Play and Development

Interacting with today's world means our natural development can be undermined. Many of our compromised abilities are rooted in a sort of “disconnect.”

Often, we lack of opportunity for our environment to respond to our behavior. Other times, strong intervening events redirect our growth. In either case, restoration and further growth of our abilities require a safe, nurturing environment – and some coaxing.

Among other things, the natural world offers us an opportunity for play. Playing at activities such as walking, sports or creating gardens are ways in which we interact with the natural world. Such interaction is part of how we develop new skills and capacities.

Play is a response to being in the world, and helps us develop and sustain not just our movement capacities, but our sense of living – of being alive. Play is not just for learning. It is vital for maintaining life and well-being.

The Inward Wilderness ideology > Using the body and natural world > Our services >