Image by SUDHAKARAN PUTHIYEDATH from Pixabay
And the earth – We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind (50:7)
There is a large body of evidence now indicating the importance of nature for children’s development in multiple domains: intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically (Kellert, 2005). In fact the crisis of not getting enough of nature has become so extreme that it even has a name to it, the Nature Deficit Syndrome.
F Kou was a researcher who studied the effects of nature on people and found that humans benefit from exposure to green environments (parks, forests, gardens, etc.) and on the other hand people with less access to green places report more medical symptoms and poorer health overall. “Kuo uses the phrase “Vitamin G” (G for “green”) to capture nature’s role as a necessary ingredient for a healthy life. Evidence suggests that, like a vitamin, contact with nature and green environments is needed in frequent, regular doses.”
There is even research to indicate that children’s lack of contact with nature may be the reason for the rise in many of the cognitive and mental disorders seen today. Many studies show that children who play outside are smarter, happier, less stressed, less anxious and more attentive than children who play inside.
Studies show that exposure to nature impacts:
- Brain function ; better concentration, better attention and higher academic performance
- Better motor coordination
- Reduces stress and fatigue – it’s called Attention Restoration Theory!
- Increases social interactions and improves social skills
- Improves confidence
- Promotes imagination and creativity- because they get more unstructured play and often design their own activity
- Provides different stimulation: nature engages more senses than remaining indoors, a greater variety of sights, sounds, smells, and things to touch
- Improves overall physical health; probably due to more physical exercise, less stress and even helps improve vision.
A Norwegian study showed that children who used a forest as a play area were better in motor skills than children who used a standard playground (with a sandpit, swing, seesaw, slide). Note both of these were outdoor settings and the difference was in the “nature component” outdoors, one was a forest, the second a man-made playground!
A Swedish study showed that children who attended day care centres surrounded by nature had better attention capacities and motor coordination than children who attended day care centres surrounded by tall buildings. Another study showed similar results for children who grew up in housing closer to nearby green spaces.
References:
https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/