The author is ahead of the game here in talking about the importance of outdoor play, getting muddy and taking risks. This has been out of vogue for so many years, glad to see the importance of outdoor play is again being recognised. This author will help convince you.

Loved this books and have been talking about it non-stop with many of my parent friends. It makes so much sense and is what I woudl hope to see being more and more encouraged in our education system.
it is written with thought and sound knowledge of the subject by somone who is passionate about seeking the best for our children and their wellbeing.

great explanation of why outdoor play is so important. written in a non textbook way so parents and childcare professionals can read and enjoy.

I so agree with this author! we need more forest schools in the US! Kids need time to explore woodlands, fields, the outdoors... like we did when we were kids. Less parents, teachers and other caregivers, and more time to be with other kids and explore. Problem solve on their own. I think it's sad how overall deprived and weak our children have become in a few short decades. Something needs to change quickly. This book is a must read for parents, teachers, and anyone who works with kids.

I am 100% in favour of children spending as much time outdoors, climbing trees and running barefoot in the grass.
Therefore I did enjoy this book.
Some of the theories she presents on how this lack of play is affecting children takes things a little too far.
overall a good read.
I do notice with my own children that when they are cooped up inside too long they go crazy.
I think this is an issue that many primary schools need to address more also, there are some children that need more outside time than others.
I also agree that children need to be left alone outside to their own devices for periods of time as they get older. So many parents don't let their children learn to think, fall, scrape their knees and problem solve by themselves, especially in an outside environment.
Overall my children are a little big now for this book to make too much difference but I am pleased that without even knowing I have followed many advices this book gives and my children are happy and healthy because of this.
I received this book for free in e-book format in return for an honest review.

If you are not convinced free play outdoors is a good idea, or you have a child who is anxious or clumsy this book may help you. If you are already convinced it's a good idea, it probably won't. I gave up halfway as it wasn't what I was looking for, too basic for me.

I got a lot more out of this book than I thought I would. When I started reading it there was a lot about problems in the classroom, studies that showed kids needed to move more, input from seasoned teachers, the authors experiences running a camp, and all of that is great. This book is well researched and well reasoned, the author makes her point clearly and concisely, but I didn’t feel like it pertained to me and my child. The Toddler has never been in a classroom, so the problems of school age kids, even preschool, seem very far off to me right now. It wasn’t until I got to chapter 8, When Is My Baby Ready For The Outdoors?, that this book really got my attention. Because up till now I’ve never really made outdoor play a priority in our day.

I never even really thought about letting her play outside, let alone play outside unsupervised. She’s my baby, why would she ever need to play without me? But after reading Barefoot and Balanced I’m thinking playing outside might be exactly what she needs. I’ve noticed a lot of things since we began packing for our move and one of them is that she depends on me, or whatever adult happens to be at our house, for play, independent play doesn’t really happen, and creative play doesn’t really happen either; a tea set is just a tea set, the play kitchen is just for storage, empty containers are just empty containers. I’m not giving her space to explore and be creative. She is my baby and she does still need me, but she needs to be able to explore the world and her own limits too. At first, I was sitting on the couch reading, going ‘that's not about my parenting, I don’t need to do that’ and I got a little defensive and wanted to quit reading, but I quickly realized that it is about my parenting, and that reading books like this one, accepting the new knowledge and doing better going forward was exactly why books like this are important to read. It’s not about criticizing parents, it’s about learning to be better parents who are better able to meet our kids needs and let them learn skills that will serve them for their whole lives.

Personal tangent aside; After getting past the school age kids part at the beginning, Barefoot and Balanced has chapters about what ages kids should be outside at, how to involve kids in outdoor time, how to overcome fears about letting kids play outside (I needed that part!), how to slowly transition to and encourage independent play, and how to get younger kids to be comfortable with less parental involvement. The author also makes a point of saying that it’s still important to play with your kids, play is bonding and will always be important, which made me feel better because I hated the idea of not playing with The Toddler. There is also a large list of recommended reading at the back of the book, and I can’t say I’ll read all of them but it’s something I would like to take a closer look at.

There’s a lot of great information in this book, and I found it a great opportunity to grow as a parent, and I’ve decided to make outdoor play more of a priority for both The Toddler and myself. Since being outside is recommended to help manage anxiety I feel like we can both benefit from it. I gave this book 4 out 5 stars, just because the beginning is a bit preachy, when it comes to schools and recess, and things like that. This was a very informative read, and it’s encouraged me to look more into my parenting and things I could be doing differently. I’ve got a couple of books that are about the Charlotte Mason method that I bought a few months ago but never read, so those will be coming up soon!

Okay, it’s been a couple of months since I wrote this review and I wanted to come in a update it. Since reading Barefoot and Balanced I have made an intentional effort to make outside time a regular part of our day. Nearly everyday we go outside after naptime. The Toddler plays in the yard while I read a book on the porch, and I have to say it’s probably the favorite part of our day for both of us. It’s relaxing for me and an energy burner for The Toddler. She sleeps better, she plays better, and she’s more independent. If you have children of any age I strongly recommend this book. It’s been a good thing for both me and The Toddler.



I received this book free through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this would be an informative book for any parent who is concerned about their child and how they are growing up. It seems like all the advice should be common sense. Let children play.... sadly today it isn't common sense or common place. We live in a neighborhood cul de sac. Including my 4 children there are 14 children on our end of the neighborhood. You'd never know it by going outside and looking around though. I'm trying to make it a point to force my kids to be kids more and spend less time inside on screens.
I wish this book had more info on how to accomplish this and less info about why it's a bad thing that kids don't play like children anymore. I did get a few ideas from it. If you are a parent looking for info on why not playing outside is bad for your child this is the book for you. If you already think your kid should be spending more time outside then this probably is just gonna tell you what you already know.

Fasinating read, lots to think about and implement within the workplace. Essential reading for all who work with young children!