Nature Play: Why getting children into nature matters

Why getting children into nature matters

No-one wants to be in the last generation where looking at the stars and playing outside is normal. Nor do we want statistics that say the average time an 8-year-old spends on technology per week in the USA is 52 hours

You are one of the lucky generations because if youʼre old enough to read this chances are you have a special place in your heart that you went to as a kid. You found something there that you couldnʼt find elsewhere.

It may have been a hole in the hedge at the end of the garden, a grassy meadow, or the rock pools that you spent hours exploring on summer holiday.

Whatever your version, I’m guessing your special place was outside.

Mine was under an old tree. The branches came all the way to the ground. We made a path of stones to lead you in. It was secret. And quiet. And smelled of earth. Inside were imaginary rooms and the creek was right outside. Mum probably knew where we were. But I canʼt be sure.

It sounds like a typical childhood. Lots of mud, risk and freedom. But childhood experiences are shifting.

Todayʼs youngsters are spending far less time outdoors than any previous generation. Their schedules are busier, activities more organised and any free time competes with the ever-present lure of the screen.

Then thereʼs the fear.

Parents go through more emotional gymnastics letting kids out beyond the garden gate than it seems their parents did. Modern day parents have been described as ʻmarinated in fearʼ.

Stranger danger, faster cars and the perils of the natural world itself are keeping our kids safely indoors. And itʼs rubbing off. A Massey University study found that children are picking up on their parents fears and are reluctant to be alone or venture out. When asked about their adventures the children in the study talked about video games. Generously, UK author Tim Gill doesn’t just put this all down to parental paranoia. It’s more of a shift in the way we live.

“Our neighbourhoods are more dispersed and less connected,” Gill says. “We’re more dependent on our cars. Both parents are working and there’s a collective feeling of anxiety that’s not just from parents.”

More than just childhood memories are at stake

Richard Louv, bestselling author of The Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle, coined the phrase naturedeficit disorder, sparking an international movement and national debate across North America.

Louv suggests the disconnection of children with nature correlates with increasing social, mental and physical health problems. Thereʼs growing evidence linking a lack of time outdoors to childhood obesity, vitamin D deficiency and rising rates of depression.

Itʼs no surprise ʻnature prescriptionsʼ are being written by pediatricians to help children cope with a range of issues, from difficulty concentrating to autism.

When speaking at New Zealand’s Nature Education conference The Natural Phenomena, Louv explained: “Weʼre at a moment in human history where more of us live in cities. And that has huge complications. Thereʼs no guarantee there will be a special place in the hearts of future generations.”

He asks: “Do we lose the connection we have? Or grab the opportunity for a new way?”

Louv challenges us to develop nature-rich cities and nature-rich schools. He calls for doctors, parents, educators, developers, designers and conservationists to sit around the same table.

Get outside: get the kids outside

If you want your kids outside, guess what? Take them by the hand and head into the forest, up the hill, down to the pond. Take a bag for treasures and no agenda.

Building resilience, selfconfidence and a love of nature begins at your doorstep - underneath the bare feet of our youngest children.

Getting kids outside is a conscious action led by parents and educators. A bug under a log provides wonder and excitement that canʼt be felt elsewhere.

A family walk under the stars builds relationships to each other and the wonder of the world.

Encourage children to feel part of nature at a young age. Help them watch clouds, feel grass under their feet, dig a hole in the back yard. It neednʼt take a lot of resources. Itʼs a way of thinking about life.

By Kate Broughton

Kate Broughton is a writer, lifestyle coach and a member of the Nature Education Network – a group of people who care deeply about children loving the natural world they live in. Together they host The Natural Phenomena Conference: a nature education conference in the outdoors. Kate lives on the Tutukaka Coast with her son and partner.