Nature Nurture and Slow Teaching

A New Brand of Summer Camp by Linda Constant

For years now, I have struggled with how to define Nature Nurture.  Being a “slow” learner myself, I just found out about the Slow Parenting and Slow Food movement.  With the proverbial light bulb going off above my head, I thought, “that’s it!” Nature Nurture is the intentional demonstration of Slow Teaching.  

Award-winning Canadian journalist and author Carl Honoré (In Praise of Slowness: How A Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed about the Slow Movement and Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting) promotes a more relaxed and more hands-off technique for raising and educating children: Slow Parenting. 

At Nature Nurture Summer Camp (ages 3-10) we pay close attention to the age, stage and developmental style of each child.  As the lead teacher models a slow and purposeful manner of speaking and walking, children take her cue.  And then again, maybe not.  While Johnny was ready to run down Grasshopper Hill outside our castle-looking building (San Francisco’s Presidio Main Post Chapel), another child, Sandy, wanted to stop and see where the ant on the sidewalk was crawling to. Taking time and making time for each of them in our three hour drop-off class, Johnny and Sandy felt respected, heard, and more important to them, got  to do what they wanted… and at their own pace.   

As Carl Honoré says, “the slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace.  It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed”.  Geared with two teachers to each group of six children, we are always ready to break into smaller groups and meet the needs of the children, whether that means fast, medium, or slow.

As any summer camp experience should be, we have plenty of fun while we savor the hours and minutes.  There is no plan that must be adhered to.  At Nature Nurture, the essence of a go-with-the-flow type of slow teaching starts first thing Monday morning and continues throughout the week.  Like the Slow Philosophy, Nature Nurture is about quality over quantity.   Feel free to check us out on the web www.naturenurture.com or call me at (415) 342-4040 to find out more about our Summer Camp and Slow Teaching Style.  Comments, tips or otherwise related to my first blogging effort are also welcome!

My parting message and gift to you and your family is a friendly reminder to slow down, take the time, make the time, give you and your child the gift of going slow and savoring whatever you are doing, wherever you are, as often as possible. 
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Little Pickle Press suggests What Does It Mean To Be Green and Sofia's Dream to get your little pickles in tune with caring for nature. Click here for more information and to view the book trailers.