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I Love Dirt!

52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature

Author Jennifer Ward

Illustrated by Susie Ghahremani

Foreword by Richard Louv

Paperback

$16.95 US

Shambhala | Roost Books

5.49"W x 7.47"H x 0.42"D | 7 oz | 64 per carton

On sale May 13, 2008 | 144 Pages | 978-1-59030-535-5

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I Love Dirt! presents 52 open-ended activities to help you engage your child in the outdoors. No matter what your location—from a small patch of green in the city to the wide-open meadows of the country—each activity is meant to promote exploration, stimulate imagination, and heighten a child's sense of wonder.

Jennifer Ward is the author of numerous acclaimed parenting books and books for children, inspired by nature.

"Jennifer Ward has created a book that will serve to gently introduce parents to nature, even as parents are using it to help guide a child into the narural world. Children—and parents—learn to observe, as well as appreciate, the basic joys of getting their hands dirty and feet wet. Discoveres become shared experience."—from the forword by Richard Louv

“Here is the potential for much fun, many meaningful experiences—and a trove of shared stories.”—Richard Louv, from the foreword

“There may be no better way to ensure the well-being of the natural world tomorrow than to introduce children to its many small wonders today. Through a series of accessible activities designed to engage young minds and all five senses, this book reminds us of—even celebrates—the magic to be found right outside our own back doors.”—Todd Christopher, cofounder of National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour

“I Love Dirt! is a perfect book for parents, teachers, or anyone who cares about children and nature. A nature-lover herself, Jennifer Ward has done an excellent job creating a collection of fun, interactive ways for children everywhere to connect with nature and combat the growing negative impact of sedentary, indoor lifestyles on our youth.”—David Mizejewski, naturalist, National Wildlife Federation, and host of Animal Planet’s Backyard Habitat

“A perfect companion to your nature center and hiking trail excursions!”—Nashville Parent

“A wonderful resource for parents. This book could be the ticket to many wonderful memories for both parent and child.”—Portland Book Review

Jennifer Ward is the author of numerous children’s books, all of which present nature to kids. Her award-winning titles have been featured in magazines such as Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard, Learning, and Foreword, and she has been interviewed and featured on national television and local radio. She is a regular speaker at conferences and schools across the country, where she instills the importance of literacy and the wonders waiting to be discovered in the natural world.To learn more about the author, Jennifer Ward, visit her website at jenniferwardbooks.com.

Susie Ghahremani is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. Her artwork, which combines her love of nature, animals, music and patterns, has appeared in the New York Times, Nickelodeon Magazine, and Martha Stewart Kids, and has recieved illustration awards from American Illustration, the Alternative Pick, and Giant Robot. To learn more about the illustrator, Susie Ghahremani, visit her website at boygirlparty.com.

Jennifer Ward View titles by Jennifer Ward

Susie Ghahremani View titles by Susie Ghahremani

Introduction

There is nothing more joyful and inspiring to watch
than children discovering the world around them.
Whether they're collecting fallen leaves, rolling down
grassy hills, or playing in the waves at the beach—
seeing that wide-eyed wonder in our children is such a
gift. Regardless of the joys that nature can bring, there
has been much disturbing press about the lack of
quality time that children today spend outdoors, along
with startling research and statistics that point to the
detrimental effects this "nature deficit" can cause. And
we see it ourselves. Our children rush around with too
little time, too many gadgets, and too many
distractions, seeking a place to play that is closest to an
electrical outlet. But it doesn't have to be this way.
1 Love Dirt! is a call to parents, educators, and
caregivers to help recover one of the greatest joys in
childhood: spending time outdoors in nature. In five
minutes, you can take children outside and turn their
world around. This book will help you to do that.
These fifty-two open-ended activities offer a wealth
of creative ways to give the outdoors back to your
children. Be it cloud racing, stargazing, making a playdate
with a puddle, or building a bird feeder out of
snow, I Love Dirt! will encourage your kids to explore,
discover, giggle, exercise, wonder, and have a blast
with nature. Sidebars and prompts are used throughout
the book to help you explain basic science and nature
concepts to children. All you need to get started is the
desire to open the door to a healthy relationship with
nature. Soon your little ones will also discover that
spending time outdoors offers the perfect opportunity
to enjoy relaxation, quiet time, reflection, and insight.
The outdoors is at your fingertips, be it a balcony, a
backyard, a porch, or a playground. It is a place just
waiting to be enjoyed and discovered. Time in nature
is cost-free—as are the activities in this book—but the
benefits will stay with your children for a lifetime.
Together we can give the young minds of today—of
our future—the greatest gift of all: an awakened
awareness of the outdoor world.
Thank you for caring enough to pick up this book. It
is the first step to opening the door of discovery just
waiting for you and your children outside. Now get out
there and get dirty!

Copyright © 2008 by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani; foreword by Richard Louv, author of. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.