This blog is a space for me (Megan Zeni) to think out loud and share what I’m learning about parenting, teaching and gardening with kids. I’m a mom of three, a wife to one, and a teacher of many. I love learning! Becoming a teacher was one way to never have to leave school and I’m kind of obsessed with ways of making modern academic learning more enjoyable and meaningful for kids.
In my perfect world there would be no classrooms and kids would play to learn outside all day. I owe a great debt of gratitude to the many brilliant and innovative educators who share their ideas and wisdom with me online and within my school district. I frequently share out what I’ve learned on my social media so be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Linked In.
I’m a vocal advocate for free, risky, and unstructured nature play. It’s time for adults to go back to letting kids climb trees, jump off stuff, and #goplayoutside. I try to practice what I preach, and enjoy spending time with my family skiing, boating, and hiking in this beautiful province we call home.
I currently teach outdoors (part time) at my children’s local K-7 public school and piloted a re-think of how we allocate prep time in our school. My teaching partner and I teach outside all day. We do not have an indoor space to teach in! You can read more about how we transitioned to teaching 100% outdoors here. The children who participate in the garden/ outdoor classroom program receive 110 minutes per week of outdoor learning, in all weather and seasons. I am concurrently working towards a PhD at UBC in the faculty of education in curriculum and pedagogy. Follow along on my journey by signing up for my newsletter or following me on social media at @roomtoplay.
Room to Play Consulting
I offer workshops, teacher professional development, and consulting on a wide range of topics. If you are looking for Room to Play’s organizational services, I no longer offer full design and installation, but I’m happy to stop by and share some tips for your DIY project or consult with your builder. Contact me here if you would like pricing on consultation services for building, designing or preparing children’s play spaces. And visit my blog for loads of shared research and ideas on preparing play spaces for kids.
The Classroom Gardener
I’m the author of The Classroom Gardener teacher’s guide and believe that just about any curricular content can be taught in a school garden! I’m happiest working and learning alongside kids in an outdoor classroom and would love to share my passion and knowledge of school-yard gardening with your staff and students. If your organization, district, or school would like help starting or expanding outdoor classrooms or learning gardens, contact me for professional development rates and availability. I also offer a wide variety of workshops for parents and teachers on the importance of unstructured nature play in the lives of children. You can read testimonials from happy workshop participants here and view a sampling of my workshop topics here.
When I’m not working on a gardening project, I’m fond of restorative naps, reading whatever my book club pick of the month is or surfing the web for ways to run away and live in a little house overlooking the sea.
