I know, I’m obsessed with the great outdoors – especially the part about getting the kids out there. I suppose I worry about it because the children in this era seem to get a lot less of it than we did growing up. Living in the part of the world that we do doesn’t exactly help matters either, but there are so many important reasons why children need to be immersed in nature that it almost seems criminal if we do nothing about it.
Just in case you’ve missed them, let me count the ways being immersed in nature is good for us…
The Psychology of Why Kids (and Adults) Should Play Outside:
- Children who play outdoors have a stronger sense of purpose and self-fulfilment than those who don’t
- How much time are we looking at? Between 5 to 10 hours a week.
Benefits of Nature on the Cognitive, Emotional, and Physical Health and Development of Children
- Children are healthier
- Children are happier
- They perform better in school
- They suffer less from symptoms of attention-deficit disorders
- They have improved resistance to stress and depression
- They have higher self-esteem
Direct exposure to nature also provides the following health and developmental benefits:
- it stimulates cognitive development and creativity
- reduces likelihood of developing myopia
- reduces likelihood of developing childhood obesity
10 Remarkable Ways Nature Can Heal Your Mind
- Feel more alive
- 50% more creative
- Reduce acute stress
- Ease dementia symptoms
- Improve memory
- Greater sense of belonging
- Urban mental health boost – for families that live in cities
- Increased self-esteem
- Improve ADHD symptoms
- Helps different parts of your brain to work together in sync
See also:
- Being in Nature Fights Depression, Improves Mental Health and Well-Being
- Nature makes us nicer people
- Living in urban areas with more green space increases mental health scores
- 5 Minutes with Nature Can Boost Mental Health
- What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis
Adventures in Nature
With school hours being so long, it is sometimes difficult to find time to get outside with the boys during term so over the holidays, I took the opportunity to spend a little one-to-one time with G2 in the great outdoors – like when we visited Lake Gardens…
To encourage G2’s love for nature, he was given a pair of Wellies and binoculars for Christmas. What a perfect gift for my little adventurer…
Finally! A chance to break in his new boots! G2 leaped at the opportunity like a fish to water – literally.
G2 has always been my nature boy. I hope he never forgets the music in his heart whenever he’s out there – especially since he is growing up in a concrete jungle. One day, I hope we’ll even go rock climbing together…
More Outdoor Adventures in Nature:
Just some of the places we’ve explored before that I remembered to write about…
- Malaysia:
- Singapore:
- Australia:
And who can forget the magic of sand play?
Nurture for the Future 