the playground. An all-time favorite was a restaurant, where we would take random plants that grew on the playground to create “dishes” which we would then serve to ourselves. We wouldn’t eat them, of course; it was more about the fun of playing cook. I can still remember the very specific piney ferns that we used as parsley, the broad leaves we substituted for wraps, and the berries that were our filling. Since none of our creations were edible, the focus was on presentation, on creating the most beautiful dish we could. We’d often share advice, like how certain berries, when pressed, produced a beautiful color, or how certain leaves ripped apart more cleanly than others. We learned what plants did simply by playing with them, a basic application of the scientific method:
Observe the area, that plant looks like raspberries, research the topic, what other plants can look like food, hypothesize, If we can find other plants that resemble food, then we can create meals for each other, experiment, these plants work better and are easier to manipulate than others, analyze that data, these plants look nicer and create more interesting dishes, while these are difficult to play with or are dangerous to play with, and finally report the conclusion, I will share this knowledge with the others to create better and more beautiful courses. It was a very natural introduction to human curiosity, one that pushed me into my current work as TTF. This sort of childhood introduction into nature as play is so important for cultivating a close relationship to our natural world.
Creeks and Capers
Most people who grow up in southeast Pennsylvania have similar stories to mine. We are surrounded by nature here, and thankfully, spending time in nature is often encouraged, both in general culture and at school. One such story comes from TTF’s Drew, our Director of Landscaping, who grew up near Leigh Creek. During his childhood, it was common for him and his friends to go to the local creek and play. He recounted how one of their favorite childhood games was creating small dams. The dams would drain the water from that small area, revealing the creatures that lived in the area. Over the course of time, Drew and his friends learned not only what those creatures were, but also how they functioned within the greater creek ecosystem. “Playing with those creatures was really what started my interest in natural ecology,” he would recount to me later. As our current Director of Landscaping, it’s truly a testament to how important that early exposure was to his future life.
Forest Fun
Drew isn’t the only case either, as Malcolm, another TTF staff member proves. He grew up in the city, so for most of the year, outdoor play wasn’t connected to nature. However, during the summers, he would attend summer camps in Montgomery County, where he was closely in touch with nature. He would recount that at camp, he was at first overwhelmed, because it had been the first time he was surrounded by so much untamed wild. Yet, the open greenery also compelled him. His mere exposure to it caused him to slowly fall in love and devote himself to its protection as an adult. And, as a bonus, he would also play games with nature in that camp. A classic game was playing pretend swords with sticks, a familiar sight to many. Though often considered somewhat dangerous these days, playing with sticks like that can introduce children to better hand-eye coordination and strengthen their ability to hold back their strength. Another classic outdoorsy game that Malcolm played was using grass as a whistle. Unfortunately, Malcolm also confessed to me that he and his friends were never able to actually make the grass whistle, but despite that, he still had fun trying with his friends.
Natural love starts in Childhood
Drew and Malcolm’s experiences serve as a vivid reminder of how important early exposure to nature is for developing a lifelong love of it. For children today, it’s even more important. Many parents rightfully worry about young kids’ exposure to bugs, dirt, and poisonous plants, but they don’t consider the many wonders that come from an outdoor upbringing. But here at TTF, we work hard to keep the park clean and healthy, so parents don’t need to worry about children’s health and can focus on the beauty of our natural landscape. Many local children today are able to play all types of children’s games, and in turn learn about our land in our various parks. Another member of TTF Watershed, Cesali, even recalled doing so with her daughter throughout the summer!
Though nature games may seem childish and silly, they truly provide children with their first understanding of the natural world and the basics of science. No one at TTF would be here were it not for “restaurant,” “Dam management,” “sticks as swords,” and so many others. And it’s wonderful to be part of an organization committed to keeping that joy and learning alive for the next generation.
