Whether you are an adult or a child, being out in nature has so many positive benefits for a person; physically, mentally as well as emotionally. The outdoors being a place with little to no structure at all, makes it the perfect space to feel free, to explore one’s wants and needs, likes and dislikes equally. It is not at all surprising that a lot of children tend to find their love for nature conservation, outdoor sports and activities whilst actually being outdoors and experiencing these activities firsthand.
Spending time indoors in front of a television, or glued to a computer screen has become such a norm not just for adults but for children especially; at the end of the day a recurring action often stems from learned behaviour. It can be strongly argued for, that children apply to their daily lives the things that they see grown-ups do.
According to the ‘Child Mind Institute’ recent studies have exposed the benefits – even a necessity – to spend time outdoors for both children and adults. Some studies show that children who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive and less anxious than children who spend more time indoors. While it is unclear how exactly the cognitive functioning and mood improvements occur, there are a few things we do know about why nature is good for children’s minds:
- It builds confidence: There are infinite ways to interact with outdoor environments, from the backyard to the park, to the local hiking trail or lake and, letting your child choose how they treat nature means they have the power to control their own actions.
- It promotes creativity and imagination: This unstructured style of play also allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely, design their own activities and approach the world in inventive ways.
- It teaches responsibility: Living things die if not taken care of properly and, entrusting a child to take care of living parts of their environment means that they will learn what happens when they forget to water a plant or pull a flower out from its root.
- It provides different stimulation: Nature may seem less stimulating than your child’s violent video game, but, in reality it activates more senses – you can see, hear, smell and touch the outdoor environment in comparison to a virtual setting. As young people spend less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow and this reduces the richness of human experience.
- It gets children moving: Most ways of interacting with nature involve more exercise than sitting on the couch. Your child does not have to join the local football team or riding a bike through the neighbourhood, a simple walk will get their blood pumping. Not only is exercise good for children’s bodies, but it seems to make them more focused, especially beneficial for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- It makes them think: Nature creates as sense of wonder for children that no other environment can provide. The phenomena that occur naturally in backyards and parks everyday make children ask questions about the earth and the lives that it supports.
- It reduces stress and fatigue: According to the Attention Restoration Theory, urban environment require what is called directed attention which forces us to ignore distractions and exhausts our brains. In natural environments, we practice an effortless type of attention known as soft fascination that creates feelings of pleasure, not fatigue.
Source: Child Mind Institute
So while screen time is the easier and more popular option for children these days, it is crucial that parents and guardians give as much importance to spending time outdoors with children, have children spend time outside with their friends and peers or have them interact with nature in a free and non-conforming way where they can truly express themselves.
