You wouldn’t be reading the NRS e-News unless you are an outdoors
person. What’s more, you probably wouldn’t be reading this
article unless you have kids, grandkids or other young people in your
life. You love the outdoors and you can help spread that passion to
the younger generations.
Ainsley, Rob and Henry on the
San Juan River, UT.
©Amy Haggart |
Children today often don’t have the same access to the
natural world as previous generations. There are multiple reasons
for this. More people are living in urban and increasingly urbanized
suburban areas. Many parents are apprehensive, often with good
reason, about letting their kids roam unsupervised. In many households,
both parents work, limiting the time they have to supervise outside
play and exploration. Video games and other forms of electronic
entertainment are plentiful and seductive. And kid’s lives
have become much more scheduled, with parents shuttling them between
sports practice and games, music lessons, after school activities,
etc.
Is this a bad thing? Many researchers in childhood development and
environmental education think it is. They find that exposure to positive
experiences in natural environments improves creative problem solving
skills and creativity. It also aids in the development of imagination
and motivates life-long learning. Being in nature lowers stress and
builds a connection to the earth that is important for creating an
environmental consciousness. |
So what can we as adults do to give our young people the gift of a
nature education? First, it’s about making the time to take them
out and let them play in the outdoors… not in a manicured park
with manufactured playground equipment, but in the rough and dirt and
wet. And it doesn’t have to be out in the wilderness. Most places
have areas of underdeveloped land, sufficiently accessible for your
purposes.
With young children, you don’t have to worry with a lot
of organized activities. Just let them roam and romp and play.
They’ll find creative ways to amuse and entertain themselves.
Older children can enjoy games of plant and animal identification,
looking for animal tracks, collecting leaves and plant seeds,
etc. Keeping an outdoor journal that they can draw and write
in can be fun as well. Make a place at home where they can display
their collected treasures.
Many local conservation groups sponsor land restoration projects and nature excursions
that can be fun for the whole family. Scouting teaches many outdoor skills and
fosters self-challenge and leadership. Many museums have nature programs and
field trips for all ages. Some summer camps have a nature-oriented curriculum. |
Henry's happy to be on the water.
©Amy Haggart |
And of course, camping and boating with your young people offer many
opportunities for learning, fun and exploration. See
“Living” With
Kids on Boating Trips,
Kids
Safety and
Boating
Safety for Infants & Small
Children for tips on making these activities safe and enjoyable.
Buy gifts that promote enjoyment of the outdoors. Plant, animal and
insect identification books stimulate interest. A magnifying glass
opens up whole new worlds. New LED
headlamps really conserve battery
life; any kid will enjoy having their own. A pair of inexpensive binoculars
makes looking for wildlife fun. Use your imagination.
Ainsley stylin' and staying hydrated.
©Amy Haggart |
Some things that will increase safety and enjoyment during these outdoor
excursions are:
- Make sure they have nourishing snacks. Playing in the outdoors makes ‘em
hungry.
- Get them their own water bottle.
- Dressing them in bright clothes makes it easier to keep track of
them.
- Give them a whistle and teach them how to use it for signaling if
they get separated from you – three blasts repeated at intervals
until they’re located.
- Get them a small daypack to carry their snacks, water, sunscreen
and the rocks and other stuff they’ll collect.
|
Most of all just get out there with them! They’ll
have fun and so will you. Mowing the lawn and vacuuming the living room
can wait. Kids grow up fast. Spend the time in those early years to create
lifelong outdoor enthusiasts.
Editor’s note: I grew up in an era when “Go outside and play” was
license to roam the neighborhood, stay out in the woods for hours at
a time, collect critters, build forts, fish, come home dirty and tired.
It instilled a need and love for a connection with the earth and all
its glories. I did my best to give that same love and connection to my
two boys.
I’m interested in your thoughts and experiences on this subject.
Write me at
editor@nrsweb.com.
Enjoy the outdoors and Be Safe!
Clyde
