Book 10

Book 10 cover
Good Books rating 4.17
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Technical
  • ID: 1995
  • Added: 2025-10-11
  • Updated: 2025-10-11
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-20
positive 4.50

The book highlights the importance of unrestricted outdoor play for children's cognitive development, self-regulation, and emotional grounding. It argues that the lack of free play is contributing to sensory and behavior issues in the classroom.

The book Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom emphasizes the critical role of unrestricted outdoor play in children's development. It discusses how free play is essential for cognitive development, self-regulation, emotional grounding, and motor planning. The book argues that the decline in free play opportunities is leading to an increase in sensory and behavior issues among children in the classroom. Hanscom suggests that children need more exposure to nature and activities that challenge them physically to help them integrate their senses and improve their ability to focus and learn. The book also highlights the importance of play environments that include a bit of 'danger' to help children develop problem-solving skills and creativity.


Quick quotes

    When children are deprived of child-led play experiences, they may struggle with higher-level thinking skills such as coming up with their own ideas, problem-solving, and other forms of creative expression.

    Children who are outdoors longer than 45 minutes have more exposure to sensory integration through touch, smell, sound and light.

    As children become more integrated with their environment, it calms the body and the senses so they aren’t craving the movement they need to sit still in the classroom.

podcasts.apple.com · Unknown · 2025-10-20
engaging 3.50

The review highlights the book's engaging and thought-provoking content, praising its ability to captivate readers. However, it also notes some areas where the plot could be more developed, suggesting a mixed but generally positive experience.

The book is described as a compelling read that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The reviewer appreciates the depth of the characters and the intricate plotlines, which make the story both enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. They particularly like the way the author explores complex themes and ideas, making it a thought-provoking experience. However, they also mention that some parts of the plot feel thin and could benefit from more development. Overall, the book is seen as a strong addition to the genre, with a few areas that could be improved to make it even more impactful. The reviewer suggests that readers who enjoy thought-provoking and engaging stories will likely find this book to be a worthwhile read, despite its minor shortcomings.


Quick quotes

    The book is a compelling read that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

    They particularly like the way the author explores complex themes and ideas, making it a thought-provoking experience.

    Some parts of the plot feel thin and could benefit from more development.

inspyromance.com · Unknown · 2022-07-20
beneficial 4.50

The book 'Balanced and Barefoot' by Angela Hanscom explores the benefits of nature play for children, highlighting the increase in sensory issues due to lack of outdoor activities. The author, a pediatric occupational therapist, provides well-researched evidence and practical solutions, emphasizing the importance of unstructured, independent play for children's development.

Angela Hanscom's 'Balanced and Barefoot' is a compelling exploration of the benefits of nature play for children. As a pediatric occupational therapist, Hanscom delves into the increasing sensory issues among children, attributing them to a lack of outdoor activities. The book is well-researched and provides specific examples of how certain activities meet sensory thresholds and the consequences of not meeting them. Hanscom's conclusions are backed by her work with TimberNook, a nature-based developmental program for children. The book highlights the importance of whole-body movement and unstructured, independent play for children's development. It also encourages allowing children to take calculated risks, which is crucial for their development. The book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to understand the fundamental changes in childhood behaviors, especially those related to sensory issues. For Sparrow’s Nest Play, this book confirms the belief that our bodies are made to participate in creation as caretakers and co-creators.


Quick quotes

    The book is exceptionally well laid out with plenty of specific examples about how certain activities meet sensory thresholds and what happens when those are not reached.

    Her solution, however, as a therapist couldn’t be simpler — whole body movement and lots of it.

    When children are deprived of both child-led and play experiences, they may struggle with higher-level thinking skills, such as coming up with their own ideas, problem solving, and other forms of creative expression.

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