By letting our children lead us to their own special places we can rediscover the joy and wonder of nature.
Stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even a safer life-these are the rewards that await a family then it invites more nature into children’s lives.
Children who played outside every day, regrdless of weather, had better motor coordination and more ability to concentrate.
In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chaparral, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness.
Most people are either awakened to or are strengthened in their spiritual journey by experiences in the natural world.
From 1997 to 2003, there was a decline of 50 percent in the proportion of children nine to twelve who spent time in such outside activities as hiking, walking, fishing, beach play, and gardening, according to a study by Sandra Hofferth at the University of Maryland.
Natural playgrounds may decrease bullying.
Research suggests that exposure to the natural world – including nearby nature in cities – helps improve human health, well-being, and intellectual capacity in ways that science is only recently beginning to understand.
Increasingly the evidence suggests that people benefit so much from contact with nature that land conservation can now be viewed as a public health strategy.
What if more and more parents, grandparents and kids around the country band together to create outdoor adventure clubs, family nature networks, family outdoor clubs, or green gyms? What if this approach becomes the norm in every community?
The future will belong to the nature-smart...
We can conserve energy and tread more lightly on the Earth while we expand our culture’s capacity for joy.
The times I spent with my children in nature are among my most meaningful memories-and I hope theirs.
Unlike television, nature does not steal time; it amplifies it. Nature offers healing for a child living in a destructive family or neighborhood.
Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually.
Why do so many Americans say they want their children to watch less TV, yet continue to expand the opportunities for them to watch it? More important, why do so many people no longer consider the physical world worth watching?
For the young, food is from Venus; farming is from Mars.
IT TAKES TIME – loose, unstructured dreamtime – to experience nature in a meaningful way.
Nature is often overlooked as a healing balm for the emotional hardships in a child’s life.
Going out into nature was one outlet that I had, which truly allowed me to calm down and not think or worry.