去看玫瑰和勿忘我吧。

我摘了一些在路边生长的草莓

把它们排在一根稻草上

在我脚下真痒

我能用我的脚趾感觉到它。‍

Barefoot without socks and shoes,

I shall talk a walk with you,

Out to where the summer winds rise up

To the roses and forget-me-nots.

I pick strawberries that grow by the roadside

Line them up on a straw

Which tickles so nice under my foot

I can feel it with my toe. ‍

《赤脚民谣》就这样开始了，它在瑞典几乎每一个国家的小学毕业典礼上演唱。在瑞典，很少有现象能像孩子们赤脚玩耍那样与夏天的开始密切相关，而肮脏的脚是一个自由和快乐的童年的著名象征。

Thus starts The Barefoot Ballad, one of the most cherished children’s songs in Sweden, sung at just about every elementary school end-of-year ceremony in the country. In Sweden, few phenomena are as closely associated with the start of summer as children playing barefoot, and grubby feet are a celebrated symbol of a free and happy childhood.

在这种文化中长大，我仍然记得每年一度的仪式，在第一个温暖的春日光着脚在家里跑，感觉凉爽的草和我的脚底，用脚趾从柔软的苔藓中挤出水分。

Having grown up in this culture, I can still recall the annual ritual of running barefoot around the house on the first really warm spring day, feeling the cool grass against the soles of my feet and squeezing the moisture from the soft moss with my toes.

多年后，当我在美国抚养自己的两个女儿时，我发现那里的照顾者并不一定像我一样迷恋让孩子们在户外赤脚玩。人们担心孩子们如果不穿鞋子就会受伤或感染疾病。我注意到孩子们甚至在室内穿鞋子——在幼儿园、在学校，有时也在家里。美国的一些日托所和幼儿园甚至有明确禁止赤脚行走的政策。

When I raised my own two daughters in the US many years later, I found that caregivers there didn’t necessarily share my infatuation with letting children play barefoot outdoors. People worried that children would be injured or infected with disease if they didn't wear shoes. I noticed children even wearing shoes indoors — at preschool, at school, and sometimes also at home. Some daycares and preschools in the US even have policies explicitly prohibiting bare feet.

这太糟糕了，因为孩子们赤脚步行有很多好处，即使在欧洲经委会，也可以安全地进行。是的，甚至在户外！

That’s too bad, because children have a lot to gain from walking barefoot and it can be done safely, even in an ECE setting. And yes, even outdoors!

让幼儿赤脚走路的好处

The benefits of letting toddlers walk barefoot

穿鞋会影响我们的一切，从步态、姿势和足部发育到足弓的力量。例如，我们有科学证据表明，平底鞋在那些通常穿鞋的孩子中比那些不穿鞋的孩子要常见得多。我们也知道，拱门发育的关键时期是在6岁之前。这意味着赤脚走路在儿童早期尤其重要。

Wearing shoes affects everything from our gait and posture and foot development to the strength of our foot's arch. For example, we have scientific evidence to suggest that flat feet are far more common in children who usually wear shoes, than those who don’t. We also know the critical period for the development of the arch is before age six. This means that walking barefoot is especially important during early childhood.

但这不仅仅是关于儿童的脚——赤脚玩耍也会影响大脑的发育。

But it's not just about children's feet — barefoot play affects brain development too.

对于孩子们，赤脚行走可以：

With children, walking barefoot can:

提高运动技能。2018年，一项针对德国和南非儿童的研究表明，赤脚游戏有助于提高运动技能，尤其是在平衡和跳跃方面。

· Improve motor skills. A 2018 study of children in Germany and South Africa suggests that barefoot play can contribute to improved motor skills, particularly when it comes to balance and jumping.

防止受伤。赤脚或穿极简主义鞋子的人的脚会变宽，这有助于更均匀地分配身体的重量，并可以防止受伤。

· Prevent injuries. People who go barefoot or wear minimalist shoes develop wider feet, which helps distribute the weight of the body more evenly and may prevent injuries.

加强孩子的脚。2018年的一项研究显示，传统的鞋子会削弱脚的肌肉，而赤脚或短鞋可以加强它们，支持正常的步态。

· Strengthen children's feet. Conventional footwear can weaken the muscles in the foot, whereas going barefoot or minimally shod strengthens them, supporting normal gait, one 2018 study shows.

建立新的神经连接。赤脚会刺激脚上的数千个神经末梢，并激活儿童大脑中的前庭和本体感受系统。这有助于孩子们在空间中定位他们的身体，并发展诸如平衡和协调等技能。

· Build new neural connections. Going barefoot stimulates thousands of nerve endings in the feet and activates the vestibular and proprioceptive systems in children's brains. This helps children orient their bodies in space, and develop skills like balance and coordination.

安吉拉·汉斯科姆是儿科职业治疗师，《平衡与赤脚》一书的作者，她建议让孩子尽可能赤脚在室内和室外赤脚行走。

Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and author of the book Balanced and Barefoot recommends letting children go barefoot as much as possible, both indoors and outdoors.

她写道：“当孩子们在不同大小的鹅卵石和不平的地面上行走时，户外行走给他们的脚提供了自然的信息。”“阻力和不一致性的本质提供了脚部的反射，形成强大的拱门。在大自然中赤脚行走有助于发展正常的步态模式，平衡和对脚部触摸的宽容，所有这些都为自信和流畅的运动提供了坚实的基础。”

“Walking outdoors offers natural messages to children’s feet as they walk on different-sized pebbles and uneven ground,” she writes. “The resistance and inconsistency nature offers integrates reflexes in the foot and forms strong arches. Going barefoot out in nature helps to develop normal gait patterns, balance and tolerance of touch in the feet, all of which provide a strong foundation for confident and fluid movement.”

这种赤脚走路的触觉反馈对所有年龄段的孩子都有益，而不是那些正在学习走路的婴儿。

This tactile feedback from walking barefoot is beneficial to children of all ages, not the least babies who are just learning to walk.

‍如何在家里和以后提供赤脚的体验

How to offer barefoot experiences at home and beyond

我们生来就是赤脚走路的，孩子们通常不需要多少说服就能放弃鞋子。作为父母或照顾者，你所需要做的就是支持孩子们探索鞋子世界的自然倾向，从婴儿时期就开始了。尽可能多地对赤脚玩耍说“是”，并尝试为孩子们提供各种各样的自然表面。

We’re all born to walk barefoot, and children usually don’t need much convincing to ditch the shoes. As a parent or caregiver, all you need to do is to support children's natural inclination to explore the world sans shoes, starting already in babyhood. Say “yes” to barefoot play as often as possible, and try to offer a variety of natural surfaces for children to walk on.

在后院和儿童保育环境中，创造一个不同表面的感官步行路径是一种有趣的方式，让孩子们探索不同的纹理，并促进健康的感官发展。

In a backyard as well as a childcare setting, creating a sensory walking path with different surfaces can be a fun way for children to explore different textures with their feet and promote a healthy sensory development.

当孩子们脱鞋，感受脚下的地面时，他们就会意识到自己的感官、身体和周围的环境。

When children shed their shoes and feel the ground beneath their feet, they gain awareness of their senses, their bodies and their surroundings.

以下是一些关于天然材料在感官路径中使用的简单想法：

These are some simple ideas for natural materials to use in a sensory path:

砂

· Sand

卵石

· Pebbles/rocks

草

· Grass

松果糖类

· Pinecones

稻草

· Straw

污物

· Dirt/mud

地面覆盖装置

· Ground-covering plants

木屑

· Wood chips

苔藓

· Moss

树干切片

· Tree trunk slices

水

· Water

如果你可以进入自然小径，它们也可以是孩子们赤脚去的好地方。

If you have access to nature trails, they too can be a good place for children to go barefoot.

解决关于赤脚行走的风险和担忧

Addressing risks and concerns about going barefoot

儿童赤脚走路的一个常见问题是有被地面细菌和病毒感染的风险。

A common concern about young children walking barefoot is the risk of infection from bacteria and viruses in the ground.

事实上，当儿童把手指伸进嘴和鼻子，而不是通过脚时，他们更有容易感染。此外，阴脚黑暗、潮湿的环境比光脚更有利于真菌和细菌的生长。皮肤本身是一种防止感染的天然屏障，孩子光着脚走路越多，皮肤就变得越硬。这也降低了因伤口而受伤的风险。

In reality, children are far more likely to pick up an infection when they stick their fingers in their mouth and nose, rather than through their feet. Plus, the dark, moist environment of a shod foot is more conducive to fungal and bacterial growth than bare feet. The skin itself is a natural barrier protecting against infection, and the more a child walks barefoot, the tougher the skin becomes. This also decreases the risk of injury from cuts.

如果你在幼儿园或日托所，在让孩子赤脚走之前，检查一下你所在地区适用哪些规则，通过解释好处以及你计划如何管理潜在风险，让父母加入。

If you’re in a preschool or daycare setting, check what rules apply in your area before letting children go barefoot, and get the parents on board by explaining the benefits and how you plan to manage potential risks.

这些建议将帮助你保持赤脚游戏时间的安全和愉快：

These tips will help you keep barefoot play time safe and enjoyable:

目视检查该区域，以确保地面上没有危险物体。

在阳光明媚的时候，检查沥青和沙子等表面的温度，因为它们会变得非常热。

如果追踪里面的污垢和碎片有问题，在附近放一个塑料垃圾桶和毛巾，孩子们可以在那里冲洗干净。

如果孩子们不想赤脚走，就不要强迫他们赤脚走。

· Inspect the area visually to make sure there are no hazardous objects on the ground.

· On sunny days, check the temperature on surfaces like asphalt and sand, as they can get very hot.

· If tracking dirt and debris inside is an issue, keep a plastic bin with water and some towels nearby, where the children can rinse off.

· Don’t force children to go barefoot if they don’t want to.

在大多数情况下，赤脚行走的好处远远大于风险。与其对抗孩子想要赤脚走路的欲望，不如试着拥抱它，并记住，肮脏的脚通常是孩子快乐的标志。

In most cases, the benefits of barefoot walking by far outweigh the risks. Rather than fight a child’s desire to go barefoot, try to embrace it and remember that grubby feet are usually a sign of a happy child.

此外，光脚不仅仅是孩子——你为什么不脱下鞋子和袜子，加入乐趣呢？你的脚会感谢你的。

Besides, bare feet aren’t just for kids – why don’t you take your shoes and socks off and join in the fun? Your feet will thank you.

（原文链接：https://www.famly.co/blog/playing-barefoot-children-toddlers）

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