When I was a kid, we lived on a cul-de-sac with a school across the street and a large forest at the end of the circle. We kids on the circle spent endless hours in those woods exploring and building forts in the trees. Very little time was spent indoors.Many of my peers relate similar experiences as children and lament that children today are not having the same opportunities. Children often grow up in cities and if they are lucky have a park with playground equipment to go to. I must admit that this is how my children grew up and I was always close by keeping an eye on them. Stranger danger caused my generation to be afraid of letting our kids out of our sight.
When I read Richard Louv's book, "Last Child in the Woods," I realized that I myself, as well as my kids, were suffering from what he calls "nature deficit disorder." And I was pleased to find this very excellent review of the book by Jimmie. She relates her own experience living in a huge city in China with a small child. After reading Louv's book, she also realized that she "longed for green. I felt that there was "no escaping man" as Louv quotes Bill McKibben." And to help her daughter she began to incorporate nature study into their days. The main point of the book to her was that all of us, but children especially, really need nature.
According to Louv, nature provides "emotional well being, spiritual sense of perspective, observation skills, cognitive abilities, creativity, healthy risk taking, observation skills, balanced sense of humility, stress management, increased attention, and lowered depression."
Whew. Sounds like a miracle drug to me. How does it provide all of these things? Jimmie explains that because spending time in nature involves all of the senses, it is a terrific learning experience, definitely not wasted time. And Louv writes, "Time in nature is not leisure time; it's an essential investment in our children's health." On top of that, spending time in nature helps establish that love for nature that is so badly needed today. For only if we love something, will we try to protect it.
Please visit Jimmie's review of the book to learn more and, hopefully, read the book for yourself or better yet, take your kids outside.
Visit: SquidLit Review - Last Child in the Woods
Your comment made me laugh. I have revisted lenses and thought, "What a great lens!" before I realized I'd already favorited it!
ReplyDeleteNature is healing. I was just reading this article that emphasizes the same thing but from a slightly different prespective.
Thanks for the article link, Jimmie. A friend told me about that study but I hadn't read the article yet.
ReplyDeleteLove your thoughts and review, Kim and Jimmie's article. So many fond memories of playing outdoors all day long and into the evening when I was a kid. I was lucky, my husband and I were able to choose neighborhoods to live in where our own children could have that outdoor time too. It was important to both of us and our children benefited just as we did. My daughter has to work at it a little harder but also makes sure little Isabel gets as much outdoor time as possible. Nature nurtures us both physically and emotionally.
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