Thriving too

In Season

I am warming to my 'growing' theme this week. Epicurious has launched a seasonal map for the US. You can click on any state on any month and see what is locally grown in season.  Very good!

Thanks for the link Jennifer!

Bloom: Peddling Green

The Bloom device is meant to be a subversive and inspirational tool for our concrete jungles. Similar to the tuft of a dandelion as the wind carries the seedling, we propose a way of dispersing seedlings with bubbles and bicycling. Seeds are co-mingled with a bubble mixture and upon pedaling to your destination , you release the floating seeds which land in cracks and crevices throughout the city streets. Over time, the seeds grow into flowers and plants to create a green "fringe" to our sidewalks and streets.

Question: Do you think you could get arrested for this?

Thank you James David!

Cooking our children 'just right'

I admit to being pretty horrified by this article in the New York Times about the support in the US being given to ideas about educating boys and girls separately following a book by Michael Gurian called Boys and Girls Learn Differently. I am sure they do. What really struck me however is that the advice being offered, and taken up in some schools, extends to teaching girls and boys in different room temperatures . . . 69 degrees for boys and 75 degrees for girls. Also the light bulbs in the boys classrooms emit cool white light while the girls light bulbs emit warm yellow light.

Mmmmm .... Optimum growing conditions?

So refreshing then to hear this great TED talk by Gever Tulley entitled '5 dangerous things you should let your kids do'. In case you don't have time to watch this persuasive 10 minute talk below are the five/six things are:
1. Play with fire
2. Own a pocket knife
3. Throw a spear
4. Deconstruct Appliances
5. Break the digital media copyright act
6. Drive a car

I know how I would like to grow up and learn about myself and the world. In fact I spent a lot of time playing with fire and knives and had chances to drive trucks around when I was very young .... and look what can happen with that!!

How do we know exactly where the lines should be drawn between safety and exploration, under-stimulated and over-stretching? It seems that on the one hand we want to teach children how to be resilient and robust and on the other we are taking away these experiences and treating children like fragile plants where education works to create only the most perfect flowers?
More on this emotive and important subject soon, as I will be reviewing Hothouse Kids and Everything Bad is Good for You very soon.