I am sitting here holding a wooden pebble in my hand as I reflect on how Kodo Kids and I met. This wooden pebble is just one of the many beautiful materials created for children by Kodo Kids.
Here is what I remember about that day at NAEYC:
In 2018, my book titled: Inspiring Wonder, Awe, and Empathy – Spiritual Development in Young Children (2018) had just been published and made available at the NAEYC Annual Conference. It was displayed in the Convention Hall along with hundreds of booths and products. One of those booths belonged to Kodo Kids.
Being a fan of Kodo Kids from the start, I made my yearly visit to see what was new and to touch the beautifully made wooden toys and ramps. As I was engaged with these materials it occurred to me that these toys; these learning materials are beautiful! The care and thought that goes into the design and process of making them actually parallel what I write about in my book. In other words, I clearly saw a link between Kodo Kids’ philosophy and my research and work in spiritual development.
When children play with beautiful, stimulating materials, their spirits are awakened and nurtured. They experience wonder, awe, joy, and inner peace…words that come directly from my own research.
In 2018, I purchased the new wooden pebbles from the Kodo Kids booth and shared my thoughts with Kasey Kile, Director of Professional Development. To this day, when I hold one of the wooden pebbles in my hand, I am reminded of that day. I am also reminded of the close tie between spiritual development and nature.
For more information on Spiritual Development consider the following:
- View Deborah’s Previous Blog: Introduction to Spiritual Development with Young Children
- Take Deb’s online course: Inspiring Wonder, Awe, and Empathy: Spiritual Development and Spiritual Moments
- Purchase her book from RedLeaf Press
Wishing you much joy, Deborah Schein.
