Welcome!

Children’s finest playground is found in nature.  A child may spot a green bug, inspect it carefully, and then ask, “What does it eat? Or “Where does it live?”  Children love to examine the puffy clouds in the sky. They can easily see an elephant or a castle or even a flying turtle.  Imaginations blossom with nature’s diverse offerings! Our goal is to encourage children, families and classrooms to play more children’s games, outdoor games, cooperative games and educational games, and to partake in all things nature has to offer.  Welcome to Child and Nature.

We are committed to offering parents, teachers, naturalists, and homeschoolers useful resources – games, playthings, theme books and children’s music - that enable children to gain a deeper and more profound experience with nature while building social skills and learning about the vast benefits of cooperative play.  Playing and learning about nature-related activities with children strengthens their connection to the natural world. 

We select our products because they are fun to play, educational, and encourage creative thought, spontaneous play and sensitivity to nature.  Products can never replace the experiences one can receive in nature, but we know that what we offer will inspire both curiosity and passion for nature’s magnificent world.  It doesn’t take much to connect with the wonders of nature and the joys of play - viewing a beautiful sunset, watching a hummingbird hover over a flower or even climbing a tall tree can do it.

Another way children can learn about and appreciate nature is by playing an educational or environmentally themed cooperative board games such as Save the Whales or Rainbowland. Once your family plays these games, everyone will have a desire to discover more about whales and those rare and radiant rainbows.  (We created these games, among others, during the period we had our highly regarded mail-order company, Animal Town, which we founded in 1976 and operated until 2000.)  Our current selection of board games represents the finest and perhaps largest assemblage of cooperative and non-competitive games in the world. We also carry a select few traditional type games that are also delightful and fun to play.

Cooperative games are fun to play, educational, non-aggressive and invigorating…and best yet, they inspire unity.  Players don’t compete with one another, but instead act as partners and collaborate to solve the issues at hand, hoping to “win” the game.  The concept of working together as a team is extremely beneficial to children throughout their life and will be particularly useful in efforts to protect our natural environment.  The contemporary noun and verb descriptions of “cooperation” include words such as unite, team up, help, assist, support, favor, friendship, and work or act together.  Supporting or favoring vital legislation would be one constructive way to protect Mother Nature. Children do not get enough time to experience nature on a daily basis in these busy times. Vanishing green spaces, lack of access to natural areas, dangerous traffic, dominance of television and computers, more homework, and increased participation in competitive team sports have all affected how much time children spend outdoors.

Children, teenagers and adults need a standard daily dose of time spent in nature just as there are standard daily doses for vitamins and minerals.  According to author Richard Louv (see his new important book, Last Child in the Woods), if young people fail to get enough of nature it can lead to NDD – Nature Deficit Disorder, which shows up as attention difficulties and higher rates of physical and emotional illness. According to the author, research shows that environmental based education dramatically improves standardized test scores, grade-point averages, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and decision-making skills.  The benefits of being outdoors – sunlight (vitamin D), fresh air (oxygen), and tranquility – are essential to good health at any age.

It’s no mystery that children are attracted to Mother Nature.  She offers a great variety of surprises that easily tap into their senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.  Combined with youngsters rapidly expanding receptors, nature is the ideal playground.  If children are given the opportunity to explore, learn and feel the natural wonders they will give back appreciation and respect.

Unfortunately, there has not been enough respect for our earth on the national and international scene.  Less and less vital legislation is being created to support the protection of natural resources.  Frogs are disappearing from earth at an inexplicably rapid rate.  Significant portions of ancient forests in North America have been decimated.  Global temperatures are increasing and icebergs are melting.  We need to preserve a world that offers our children redwood forests to explore, whales to watch and bird-songs to hear.  A Bill of Rights for Nature is just as necessary as Bill of Rights the U.N. created to protect our children.  For now, however, it is important to focus on what we can gain from nature, how we can take care of our precious world, and what vital knowledge we need to pass on to the next generation. Child and Nature can help in this quest.

We hope you will enjoy browsing our website. Our goal is to offer an interesting selection of products along with useful information. Our line of products is appropriate for all types of gatherings and all ages – from individual family play to large groups such as school and church functions, birthday parties and family reunions.  Please click onto Philosophy and learn how nature and play go hand in hand and are essential for our physical and emotional health.

One touch of Nature makes the whole world kin.

-William Shakespeare (1565-1616)

Ken and Jann Kolsbun

Copyright 2005, Child and Nature
P.O. Box 493, Forestville, CA 95436
Phone: 707-887-0144   Fax: 707-887-8754