Young Children and the Environment: Building a Connection

 

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In this age of television and computers, it can seem harder than ever to get children outside. However, children’s interaction with nature is an important prerequisite for an appreciation and respect for the environment. Noted nature-focused author and journalist Richard Louv poses a troubling question concerning today’s children and the future. “Studies have shown that people who love the environment said they had great outdoor experiences as kids,” Louv writes. “If that ends, where will our future environmental stewards come from?”

 

Many people agree that now is the time to take steps to improve and protect our environment. Once children become personally involved with nature, they start to understand how their own actions affect the world around them. In this way, concern for the environment will come naturally as children grow, creating a sense of environmental ownership. The hope is that with increased exposure to all that the earth has to offer, the next generation will work to preserve this place we call home.

Cause for Concern

In many communities, children’s familiarity and connection with nature is dwindling. Recent studies have shown that children only spend 30 minutes per week outdoors in activities that are not formally organized. Children ages 3 to 12 spend only one percent of their time outdoors, but they spend about 27 percent of their time watching television (Lekies and Wells, 2006). Those who worry about children being disconnected from nature have reason to be concerned.

Out and About

Getting your child outside can be as easy as turning off the television or computer and involving her in an outdoor play activity. But how can you teach your child to respect and appreciate nature? That must come naturally, by introducing children to nature and letting them experience it in their own ways. In Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods, he suggests activities to engage children with the natural world. Following are the top ten tips from his book that The Conservation Fund has chosen as their favorites, along with ideas for incorporating them into your life:

 

10. Go “cloudspotting.” It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a…dinosaur? Look for interesting shapes in the clouds with your child and talk about what you see. Discuss the different types of precipitation that fall from the clouds, such as rain, ice, and snow. Discuss how rain helps plants, trees, and crops grow.

 

9. Become “nature collectors.” Bring back the tradition of collecting leaves, stones, and other “treasures” from outside. Create a place in your home to display your child’s collections, label each item, and encourage your child to tell others in the family each time he adds to his collections. Be sure to talk with your child about what types of things are appropriate to take from the outdoors and what things need to be left alone.

 

8. Have your child ask his or her grandparents about the outdoor activities they enjoyed as children. Have your child find out about games his or her grandparents played outside or other ways nature played a role in their youth. Plan one of the activities mentioned.

 

7. Adopt the “sunny day” rule. When the sun is out, take your child outside and keep him exploring as long as possible. Create structured activities for exploring the natural areas you have access to locally, as well as allowing opportunities for your child’s natural curiosity to guide him. Be sure to apply sunscreen or other sun protection before heading outdoors.

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6. Go bird-watching in your yard or neighborhood. Talk about the different kinds of birds you see and help your child create a book about birds. Each time your child sees a new bird, have her draw a picture of it and dictate a sentence to accompany the drawing. Once you have a collection of pictures, bind them together with yarn or staples. Encourage your child to share the bird book with the rest of the family.

 

5. Get down and dirty with soil. Let your child dig and play in dirt with shovels and pails. Talk about the importance of soil and its role in the environment.

 

4. Adopt a tree. Take pictures of a nearby tree and record its changes through the seasons. Help your child learn about the animals that live in the tree. Make time to talk about and visit your child’s adopted tree throughout the year.

 

3. Go harvesting. Take your child to pick local crops, such as apples, berries, or pumpkins. Make a healthy snack from the produce you harvest. If this isn’t an option, take your child outside to harvest grass, dandelions, or other easily renewable greenery and use the materials in an art project. Discuss with your child how the earth produces many of the things we eat and use.

 

2. Go camping in your own backyard. Use old blankets or sheets and outdoor chairs to make tents in your yard or a local park. Have your child imagine what it would be like to sleep outside.

 

1. Keep a “wonder bowl.” Encourage your child to fill her pockets with interesting natural objects she finds outside such as rocks, acorns, or leaves. Have your child empty her pockets into a bowl so that you and other family members can examine her treasures.

Making Your Home “Green”

Helping your child experience and appreciate nature is the first step in creating environmentally aware teens and adults. The next step is setting a positive example through environmentally friendly living. Going green can seem intimidating; however, if you start small by making one change in your home every week or so, soon you’ll be helping the environment without even thinking about it! Try integrating these pro-environment activities into your everyday routine.

• Start an in-home recycling program. Use different brightly colored bins for cardboard, paper, and plastic. You can teach your child sorting skills by explaining which materials go into which bins.
• To save resources, reuse paper, supplies, toys, clothing, and other reusable items. Use the library whenever possible for items like books, CDs, and DVDs. Create a “be nice, use it twice” pile for paper that has writing or printing on only one side.
• Be sure to turn off lights and running water when not in use. Teach your child to get in the habit, too. Explain that these simple actions conserve energy and resources.
• Keep indoor plants and teach your child how to take care of them. This will help him understand what living things need to survive.
• If possible, plant a garden or make a window box garden. Grow flowers or vegetables and help your child chart their progress.
• Take nature walks and study insects, birds, squirrels, or rabbits in their natural habitat.
• At meal time, talk about where our food comes from and the importance of choosing healthy foods.
• Use eco-friendly cleaning products. Strive to keep your home free of toxins and chemicals.

 

Further Reading

 

Consider sharing these books with your child to help pique his or her interest in nature:

• Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
• Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole
• Where Once There Was a Wood by Denise Fleming
• Planet Earth Gets Well by Madeline Kaplan
• Are Trees Alive? by Debbie Miller
• A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma

The following books are full of activities that can help teach your child to love and respect nature and the environment:

• Sharing Nature With Children by Joseph Cornell
• Teaching Kids to Love the Earth by Marina Lachecki
• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
• I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature by Jennifer Ward

Preparing for the Future

Through activities that create positive experiences with nature, parents can help foster relationships between children and the environment. As those relationships grow, children will develop an appreciation for all that our planet has to offer, for their own generation and those that follow.

 

References

 

 

 

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