Let’s get children back into nature!

We all have fond memories from childhood of making paper boats, chasing kites, rushing outside to catch the first drop of rain,watching ants on the march or spending hours just laying back looking at clouds and gazing stars at night. And whether we realized it or not, these experiences helped form our outlook on the world around us and shaped us as an individual what we are today. But those kinds of memories are disappearing fast for many young children today. More children today have less contact with the natural world and this is having a huge impact on their health and development.

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Children are being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), irritable bowel syndrome and migraine headaches. All this clearly indicate that our children are suffering from STRESS.Getting children back into nature is more imperative than ever — for the sake of the children and the future of our planet. 

During early childhood years,children very much need to have a large amount of sensory experiences on daily basis in order to build up strong bodies and minds. This is best done outdoors where the senses are fully ignited and young bodies are challenged by the asymmetrical and inconsistent, ever-changing environment.If children are not given enough natural movement and play experiences, they start their academic careers with a disadvantage. They are more likely to be lumbering, have trouble paying attention, difficulty controlling their emotions, use poor problem-solving techniques, and exhibit difficulties with social interactions. 

Sensory, motor, and cognitive concerns are being reported more and more in later childhood, partially because of insufficient opportunities to move and play at an early age. It’s not so important what children know about nature, rather what happens to them when they are in nature and more importantly when they are in it by themselves (without adult supervision). Scientists, doctors, mental health experts, educationalists, sociologists – are beginning to suggest that when children stop going out into the natural world to play, it can affect not just their development as individuals, but society as a whole.

The American writer Richard Louv, author of the bestseller Last Child in the Woods, has defined the phenomenon as "nature deficit disorder". Something "very profound" has happened to children's relationship with nature over the last couple of decades, he says, for a number of reasons:

• Technology has pulled our children away from the nature and they have started bargaining their outdoor time with computer, smart phones, Xbox games, television etc.
• Children's time is much more pressured than it once was (projects, assignments and exams).
• Spare time to be spent constructively: after-school activities, coaching classes, organised sports, barely any time left for free outdoors. 
• Today, parents don't even want their children to get dirty.
• Another biggest fear to today's children being allowed out even to the nearest park is the fear of unknown adults around. Which is why most parents don’t allow children outdoors unsupervised. This has significantly augmented the “Helicopter Parenting”.

However, dozens of studies from around the world confirm regular time outdoors produce considerable progress in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning ability, creativity and mental, psychological and emotional well being. Free and unstructured play in the outdoors boosts problem-solving skills, focus and self-discipline. Socially, it develops cooperation, flexibility, and self-awareness. Emotional benefits include reduced aggression and increased happiness. 

Nature can be used as an effective tool to get children to experience not just the world around, but themselves. So while climbing a tree a child learns to evaluate his strength, gauge risk and takes his own responsibility. Falling off from a tree teaches a very good lesson of measuring the risk rightly. As adults we should let children exercise true free play. Play that's not structured as per an adult, there shouldn’t be any specific activities, no fixed tools. Children should be allowed to set their own challenges, measure their own risks, take their own responsibility, have their own adventurous journey, and learn from them. And what they will learn we can't teach them. 

Parents, teachers and school can adopt the following methods to get children excited and get them to explore NATURE:

1. Parents can read inspiring stories to children and find activities to get the children back outdoors.
2. Start when they’re young,even babies in arms, will respond with interest to the marvel of their natural environment. Seize the moment to infusein your child an interest and admiration for nature.For example, draw attention of your child to the sound of the birds and reiterate with their names “Can you hear the crow?” “Can you hear the cuckoo?” etc.
3. Help children observeand providethem the means to discover and examine the natural world, from the minuscule world of the insects to the flora and fauna, and the night sky constellations.

a. Give your childrentheir own child-sized binocular for use during outings in nature. 

b. A journal with blank pages to keep a record of observations. As journal pages will fill gradually, childrenwill gain a sense of pride which will deepen the bond with nature.

c. Provide children with books which detail the birds, mammals and wild flora specific to the locale. 

d. Pin a large (poster-size) map on a wall at home/classroom. Children can highlight areas explored and will developknowledge of the surroundings and its attractions. 

4. Provide children a small camera to capture their discovery and later the copies of the pictures can be used for festival greeting cards to the relatives/school staff. This adds value to the child’s efforts and gives them sense of accomplishment.

5. Give each child an area to supervise; can be a small corner of the backyard or pots in the balcony or the nature wall in the classroom. Young children can just monitor the changes in this area over the seasons. Older children can take on a chore such as maintaining the nature wall, watering the plants or growing their own vegetable patch. These outwardly little acts instill the belief of individual responsibility for the care of our environment.

(Source: http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/connecting-young-children-with-nature: Nature wall Moss, pine cones, curly twigs or vines, different tree barks, birds’ nests, eggs, branches with lichens, snakeskin, abandoned bees’ nests, dried sunflower heads, seed pods, beach grass, shells, rocks, whelk egg cases, seaweed, horseshoe crabs, seagull feathers, Indian corn; gourds; dried plants, flowers, or leaves; coconuts; rocks or gems; large seed pods; pretend birds’ eggs)

6. Teachers, parents and children can create their own clubs that would organize weekend hikes and other nature experiences.

7. School premises should offer more natural play spaces as it stimulates learning and creativity, and improve children behavior.

With the threats facing our environment approaching a steep threshold, we must amplify our efforts to teach our children the marvel of nature. This is our best assertion that they will make wise choices throughout their lives which benefit the environment and promote the values of sustainability for the benefit of all.

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