Each time a group of visitors comes to Hilltop, we get to hear their experiences, and their impressions of Hilltop, and we get a glimpse of ourselves through fresh eyes. We had a particularly poignant and revealing visit, recently, with a group of educators working in the Residential Parenting Program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women.
I don’t meditate, but I want to be the type of person that does. As a classroom teacher of three-year-olds, I’ve looked for ways to help the group calm down, connect with their bodies, and learn self-soothing skills. But how do I get a three-year-old to meditate, especially when I’m not a practitioner myself?
Why do children need to use their bodies – both indoors and outdoors – in strong and active ways? It’s more than just “getting their wiggles out” so they can participate cooperatively in the less active parts of their days. Children deserve access to active – even risky – play, in order to help their brains develop.