08/15/2026
I had such a lovely time at Amberations on Friday, August 14, 2026. It was a beautiful day—perfect for Stonework Play.
A special thank-you to Gloria, the young women, and the accompanying adults for delving into Stonework Play with such grace. The girls did a wonderful job with their construction, rendering, and narrations. As they shared their stories, so many natural truths emerged. Just as every stone is different, so are we as human beings.
The Amberations mission speaks of creating a place where connection with nature, exploration, contemplation, and community can thrive. It certainly did that for me. I felt peaceful and happy inside. The girls expressed similar feelings when they finished their Stonework Play: peaceful, happy, and at home.
Stonework Play moves through five simple steps: gathering, constructing, rendering, narrating, and sharing.
I loved watching the girls discover and gently manipulate nature—moving sand, working on a bridge, and creating among the grass with stones. I hope these photos offer you a glimpse of our time together.
Their camp-over that evening also brought back memories of my first tent-over with my best summer friend, Mary Cowan (now Mary Santee), when we were 14. We put a pup tent in our front yard overlooking Otisco Lake. In the middle of the night, our neighbor Ricky McClave crept up from the water with a flashlight under his chin and scared us half to death! We grabbed our pillows and ran into our own homes. A memory I have never forgotten!
I hope Amberations can become a home for Stonework Play. In a world increasingly filled with AI, computers, and cell phones, Stonework Play offers a simple way to reconnect with nature, ourselves, and one another.
I also strongly recommend my niece Dr. Dana Suskind’s newly released book, HUMAN RAISED, a New York Times bestseller. It offers parents thoughtful guidance for navigating these changing times with AI.
And please consider joining International Stonework Play Day, held around November 3 each year. Here is the way to a free booklet for International Stonework Play Day which is on and around Nov 3rd every year. https://nurtureinnature.com.au/international-stonework-play-day/
International Stonework Play Day is almost here again and we invite you to play, create, learn, and share stories with usIt is free, and people around the world participate in their homes, schools, organizations, and communities, and outside in sand, mud, grass, a stream, and even in snow.
You can find videos in many settings on YouTube and learn more by searching Stonework Play / Diana Suskind for articles, books, and videos.
Enjoy the photos and Amberations’ own words about Stonework Play. I hope you will give both Amberations and Stonework Play a try!
