Play
‘Play becomes joy, joy becomes work, work becomes play.’ - Johannes Itten
Play allows us to be imaginative, expressive, happy and gives us a sense of freedom.
The importance of play for children is a central part of their learning and development. The positive attributes children can develop by playing is confidence, happiness, social skills, language and communication skills. Play teaches kids how to care for others, their environment and promotes cognitive and emotional strength.
Safe play and imagination helps with problem solving, creativity, observing, interacting, exploring, being adventurous and taking calculated risks which enhances their sense of self confidence.
Adults also benefit from play. Play has been shown to release endorphins, improve brain function, stimulate creativity and help initiative thinking in the workplace.
Play improves memory, it helps us to be in the present moment and play makes us feel alive, young, happy and energetic. Play is training for the unexpected and is the essence of learning. Play also heals emotional wounds and trauma by replacing negative beliefs and behaviours with positive assumptions and actions.
What’s in the heART’s mission is to provide encouragement to children and adults to express themselves through Art and Nature activities. In everything we do including work, play is a key factor to creative thinking, problem solving and positive solutions.
‘Play is the highest form of research.’ Albert Einstein
Art
‘Art enables us to find ourselves & lose ourselves at the same time’ - Tomas Merton
Everyone has a unique story to tell and creativity is the means of expression that highlights the importance of our story.
We are constantly having to learn, absorb information, be technical, know how to communicate effectively, fill out forms, write, use computers, be able to remember information, relay information and the list goes on. This can all be draining on the mind.
What’s in the heART believe art and creativity is like a full stop between sentences. It’s the break we need to make sense of our world and what’s going on within ourselves. It gives use the space and the stopping point between the madness of an overly wordy, technical and stressful world.
What’s in the heART’s mission is to put ‘normal’ into the words and actions of Play, Art and Nature. It is important to make ‘happy a habit’ and creativity is a great way to help create that habit.
‘Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple’ – Dr Seuss
Nature
‘Look deep into nature and you will understand it better’ - Albert Einstein
When we talk about Nature what does it mean to What’s in the heART? To us it means:- if there is no nature, there is no future.
Nature is everything, we are surrounded by it, in our material objects, building materials, clothes we wear, cars we drive and houses we live in.
Nature is the provider of so much and we are all learning how important it is in creating human stability. Important economically, materially and also physically, mentally and spiritually.
One thing that experts are finding is one of the keys to lowering our stress, anxiety and frustrations is to be ‘in nature’.
The more we learn about our natural environment, the less scary it looks and the more comfortable we become with it.
Half an hour sitting peacefully amongst greenery and nature feels like a weeks holiday without the costs.
Food is a part of nature and when we grow it ourselves we connect to the heart and soul, the soil. The place where the gold lies in supplying our produce with the fundamental vitamins and minerals for human health and life.
What’s in the heART’s vision is to share and offer knowledge on how to grow your own food and understand the natural environment to promote a healthier lifestyle for families, community and oneself.
‘A man’s heart away from nature becomes hard’ – Standing Bear