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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insights INSIGHT
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.
insights INSIGHT
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.
question_answer ANECDOTE
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.
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How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home
Ned Johnson
William Stixrud
In 'What Do You Say?', William Stixrud and Ned Johnson offer a comprehensive guide on how to communicate effectively with children. The book focuses on defining and demonstrating the basic principles of listening and speaking, and provides new ways to handle specific, thorny topics such as delivering constructive feedback, discussing technology boundaries, explaining sleep and brain function, addressing anxiety about current events, and family problem-solving. The authors emphasize the importance of treating parents as consultants rather than managers, encouraging children to make their own decisions, and maintaining a positive communication ratio to foster a supportive and resilient family environment.
Balanced and barefoot
Angela Hanscom
The Self-Driven Child
The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives
Ned Johnson
William Stixrud
This book combines insights from clinical practice, educational coaching, and cutting-edge brain science to address the chronic stress and lack of motivation many children face. Stixrud and Johnson argue that giving children more control over their lives is crucial for their development, as it enhances their motivation, resilience, and overall well-being. The authors provide practical advice on how parents can act as consultants rather than controllers, helping children develop inner drive and intrinsic motivation through autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The book also discusses the negative effects of excessive parental control and external motivators, and offers actionable steps for parents to implement in their daily lives[2][3][5].
In one of the most powerful episodes of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast to date, Ginny Yurich welcomes back Angela Hanscom—pediatric occupational therapist, author of Balanced and Barefoot, and founder of TimberNook—for her fifth and most stirring conversation yet. Angela unpacks the developmental consequences of our modern restrictions on movement—from limited recess to screen-heavy lifestyles—and why so many kids today are falling out of chairs, struggling with emotional regulation, and losing their sense of joy.
This episode is a wake-up call for parents, educators, and policymakers. Hanscom explains why simple, vigorous play—rolling, spinning, climbing, swinging—is not optional, but essential for neurological development, sensory integration, and future learning. With clarity, evidence, and compassion, she makes the case that three (or more!) hours of outdoor movement daily isn’t just ideal—it’s developmental oxygen. If you’ve ever wondered how to give your kids a thriving summer and a better future, start here.
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