It's A Jungle Out There! (Giveaway)

Jennifer Ward, the author of I Love Dirt!, has a new book about raising nature lovers in the city, It's a Jungle Out There! 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids. Perfect for us! In fact, inspired by a suggestion in the book, Kiddo has already taken a tally of all our water usage during one day, and New Kid and I rescued some worms stranded on the asphalt after a storm. The book is chock-full of activity ideas and insights to help you and your children connect to nature even in the midst of the concrete jungle. As side note, I also love the design of this book! I asked Ms Ward a few questions about her book, which she graciously answered.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to write this book?


JW: My background is in education with an emphasis on science. During my career as a teacher, my first children's book was published (Way Out in the Desert, Rising Moon, 1998). I wrote and taught for many years, and I believe it was after my third children's book was published (Over in the Garden, Rising Moon, 2002) that I decided to resign from teaching and write full time. As far as why I wrote It's a Jungle Out There - Well, I wrote my first parenting book, I Love Dirt! as a resource to help connect parents and kids to nature in sensory, simple ways (minimal materials needed). It's a Jungle Out There  came about due to the fact that most families today live in urban spaces (80% of us!), and this is a trend that will continue to grow. I believe connecting to nature, even for five minutes a day, is vital to keeping sane. Presently a city-liver myself (albeit a small city), after years of living in the wilds of the Sonoran desert near mountains and endless sky, I had fun creating simple, sensory ways parents and kids can connect to nature on sidewalks, streets and in urban spaces, a la, It's a Jungle Out There! 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids.

There are a lot of noisy and visual distractions in the city. How can I get my kids to get past them and focus on the natural environment?


JW: Yes, there are a lot of loud city sounds and visual distractions in urban spaces. Honking horns, tires on pavement, sirens, lawn mowers, planes. It can be a challenge to focus on the subtle sounds and sights of nature among all the human traffic and concrete. But they're there, and actually, It's a Jungle Out There offers 52 super-simple ways to go above and beyond the distractions of a hustling-bustling civilization. For example, activity #28, "Now You See It", encourages kids to notice things outside they wouldn't normally take time to notice: a plant growing through the crack in a sidewalk or the texture of bark on a tree or the variety of colors in a flower's petals. Activity #5, "Pot Your Spot", encourages kids and parents to plant a container garden in creative ways (using recycled materials), whether it's upon a window, on a balcony or on a stoop. As a parent, you can challenge your kids to spend thirty seconds to a minute specifically listening for sounds in nature, such as a bird's call, among the prevalent sounds of traffic. This helps children really focus, and it will be a true challenge, but a rewarding one, and one so easy to partake in.

What about when we are stuck inside our apartment? What kind of activities can we do to experience and learn about nature inside?


JW: It's a Jungle Out There offers an entire section of activities devoted specifically to enjoying nature while indoors, such as "Thunderrific", Activity #46, that teaches children how thunder is created and helps children scientifically gauge a storm's distance between lightning and thunder. Activity #47, "Spy Games", teaches kids to spy on nature from a window. And Activity #51, "Sunshine on My Shoulders", encourages us to simply find a sunny spot while indoors to curl up and enjoy (particularly lovely on chilly, winter days!). And Activity #49, Easy Breezy Wind Sock, guides children into creating windsocks, which can be hung indoors and enjoyed when nature (a breeze) invites itself into our homes.

If I can't get to the park, do you have any suggestions for other urban environments from which we can experience and observe nature?
JW: Indeed! Patches of gardens or greenery on city streets. Trees lining sidewalks and roadways. The sky above. Sidewalk cracks. Observing urban wildlife, such as pigeons. Activity #12, "Pigeon Pals", encourages kids to join Project Pigeon Watch through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where children can document their pigeon observations and help scientists at the same time. The activity is also packed with cool pigeon facts and offers a means to do a pigeon scavenger hunt, of sorts.

And lastly, do you think experiencing nature in the city can have any advantages over a rural setting, or does the country always win out?


JW: Wouldn't we all prefer to gaze at an endless body of water or other seemingly infinite, natural landscape, vs. miles of concrete? It's really apples and oranges. But to answer your question, no, the rural setting does not always win out. If one chooses to experience nature in the city, it will be a winning experience and the advantages will far outweigh not making the effort to connect with nature at all. Studies have proven that time spent in nature eases stress, instills a sense of wonder and curiosity and overall increases physical and mental well being for children, as well as adults. Experiencing and spending time with nature is a winning experience regardless of where it's enjoyed. But the truth of the matter is that the majority of us live in urban spaces. That said, let's get connected to the nature that's offered to us, and help our kids to do the same.

For the Giveaway:

Shambala Publications is giving away one copy of this book to a reader.
The giveaway rules are:
1. You must leave one comment on this post with your favorite nature activity.
2. Comment must be posted before July 8, 11:59 pm EST.
3. U.S. Addresses only.
4. Anonymous entries will not considered.
5. For contact purposes you must either: link your profile to a blog, email, or leave an email address in your comment.
6. I reserve the right to pick a new winner, should the winner not respond within 72 hours.

Of course I would love it if you followed me, blogged about, tweeted or facebook-liked this post/blog, but fair is fair: one entry per person, please.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes, but it in no way affected my opinion. I received no other compensation. You should know I am extremely picky about the review opportunities that come my way and only review products (usually books) and offer giveaways which I believe have value for parents and kids.