Immersing ourselves in the natural world distances us from the minute-by-minute demands of our busy days, and helps us appreciate the beauty around us. Parks also provide opportunities for physical activities that promote heart health and reduce stress. It turns out that "slowing down to smell the roses" is more than just folksy advice.
In fact, 97 percent of youngsters who took part in the survey said they play video games - and that includes 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls.
We have always blamed the decline in camping and interest in National parks on electronics, quoting the fifth-grader: “I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.” The Economists disagrees, and suggests that we should "blame conservationists, not video games."Food for thought.
One camp psychologist said she used to spend half her time on parental issues; now it’s 80 percent. Dan Kagan, co-director of Bryn Mawr, has started visiting every new family’s home in the spring and calling those parents on the first or second day of camp to reassure them.When I went to camp, my parents dropped us and fled the scene. We did not see them or hear from them until pickup day. Not that we had time to think about home, there was too much to do. In this new information age, there are far more ways to communicate, and camps like some of the techniques and reject others.
At a parent meeting to prepare us for our son’s week at Cub Scout camp, we were told that the biggest change for our boys would be the amount of time they spent outside.
At camp, the boys would be playing out of doors most of the day.
There would be plenty of shade and water to keep them healthy, but so many hours out of doors might be an unpleasant surprise to youngsters who weren’t accustomed to it.
The real window, as you might imagine, was the most restorative. The researchers expected the plasma screen’s ability to score somewhere between that of the window and the wall, but it ended up being no different than the latter. Furthermore, the longer the window-gazers looked outside, the more they recovered. The plasma screen had no such effect.No Kidding.
the Toledo Blade:"You can walk up stairs and count them or collect leaves," said Stipek. "There's no excuse for not spending a lot of time outside in California, and some kids are over-structured. But a lot of kids have too little structure, and they don't have anything to do after school."
Bird's Tender Tracks preschool is totally outdoors: Parents drop off their children at a Palo Alto park with lunch and a change of clothes. The kids then pile into Bird's rumbling white van for adventures. The parents who sign up tend to be outdoorsy types themselves.
"When I was a kid, we ran in a pack. There were about 16 of us, and we played games like hide-and-seek and found turtles and frogs in the creek," said Natalie Simison, who grew up in Palo Alto.
But we need to find a way to transfer that same youthful passion to the great outdoors. It's depressing to think that our national and state parks are increasingly becoming places for old people to go, while many of those same folks of a certain age are intimidated by the crush of young humanity at the shopping malls.and Blue Ridge Now, from North Carolina.
Such lessons are central to Muddy Sneakers, which takes local students out of the classroom and into the great outdoors. The program's goal: Helping children combat "nature deficit disorder."
There's nothing new about doctors recommending their patients take more exercise. But what kind?You could pay a fortune for gym membership, or you could trudge down to your local swimming pool and spend the rest of the day smelling faintly of chlorine.
But the best exercise of all might be the easiest and the cheapest: a stroll in the park, or a country ramble.
The secret ingredient? Greenery. Those of us who live in towns and cities, and even some who live in the countryside, don't get enough of it.
Here's more from the Charlotte Observer.
Why should we be concerned about these trends?
First, how can we expect children to help protect nature when they don't appreciate it? Conservation efforts will be even more daunting when future generations have not had experiences in nature.
What is more important, research shows that being close to nature may increase people's ability to concentrate, improve the behavior of children with attention disorders and boost science test scores. Taking a walk in the woods, stopping to smell the roses and digging in dirt are good for mental health, learning and brain development.
Researchers from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that children are kept indoors if they are wearing flip flops instead of sneakers, or are not wearing the appropriate clothing or coat for outdoor play.Ouch.
Cameron Renteria, 9, is buzzing with excitement over a patch of sandy earth. It's shaded by a twisting juniper and ringed by rocks. It has just enough room for him and two friends to cram onto, unpack their peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, and chatter with bravado about what they'll do if they encounter mountain lions and rattlesnakes.
Do your children play outside? Do they know where to watch ants on the march or find a good climbing tree? Or are they inside, parked in front of a screen? Most important, what's in store for kids -- and society -- when children are cut off from nature?
These are urgent questions for two Portland moms, Tonje Hessen Schei of Sunnyside and Meg Merrill of Multnomah Village, who are making a documentary, "Play Again," that explores a culture in which the average child recognizes more than 100 corporate logos but can't name 10 plants.
It’s a hard sell at a time when television news features endless reasons for alarm – abductions, sexual predators and freak accidents (like children falling in wells or being attacked by bears) among them. We all need to unplug, for the sake of our children.
In his book, Louv sings the praises of allowing one’s offspring to roam the neighborhood alone. Nice concept, but often impractical. We live on a busy city street, not a suburban cul-de-sac. Scheduling dates with nature seems to be the next best solution.
1. Yoo-hoo, butterflies: Bring a swarm of butterflies to your yard by planting lantana, black-eyed Susans or purple cornflowers. Migrating species need flowering plants even through November.
In Michigan, the Pergams enjoyed Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula. "The Porkies," as they are known, have cabins for rent for those who want to speed-date nature but aren't quite ready to go steady.
We have lost so much connection to the natural world that it’s almost silly to even pen those words. Because industrial agriculture has killed the family farm, just in my lifetime, 100 generation’s worth of food-growing knowledge has evaporated. Globalization has all but killed our domestic timber industry/knowledge. Few folks now know how to weave or mill or make pottery from dirt or metal from ore. And, now, with the demise of hunting we are witnessing the death knell of yet another activity that connects us to our self-sufficient past.
