Engaging people in real-world experiences builds brain power more than classroom assignments, exams, or online learning. Homesteading is a perfect example of a complex task that feeds the brain and impacts physical health and well-being. Learning to live self-sufficiently is an exciting challenge that takes us back to our roots and connects us to nature. It can also get the creative juices flowing as we build our own farm and a community of farms like a carefully crafted work of art. The Art of Homesteading.
Let’s get people out of their cocoons and moving about in the community! Let’s get children out from behind their desks…out of single-age classrooms! Out of classrooms altogether. Outdoor activities with friends and family help maintain physical and emotional health. On the other hand, adopting a sedentary lifestyle invites illness…very quickly. Let’s get seniors and elders out of isolation, up and moving! Exercise helps all ages build new brain cells. Move it or lose it takes on new meaning when we understand that physical movement helps us learn and stay healthy, regardless of our age.
Engaging children outside, connecting to nature, creating art and having conversations supports brain-building and keep kids physically and emotionally healthy. “Conversation Art” is all about building and strengthening inter-generational relationships, bringing elders and children together to talk about what interests them.
Engaging seniors in sharing memories and building oral traditions helps to maintain neural networks and strengthen emotional relationships. Sharing childhood memories is a great mental stretching exercise to keep us mentally sharp and emotionally happy.
Good nutrition, mental challenges, and consistent activities that connect us with nature all contribute to health and happiness well into old age. Have conversations with your grandparents and elderly relatives, start a conversation with a child, share a meal, take a walk…The Art of Homesteading…what have you got to learn?
u.m.schin