Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind

Overview

This is an extensive collection of outdoor games (many based on traditional forms such as racing, relays, tag, and singing circles) that are active, sociable, and fun. This book will help youngsters increase their understanding and appreciation of the temperate forest bioregion of eastern North America, its creatures, and vital processes. At the same time, they will exercise their motor muscles, executive functioning skills, in addition to developing creative imaginations and social emotional learning/SEL capacities. Also included are correlations with the Next Generation Science Standards, a variety of supporting visuals, and some simple creative dramatics for the very young. The projects and text highlight the benefits of lively, evolutionarily consonant, arts- and play-based learning.

Reviews

“For many years now, Edith Pucci Couchman has been developing some of the most stimulating and creative activities for encouraging young minds to explore the natural world. Her collection “Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind” is the right book at the right time and destined to be well-used by those fortunate to get their hands on a copy.” 
—Green Teacher Magazine

"Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind offers a variety of learning experiences for students and youth ages 3-12 to honor and sustain local environments and our Earth. The games and songs can be utilized by garden educators to teach about pollinators and plants and will enhance youth garden programming." —Stacey Purslow, Farm to School Program Coordinator for the state of New Hampshire

“Here’s a collection of lively, arts-infused, outdoor games, creative dramatics, carefully drawn activity pages, and more. The activities in Circling the Sun, Racing the Wind seek to nurture children’s enjoyment of learning, their physical health and sociability, their creative imaginations, executive functioning skills, and aptitudes for the arts—as well as their informed and compassionate sense of belonging within Nature.” —North American Association for Environmental Education

Author Biography

Edith Pucci Couchman is an award-winning educator and visual artist dedicated to helping youngsters learn more about the amazing Earth Community to which they belong. She encourages children to play active games inspired by ecology and natural history, and offers them opportunities to build their capacities for creating art in many genres. She is on the Board of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire. She is blessed to be the mother of two grown children and a grandmother as well.