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Health & Fitness

Ideas for Connecting Your Child to Nature

The weather is getting warmer and it is the perfect time to instill in your children a love for and a connection to nature!

Happy spring!  As we all welcome the warmer weather, this is the perfect time to remind parents how important it is to encourage children to play outside.  To make it easier, I have included some tips on how to connect your child to nature by age:

Infants and Toddlers - Even the youngest infant can experience nature. Try finding a spot under a tree where they can experience the wind, light, and shadows while taking in the sounds of birds, animals and insects. Sit them in the grass so that they can begin to experience feeling comfortable in nature. Take your infant hiking with you.  Take frequent walks in your yard, allowing them to follow their interests.  Encourage them to explore - all the bushes, flowers, trees, etc.  Look up at the night sky.  Encourage conversation about the moon and stars. Listen for the sounds of owls, whip-poor-wills, peepers and other nocturnal creatures.

Pre-school - Take leisurely walks around the block, in the garden or a local park or beach, allowing them to explore. Let them form ideas in their own minds about what they are seeing, hearing and feeling.   Children are so overly instructed these days that they are losing their sense of creativity and imagination.   Bring a “treasure bag” and encourage them to pick up cones, sticks, shells and rocks that pique their interest, while instilling a sense of respect for the earth. Have a special area at home for your child to keep these treasures.  Camp in the woods or take a moonlit walk by a lake. Talk to them about night creatures such at bats, owls, raccoons, etc and let them know how important they are to the ecosystem.  Take a walk in the rain and jump in the puddles.  For fun.  Remember, it is okay to get muddy!

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 Elementary school-age - Create a daily routine of going outside for an hour. This helps to establish the familiarity of the outdoors.  Take your child on longer nature walks.  Look for organized family friendly outings and activities hosted by various nature organizations. Purchase binoculars as well as field guides that your child can begin to study.    Encourage your child to begin a nature journal. Bring a small  notebook when exploring to record observations.  Supplement their reading collection with natural history books. Reading is another activity that children are losing touch with. Combine two vital components to their  development, nature and reading, by encouraging them to read books about wildlife and nature.  In addition, consider giving your child the “Little House in the Prairie” series of books.  This is the first series of books I read as a small child and is still one of my favorites, even as an adult.  It was not until I recently reread the entire series that I realized just how connected to nature children of that era were.  Children splashed in creeks, played hide and seek in the woods and ran barefoot through tall grass in those days.  They made necklaces of reeds and flowers. A bought toy was a rare and special treat.    These books are truly the original “connecting children to nature” writings and every child needs to experience them.

 Tweens & Teens - Share your concerns for the Earth. Talk to them about conservation. Explain to them how they can help. Encourage them to sign petitions and write letters to elected officials. Let them know that their actions can make a difference.  Bring them with you when you volunteer. Take them to beach clean ups and invasive species pulls.    Explain to them why their efforts are important and that they   matter!  Encourage them to join a club or organization so that they can meet other like-minded people who will help foster their love of the outdoors.

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 Remember, children who play outside have enhanced brain development, better self-esteem, are more creative, curious and possess a sense of connectedness to the environment, as well as their communities. In addition, children who are not glued to electronic devices every spare minute of the day are better communicators, more poised and can relate to others on a much more compassionate level.  The bottom line is that exposure to the outdoors is vital in the development of a healthy, smart and well rounded child.  For more tips on connecting children to nature please visit: http://www.hobaudubon.org/parentscorner/stuff-to-do.asp

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