Why Engagement With Nature Is Important for Children

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Engagement with Nature is Important

Though I grew up in a city where access to nature was limited, I always loved nature and natural surroundings. And we always had a pet at home. I remember how excited we children would be to visit a park or zoo. We used to play outdoors mostly and in retrospect, I think this contributed to our general good health. I remember we hardly had any health issues back then.

Children today need to connect with nature more and learn of the endless wonders in it. They should be given the chance to experience nature’s magic. The escape into an imaginary world of nature and its inhabitants can bring out the artist in the child. It was the same with my daughter. She loved animals and a visit to the zoo was her favorite pastime. We often took her to parks and zoos. I think every child is born with a tendency to love nature and it is up to us to expose them to it by whatever means possible. And where direct access is not possible, it could be through books, movies, or art related to nature.

Benefits of Nature on Children

As we enter into an era of urbanization and industrialization, children are distanced from nature which is unfortunate because children who grow up enjoying nature will grow up to be happier and healthier. So here is a list of benefits of nature on children:

# Best Gift to children

The gift of nature provides immense biological, cognitive, and spiritual benefits to children. It has been observed that children who grow up in a nature deficit atmosphere have attention difficulties and more physical and emotional illnesses which affects their future also. Co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Children & Nature Network, Richard Louv in his book ‘Last Child in the woods’ has termed the deficiency suffered by children due to non-connect with nature as Nature-Deficit-disorder.

• Research shows that an exceptional rate of brain development is observed in infants from birth to age five through outdoor experiences.
• Active outdoor play which most schools try to include in the curriculum these days is known to help in the development of core skills like problem-solving, learning, reasoning, resilience, creativity, and social and emotional learning.
• As the activities of our children move from outdoors to indoors, their dependency on technology increases which can be dangerous. Learning from nature can reducing the dependency on technology, can improve their imagination and resourcefulness.

# Bond with Nature Vital for Children

Nature is a child’s first glimpse into magic and wonder. Children have an innate bond with nature. Nature has a bounty of wonderful experiences for the children. The amazement at the sight of colorful, beautiful birds soaring in the sky, the different hues of flowers and plants, the delight on the child’s face when seeing the shimmering colors on the wings of a butterfly sitting on a flower, hearing the croaking of the frogs, the hum of the bees, a murmur of the leaves are all experiences which enhance the lives of our children and which are very vital for them. They learn a lot watching an orderly row of ants marching with determination and discipline. These are the benefits of bonding with Nature.

• Improves the children’s ability to learn
• It helps build their confidence
• It helps build Self-discipline
• Improve academic development
• Helps them to be calm
• Helps develop good values
• They learn important life lessons
• And they learn about the importance of ecosystems and ecological balance

# Nature as the Foundation for Development

Children’s relationship with nature and animals is a foundation for development in life. As children learn more about nature they grow up to be better human beings. The following benefits of connecting with nature have been observed:

• Increase in cognitive development, social skills, creativity, awareness, concentration.
• Increase in resilience, self esteem, spiritual quotient and reduced stress and anxiety.
• Become more productive, actively engage in community activities as they grow up.
• They learn to appreciate the intricacies and beauty of nature.
• Develop a love for nature and grow up to develop a responsibility to protect the environment.
• They inspire their parents and friends to care for nature and develop greener habits.
• They grow up to be more generous, caring, helpful to others.

# Living in Harmony with Nature

Children should get an opportunity to discover the multiple forms of life in nature and learn how-to live-in harmony with them. With their simplicity and innocence they are able to appreciate nature and its diversity. They develop a connection with it and each other.

Children should know that nature provides us with the basic essentials for all life, like the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the space to live, and shelter to be safe, and how essential it is to conserve and protect it. They should be made aware that human health and well-being are intricately linked to the other systems of life in nature and we need to develop a healthy relationship with it that is nurturing and rejuvenating.

The sooner we realize that we humans are just one part of an interconnected and interdependent web of life, the better care we will take of our environment and protect it. The ancient tradition of Sanatana Dharma practiced in India recognizes the oneness with all life. Simply being in the midst of beautiful nature can calm the most agitated nerves and an anxious mind and soothe a disturbed soul.

“Adopt the pace of Nature. Her secret is patience”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

# Enormous Health Benefits

Children who spend more time outdoors tend to enjoy more physical activity and as a result, they enjoy enormous health benefits. As little as half an hour of outdoor play per week has helped decrease the symptoms of psychosomatic illness and psychological symptoms as per a study of Canadian adolescents. The following health benefits have been observed:

• Reduced rate of obesity due to more physical activity as children spend more time outdoors.
• Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases can be avoided with increased outdoor engagement.
• Better mental health as natural spaces promote calmness and relief from stress and anxiety and help in overall psychological wellbeing.
• Reduces the symptoms of ADHD in children suffering from the disorder.
• Improvement in immunity as natural environments provide cleaner air and more oxygen to breathe.
• Helps improve vitamin D naturally from being exposed to sunlight.
• Improves sleep patterns with increase in physical activities.
• Helps in de-addiction from electronic gadgets and exposure to unwanted information.
• Outdoor activities like jumping, climbing, running help in improving muscle strength.
• Physical activities outdoors help in the release of endorphins which keep the children happier and healthier.

“Enjoy your walks amidst nature and rejuvenate yourself”–

Final Thoughts

Child development experts stress the importance of outdoor play and nature connect to children from a young age, for healthy physical and mental development, and for developing self-confidence and independence. A simple obstacle course and a trampoline jump in the backyard is good exercise, which not only limits screen time but is fun for the children.