  Like almost any Pagan I love a good book on the subject and as a parent with my child at home, I am always on the lookout for activities to do with her. If you are the same then I recommend these two books to cozy up to this fall. Children of the Green by Dr. Hannah E. Johnston was the impetus for starting this blog. It’s quite different from other books on family-centered Paganism because it’s not really a how-to book full of projects. Instead, Johnston explores what it means to be a Pagan and how we instill those values in our children. There are ideas on what to do as a family, but this book is contemplative rather than action-based. Divided into chapters based on the elements, the author uses this format to address parenting and caregiving from a holistic perspective that includes the emotional and spiritual development of children as well as their intellectual and creative side. The real gift in this book is the reminder that spending time with our children in any way whether it’s sitting in the garden or cooking a meal has immense value and we shouldn’t sweat the academic stuff so much. An important message, especially now! The Garden Classroom by Cathy James will leave your mind reeling with all the possibilities of outdoor play and learning. It is full of awesome activities and many of them are pretty easy to prepare for little to no cost. We have loved making bug hotels and nature based art just using what we have in our yard. While Dr. Johnston’s book inspired me to start this blog, James’s book inspired our outdoor learning space the Merry Meet Classroom. True, it’s not a book on Paganism but her ideas on being outside and learning about the natural world are very much part of Pagan beliefs systems. If we want our children to have reverence for Mother Nature/the Goddess/the Divine they need to develop a relationship with her (or them or him). If you enjoy her ideas then go over to her site Nurture Store, which is full of amazing homeschooling activities. 
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