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seeks to provide new funding for environ
mental education.
To find out more, USA WEEKEND
Magazine recently assembled Louv, Erick
son and USA WEEKEND’S Health Smart columnist,
Dr. Tedd Mitchell, to discuss why parents need to get
their children back in touch with the natural world
around them.
Richard, we’ve known for a while that kids don’t
get outdoors enough. Why the clinical-sounding
label for this problem?
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Louv: “Nature-deficit disor
der” captures people’s atten
tion. We know it’s not a medi
cal condition, but it helps to
stamp a name on something
serious that families are
r struggling with.
Why is it so
important for
parents to address
this now?
Louv: Because
It- the situation is
getting worse.
| The Nature Con-
M* servancy found
, that kids under
; 13 now take part
THE OUTSIDE
ADVANTAGE
Although scientific studies of the effects of
nature on child development are still in
their infancy, quite a few point to a distinctly
positive role. Here's how:
• Nature can be a stress reducer, a 2003 study
published in Environment and Behavior concluded
that green plants and vistas reduce stress among
children in rural areas. The more natural the
surroundings, the better: A greater degree of
"greenery" around the home was linked to more
significant stress reduction.
• Nature can make kids more focused, university
of Illinois research found that children with attention-
in freestyle play outdoors for only a half-hour a week.
Look, I’ll plead guilty to being nostalgic for my child
hood, when I interacted with nature for hours each
day. But there is now more documentation that the
trend of decreased outdoor activity
is growing and having a negative
impact on children’s physical and
mental health.
Erickson: Obviously, when they
are outdoors, children are more physi
cally active than they would be in
front of a TV. And, once they get out
side, they can’t get enough explora
tion, which is good for their minds.
Tedd, does this disconnect
from nature show up in
patients you treat?
Mitcheii: My practice is made
up primarily of adult city dwellers, so
I do see a disproportionate number whose only ex
posure to nature is the Saturday morning trip to the
golf course. In fact, many of my patients question
whether or not they really need a tetanus booster.
That’s because they are rarely outside!
Kids are being pushed to excel inside and
outside of the classroom. And parents often
feel like kids need a reward after all that —
often some stress-free “crash” time indoors.
How can we squeeze in time for nature?
Louv: We realize this is something many families
deal with. But they can start by not perceiving an
interaction with nature as just one more chore. Why
can’t that be the reward for a stressful day?
deficit disorder can focus more effectively after
outdoor activities such as camping and fishing. Other
studies have yielded similar results: Urban kids have
shown increased cognitive ability when they have
access to natural settings, and Swedish preschoolers
who played in more natural settings suffered fewer
attention lapses being distracted, interrupting, not
listening than those who played in less natural areas.
• Nature can enhance a child’s emotional
and SOCial development If young children have
regular opportunities for unstructured play, then they
are likely to have a greater chance of getting along
with others and being happier, healthier and smarter,
report researchers at the Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia. Teens also can benefit: A survey of
participants in wilderness programs found that their
interactions with nature resulted in enhanced self
esteem, independence and initiative.
To get kids outside, parents have to overcome
their fears. In one study, more than four out of
five moms cited crime and safety concerns as
key reasons to keep their kids indoors. Yet by
w *
“Kids who play
in natural areas
those with bushes
; and trees have
been shown
to engage in more
creative and
cooperative play.”
Richard Louv
l. j
outdoor play while keeping parents at
ease. Nature centers, for example, often have open
areas where kids can play and explore, while parents
can sit and watch without hovering.
The medical community has started to stress
the importance of unstructured, self-directed
play for healthy child development How does
this relate to the back-to-nature movement?
Erickson: I see the agendas as overlapping, but
the outdoors movement has additional benefits. Un
structured play, indoors or out, lets children initiate
activity, develop problem-solving skills, use their imagi
nation and negotiate with peers. The outdoors, espe-
Continued on next page ►
2002, violent crimes against
young people had fallen well
below 1975 levels. So why do
we still imagine all kinds of evil
“out there”?
Louv: That’s because of the in
creased perception of violence. Any
time something happens in the woods,
it gets intense media coverage.
Mitchell: It’s a shame. It used to
be “Go outside and play until dinner
time.” Now, it’s “Go grab a snack and
play video games until dinnertime.”
Erickson: Let’s not forget there
are ways to incorporate unstructured
USA WEEKEND • Nov. 16-18,2007
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