Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder: Idea One
The Green Hour
Childhood obesity and all the health problems that go with it are at an all-time high in the United States. You’ve probably heard about a push for a daily “green hour” in which parents make sure kids get outside to play for at least an hour a day. It’s a good idea.
Whether the outside time is in a structured situation such as a team sport, or whether the child is playing independently, the results will be positive in terms of overall health.
What we may fail to realize is the fact that our children’s mental and emotional health are just as at-risk as their physical well-being. When children are forced to engage in adult-led structured lessons and play all day and define free time as screen time, they need a push in the direction of the great out of doors. They need to roam and play freely at least a portion of the day. One hour is really a minimum.
Child development professionals agree that nature fosters creativity and an overall sense of well-being. Multisensory experiences in nature help build background information necessary to more formal, intellectual learning. Children playing outside use their imaginations. They invent stories and act them out. Every part of them—mind, body, and emotions gets a healthy workout.
In some cases where children diagnosed with hyperactivity were allowed to play out of doors every day, despite the weather, the children showed marked improvement in attentive behavior once back in the classroom.
What can parents do to encourage their children to get their daily “green hour?” Most likely they won’t have to do much more than nudge them out the door. Children almost always enjoy themselves when given the chance to be outside in a natural setting.
If you need ideas to get your own family’s green hour on the agenda, you might take a look at this book: The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families and Classrooms by Clare Walker Leslie or hop onto the following websites.
www.bringingbackoutdoorplay.com
P.S. It’s good for adults to spend time outdoors too. Try it.
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