Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.
~ Ancient American Indian Proverb
It is being discovered that nature has healing effects on children. Richard Louv, author of the book "the Last Child in the Woods" coined the term nature-deficit disorder. All across the United States there is a decline in the number of families visiting National Parks and an increase in the ownership of electronic media by children. Louv, says children growing up today are deprived from the many healing elements found within nature. There are a growing number of research studies that indicate the negative effects that occur when children experience less time in nature.
Louv beieves that a couple reasons for this is that there are more demands on children's time. In past generations children had much more free or unstructured time where they could create, dream, and fantasize through play. This type of imaginative play helps build a child's character, develop a child's sense of autonomy, practice problem solving, and uncover his or her own natural element of creativity. Another reason is children spend less time outdoors. Many research studies now indicate that three out of four Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way for the body to generate and activate vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin but a fat soluble hormone that influences the development and maintenance of over 300 genes. Scientists are now discovering that many of the current health problems we have in the United States are related to a vitamin D deficiency. Another important factor to consider is that children are subject to a sedentary lifestyle. Children are increasingly less mobile and more sedentary. This has lead to the current epidemic of obesity and low vitamin D levels. Less time spent outside means less time for activity and less exposure to sunlight. Obese children need twice as much vitamin D than children of a healthy weight because vitamin D is not absorbed as effectively in obese individuals.
Benefits of Nature on Children
When children frequently play in nature it provides important benefits to their spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Here are few proven ways children benefit from unstructured outdoor play.
- Better focus and concentration.Dr. Kuo found that when children who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) play outside they demonstrate a better ability to focus, concentrate, and perform. Children who frequently play outside in an unstructured environment have demonstrated higher scores on concentration tests than children who play indoors. These researchers believe that the brain needs time to renew or have mental breaks. The time children spend in nature acts to restore attention opposed to time spend in front of the television or playing video games which drains the attention centers in the brain.
- Better coordination and agility. Scientists have found that children who regularly play outside have better coordination, agility, and balance. These children develop better motor skills and are less metabolically challenged than children who spend most of the time indoors.
- Improved memory skills. Memory levels improve when children play outside. This might be due to the extra benefits they receive from vitamin D. Or an improvement in memory could be due to the fact that play in a natural environment heightens the mechanistic ability of the four senses.
- Physically healthier. When children remain indoors they are not often exposed to the health benefits of fresh air. Infections breed in enclosed environments. Encouraging children to play outside helps strengthen their immunity resulting in less sickness.
- Better prepared for real world situations. When children play in natural environments they learn to improve their awareness to their surroundings, use and navigate the world with heightened senses, and build on their observation skills. Learning in a natural environment helps children handle real world situations better than time spent in front of the computer or time spent playing video games.
- More imaginative play. According to researchers, children who play outside often have more imaginative play that helps build social skills. When outside children can use leaves, dirt, sand, water, grass, and other natural elements to feel the texture of nature, observe the multitude of colors found in nature, and listen to the unique sounds of nature. Those creative and engaging experiences where children experience an element of surprise as they uncover the "secrets" found in nature cannot be experienced indoors.
- Better ability to handle daily stressors. Researchers found that when children play outside nature has a calming element which helps children to better handle everyday life stressors. The more children play in nature, the greater the stress benefits are.
- Better social relationships. Children who often play in nature have better social relationships with their peers. Unstructured outdoor play reduces the amount of bullying behavior.
- Cultivates a love for nature and for life. Regular contact with nature gives children a love for nature and the environment. We cannot love what we fear. Children who grow up without frequent contact with nature may not possess a desire to preserve nature and protect the environment, when they become adults.
- Encourages autonomy and individuality. Children who frequently play outdoors have the opportunity to feel powerful. When children play video games they might feel powerful after winning a game or uncovering a hidden or secret passage but this power does not compare with the energized power they receive from overcoming elements found in nature. For example, when children discover how to climb a tree, open up an acorn, or build a sand castle they will anticipate the adventures that await them in nature.
Creative Minds Learning Center schools believe in going outdoors as much as possible and creating learning experiences at every turn. Gardening and imaginative play are some of the experiences the children have at our schools. Each school features a designated outdoor play area for the children. Our Gateway school has one of the largest private play grounds in Portland (over a half an acre) with a garden space, toddler area, gross motor development areas, bicycle path, play houses and more. Our other schools have natural play areas which inspire the children to play safely with their friends. Creative Minds does not believe in playgrounds that tell the child what to do.
Links:
