Go outside and commune with nature!

Children today are in need of more natural outdoor environments and outdoor play.  Children would rather watch tv and play on computers and tablets than play outside.  Why is that?  Various reasons actually.  Depending on the neighborhood you live in, it could be unsafe to play outside.  Some parents might not be able to properly supervise their children while outside.  Some children are so engaged in technology, they might not know what they are missing being disconnected from nature.

Talking to one of my colleagues at my school, she expressed how more and more children in schools are sitting in classrooms for longer periods of time.  School districts are eliminating recess times for children in kindergarten through fifth grade while junior high and high school students do not even have opportunities to engage in outdoor environments unless they participate in extracurricular sports.  The colleague indicated to me that she has noticed more that while we decrease children's time outside, we are contributing to increasing children's aggressive behaviors.  Time outside is time well spent to get fresh air, clear our minds, and exercise our bodies (Bailie, 2010).

When children engage in communing with nature, their brain activities are enhanced as well as their play experiences (Dowdell, Gray, & Malone, 2011).  So how do we bring meaningful nature experiences in the early childhood classroom and/or integrate outdoor learning environments into our early childhood environments?  Communities build houses and industrial buildings all of the time. How about if our communities invested in building more natural outdoor learning environments that are accessible to all children (Bailie, 2010)?

This summer, my family and I went to Okoboje, Iowa and found peace and tranquility being surrounded by lakes, beaches, and an outdoor music park.  The outdoor environment provided so many opportunities for us to bond as a family and commune with nature.  My husband and I were able to enjoy our children knowing that we were getting ready to send our oldest off to college and the dynamics in our house would drastically change.  The outdoors provided a stress reliever for all of us breathing in fresh air, feeling sand between our toes, and engaging in music.

It is time to bring nature back into our classrooms and inspire children to use the outdoor world to engage their brains, exercise their bodies, and inspire creativity.

References

Dowdell, K., Gray, T., & Malone, K.  (2011).  Nature and it's influence on children's outdoor play.  

     Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 15(2), pp. 24-35.  Retrieved 

              from http://www.researchgate.net/publication/262180932_Nature_and_its_Influence_on_Children%2

7s_Outdoor_Play

Bailie, P.  (2010, July).  From the one-hour field trip to a nature preschool: Partnering with 

     environmental organizations.  Young Children, 65(4), pp. 76-82.  Retrieved from 

     file:///C:/Users/Nicolette/Documents/Walden%20ED.%20S%20assignments/nature%20education.pdf