Why is the future so often portrayed as a post-apocalyptic dystopia, filled with human brutality and stripped of nature? For decades, our culture has struggled with two addictions: to oil and to despair. But what if our lives were as immersed in nature as they are in technology every day? What if we not only conserved nature, but created [...]
A new report from the National Wildlife Federation, Back to School: Back Outside, shows how outdoor education and time is connected with wide-ranging academic benefits including: Improved classroom behavior Increased student motivation and enthusiasm to learn Better performance in math, science, reading and social studies Reduced Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Higher scores on standardized [...]
Parenting advice can go to extremes. Regarding outdoor play, some experts sternly warn parents about all the dangers, real or assumed — from strangers to noxious weeds – lurking outside the front door. At the same time, parents sometimes find themselves shamed for their fear. “With all of the talk about giving kids leverage and freedom [...]
Updated June 1: As First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the Let’s Move Outside initiative, expanding her campaign to solve childhood obesity, a broad coalition representing the business and non-profit communities announced a national strategic partnership called the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK). OAK brings together the YMCA of the USA, REI, Sierra Club, National Wildlife [...]
An important new paper has just been released that further links children’s time in nature to their overall health. The paper, Using Nature and Outdoor Activity to Improve Children’s Health, was written by Leyla E. McCurdy, MPhil, Kate E. Winterbottom, MPH, Suril S. Mehta, MPH, and James R. Roberts, MD, MPH, and published in the [...]
There is a wealth of research to bolster the need for children to spend time in nature. Now visitors to the C&NN web site can access a round-up of selected research and studies that focus on nature in education and educational settings. These studies, along with others, were originally published by C&NN in four volumes, [...]
New Research Reveals Alarming Lack of Play for Pre-School Children
A recent study revealed that the three-fourths of U.S. children who currently attend child care centers are largely sedentary, engaging in vigorous activity for a mere 2-3% of their day. The research, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has been garnering a lot of attention for its alarming findings. According to [...]