‘The more you keep children sitting, the less attentive they become.’ Dr Tony Pelligrini, American Education Researcher
Keeping children sitting inside actually leads to less focussed attention, whether your child is in school or not. Research has shown that children with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are better able to concentrate after contact with nature (Taylor et al. 2001), but contact with nature benefits all children. In fact, contact with nature benefits not only our children, but all of us.
Jon Henley writes in The Guardian:
…A growing body of evidence is starting to show that it’s not so much what children know about nature that’s important, as what happens to them when they are in nature (and not just in it, but in it by themselves, without grownups). Respectable scientists – doctors, mental health experts, educationalists, sociologists – are beginning to suggest that when kids stop going out into the natural world to play, it can affect not just their development as individuals, but society as a whole.
So be honest – how often to you encourage outdoor play in the colder months? Can you encourage and advocate for more free play outdoors, in all weather? You will be giving your children the greatest gift. All you really need is a safe outdoor environment, some waterproof gumboots and warm layers of clothing, and that’s it! Send them out to play.
Further reading:
Natural Settings and Cognitive Behavior
National Wildlife Federation – Why Get Kids Outside
Hannah Schenker is a freelance writer, editor and regular contributor to The Natural Parent Magazine. She lives with a touch of magic in Golden Bay, New Zealand.
