I told my child that it was called cloudberry in English. However, while researching a bit before writing this blog post, I realized that Ainselu has been termed as Golden Himalayan Raspberry in English. While writing this, he is having his free time at home. Let him unlearn and relearn things—I am not going to correct the English term for him. I am already content that this eight-year-old is able to term it correctly in Nepali.
It was again a slow morning. Last night, I had completed reading a Nepali novel. Hence, I woke up late in the morning. So did the kids. After the morning meal, I had no other plan than getting more sleep and starting a new book during the day.
He reminded me of juicy berries that they brought home earlier this week. I did not have a chance to have a second thought after hearing this. He then took me to one of the open fields in our village.
Popularly called Ainselu in Nepali, Golden Himalayan Raspberry is prevalent in hilly areas of Nepal. We overcame some obvious degrees of pain due to pricks and scratches caused by the thorns of the bush. We were surprised to find mature and juicy berries.
After eating some berries, we brought some more home.
While sitting down writing about this, I asked myself—why on earth am I writing about a simple berry-picking activity? I found the answer myself. Firstly, I wanted to tell a story. Secondly, I want people to realize that the real world (mostly outdoors) offers rich opportunities for transformative learning.
While juxtaposing our experience (father’s and child’s) against the learning phenomena, I found Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences quite relevant.
Theory of Multiple Intelligences during Berry-picking Activity
I could bring in many other theories and concepts in today’s activity with my child—for example, outdoor learning and place-based education (theories that I am a fan of). However, Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence came to my mind when I was thinking of the learning value of berry-picking with kids. In this context, I am going to use eight intelligences, as many other writers do.
Visual and Spatial Intelligence
It was my child who led me there. Last time, it was free-ranging kids who discovered this bush. Knowledge and practice of physical geography comes into this context.
Linguistic and Verbal Intelligence
My child was able to use a wide range of words to describe the Golden Himalayan Raspberry bush and the berries themselves.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
Papa, do you know that the other side of the bush has more juicy and sweet berries than the ones on this side?
I was more than surprised to hear this. The observation was valid. I explained that this could be due to the amount of sunlight.
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
We had to do various kinds of body movements to get there, pick and eat berries, collect some more for the family, and return home with berries in hand. We also tried our best to avoid injuries from the thorns of the bush.
Musical Intelligence
To be honest, the experience was not intentionally musical. Till the moment of writing, neither my child nor I have gone through any structured musical learning beyond consumption. During this activity, we did not do anything musical besides the spontaneous absorption of natural sounds—birds chirping, river flowing, wind blowing, and horns of nearby vehicles.
Interpersonal Intelligence
We talked with each other and connected during this activity. We discussed the child’s experiences with other kids. We also thought about our family members who would enjoy these berries, so we brought some home.
Intrapersonal Intelligence
My child loves to explore nature when he feels bored. He recognizes this and is able to communicate it. Hence, he convinced me to go there and enjoy this activity.
Naturalistic Intelligence
While returning home, our conversation became quite naturalistic:
Papa: Do you think we should preserve such a bush? Child: Yes! Papa: Why do you think so? Child: We can get such tasty berries for the long run.
Well, parents or caretakers do not necessarily need to connect every parenting moment with theories. Children need caring and shared moments with their favourite people while learning from nature.