why our kids need to get out and why we need to let them

America's genius has been nurtured by nature—by space, both physical and mental. What happens to the nation's intrinsic creativity, and therefore the health of our economy, when future generations are so restricted that they no longer have room to stretch? One might argue that the Internet has replaced the woods, in terms of inventive space, but no electronic environment stimulates all the senses. So far, Microsoft sells no match for nature's code.
—Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

I'm trying to be brave, buck our fear-based culture and give my first grader room to stretch. Read more in my column in the TribLocal.