Mother Nature is a Phenomenal Educator!

It probably comes as no surprise to parents that children are spending less and less time outdoors in nature.  My guess is that many of us have fond memories of spending hours riding bikes around nearby neighborhoods or chasing fireflies in the evenings or playing tag in green spaces outside of the view of our parents.  This isn’t going to be a rant on how today’s children spend more time viewing television, being on social media, playing video games, etc. than they do being physically active outside, although that is true. Today, I’d actually like to summarise the research on the benefits of outdoor play for young children and give you some ideas on how to get outside with your kids more!  I read this fascinating book by Richard Louv called The Last Child in the Woods (highly recommended if you’re a parent or educator!) In his book he talks about “nature-deficit disorder”, which is essentially that today’s kids are spending way too much time indoors disconnected from nature. Here are some tangible benefits to outdoor play:

1. Improves health:  A large body of research shows that children’s social, psychological, academic and physical health is positively impacted when they have daily contact with nature.   Studies show children burn more calories outdoors, helping to prevent obesity and strengthen bones and muscles. Getting plenty of sunshine a natural, no-cost way to build up vitamin D in the body, which means stronger bones and less likelihood of developing chronic diseases. Children who play outdoors often are more curious, self-directed and stay with a task longer. Studies of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found that children with ADHD who spent significant time outdoors exhibited fewer symptoms.
2. Builds courage:  It’s so important for children to start taking appropriate risks at an early age.  In an earlier post, I talked about the important of letting of kids fail and celebrating these failures.  If we keep our children in a protective bubble, they may not develop the courage to face the challenges life will inevitably throw at them.  In Germany, they have “Forest Pre-Schools” and in these programs very young children, I’m talking under 5, learn how to use knives to carve wood.  Young kids are much more capable than we often give them credit for.
3. Develops executive functions:  We all want our children to develop into leaders. Unstructured outdoor play helps children plan, troubleshoot, negotiate and use their imagination to problem solve and keep themselves entertained! (Can I get an “amen” for that last one!)  When they play with others, they work on their communication and cooperation skills. They flex their creative muscles by inventing and playing new games. Richard Branson talks about how his mother not only encouraged him to play outdoors but would purposely put him in challenging outdoor situations to help build his problem solving skills.  He shares a story of his mom actually driving him several miles from home and dropping him off on the side of the street and telling him he had to figure out how to get home on his own. Now I’m not advocating that you abandon your child, today you’d likely be arrested for such behavior but I think you get the gist :) He credits much of success to this type of upbringing.
4. Improves sensory skills: Toddlers learn through all their senses and it’s so important to cultivate all their senses as they grow.  They light up when they see a bunny run across the yard (sight), eat a juicy orange (taste), experience the aroma of fragrant flowers (smell and touch), watch the water splash from stomping in puddles (hearing and touch).
5. Builds an appreciation of nature:  We are facing a climate crisis of epic proportions.  I believe that part of the reason for this is that we’ve become so disconnected from our environment that we don’t have enough emotional willpower to make the behavior changes needed to save our planet.  If our kids never grow up hiking through the woods, swimming in lakes, and building sand castles on the beach, they may never understand what could be lost. The founder of Patagonia built a multi-million dollar company that cares for the environment because of his early outdoor experiences. Children who identify with nature are more likely to grow up to be adults who appreciate nature and want to protect the environment. The future of our planet depends on our children.

So as a parent what can you do?  Here are a few ideas:

1. Make sure they feel like it’s ok to get dirty! Let them jump in muddy puddles and roll around in the dirt.  Yes, there will be stained clothes and more laundry but the benefits for your children and the happiness it will bring you seeing them have so much fun will far outweigh the inconvenience, I promise you!
2. Organize outdoor playdates. Yes, you can do outdoor playdates with infants.  Let them roll around on the grass or look up at the glorious sky.  You can always bring a blanket along or a yoga mat for them to roll around/lay on.
3. Walk to and from school. If your child’s schools is in walking distance, this is an easy way to get a little extra outdoor time in every day.  If you have to drive, park a few minutes from school and walk with your child. Point out elements of nature along the way like the trees, bushes and flowers.

1. Have picnic lunches/dinners outside. You can do this in your backyard if you have one, or at local parks.  Try picnicing in a different local park every weekend and learn which one and why is your child’s favorite.  Give them more exposure to the outdoor elements they enjoy most. If they love being around water, more beach weekends might be in order.  If they love the greenery, try hiking with them. The ergobaby is a god-send for hiking with your infant!
2. Meditate outside. There is nothing better than meditating in nature.  This is not only a wonderful habit to build as an adult but so great to instill the practice in your children early on.
3. Go camping in the backyard. This one is for slightly older kids.  If you’re blessed with a backyard, pitch a tent on night and go camping!  Make this a time to completely disconnect with technology and spend time reading with flashlights, telling stories and enjoying gazing at the stars or listening to the crickets (or coqui frogs if you’re in Hawaii!)
4. Garden with your kids. Working with your child to maintain a vegetable garden or flowerbed is a fantastic way to spend time outdoors, teach them how to garden, grow your own food and enable your kids to literally reap the benefits of their labor.  When they’re infants/toddlers, let them play around outside and watch you work. You’ll be amazed at what they’ll pick up and be able to do once they’re a little older. If you live in a city, find a organization cultivating a rooftop garden.
5. Put out bird feeders. Your kids will love watching birds congregate and keeping the feeder filled with food will give them an excuse to get outside everyday as well as teach them responsibility.  Google, “how to make a birdfeeder” and you’ll find tons of ideas on how to make these cheap.

1. Rake a big leaf pile and let them demolish it!  If you have a toddler, you’ll get just as much enjoyment out of watching them crash into it as they will!  If they're not pre-schoolers, leave the rake out so they can rebuild it until they’re done playing and then have them rake up the leaves :) (I don’t think this counts as child labor)
2. Provide simple tools to aid outdoor discovery. Give them balls, sidewalk chalk, buckets, a trowel, magnifier, etc. and let them get creative in your backyard or at the local park.

There’s a whole world out there to explore!  No matter where you live, there are ways to get outside with your kids and appreciate all that nature has to offer. Would love to hear any other ideas from you all!