The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast 1KHO 489: Why Modern Childhood Is Failing Kids' Bodies and Brains | Angela Hanscom, Balanced and Barefoot
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May 27, 2025 Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook, highlights the dire consequences of restricted movement in modern childhood. She advocates for outdoor play as essential for children’s neurological and emotional development, arguing that activities like climbing and spinning are vital. Hanscom stresses that daily outdoor movement can be transformative, linking it to improvements in mental health and joy. Her insights urge parents and educators to prioritize unstructured play and rethink traditional approaches to child development.
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Play Is Children's Main Occupation
- The main occupation of a child is play, especially outdoor play, which is at risk in modern times.
- Outdoor play is fundamental for child development in ways clinics and classrooms cannot replicate.
Vestibular Sense Fuels Development
- Vigorous movement like spinning, climbing, and swinging develops the vestibular sense essential for sensory integration.
- Vestibular input helps children understand body awareness and navigate safely in their environment.
Vestibular Helped Boy Read
- A 7-year-old boy who couldn't read properly improved after vestibular therapy that trained his eye muscles.
- This shows how vestibular input is linked to crucial skills like eye tracking for reading.
