Nature and Well-Balanced Children

How spending more time in nature helps to raise successful, happy kids

7 min readFeb 24, 2021

You love your kids. So much.

You want nothing but the best success and happiness for them. Of course you do — you’re an amazing parent.

But amidst the chaos of today’s world, the expectations and pressures put on children are at an all time high, and mental health is on the decline.

CDC statistics show that 1 in 6 children ages 2–8 years have a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder, and the World Health Organization estimates 10–20% of adolescents experience mental health conditions.

Doesn’t that make your heart sink?

Of course setting expectations and structure is important. But we cannot ignore the fact that too much pressure put on kids leads to a decline in overall mental health and self-esteem.

So what can you do to help? The answer is surprisingly simple…

Get back to nature.

While a playdate at your local playground is great, the most profound benefits are gained through unstructured play…

Digging through the dirt. Walking barefoot in the grass. Exploring and adventuring on a hike. Climbing rocks and wading in streams…these are the things we need our children to get back to.

The Benefits of Playing in Nature

I think we can all agree that there are many physical benefits to outdoor activities, but where does the mental health aspect come into play?

The emotional benefits of playing in nature include:

Increased confidence
Stress reduction
Greater focus and feelings of pleasure
Positive mental stimulation through the activation of all senses

These things seem like common sense, don’t they?

Then why aren’t we making nature play more of a priority?

The American Academy of Pediatrics is on board with the importance of nature for children, and although they state that any form of unstructured play is beneficial, they stress that the natural environment is the most important.

Another benefit?

Protection from Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD).

Yes, it’s a thing.

The term was born by American author Richard Louv in his book The Last Child in The Woods. NDD encompasses the idea that lack of exposure to nature leads to a wide range of behavioral problems in children.

“It’s a problem because kids who don’t get nature-time seem more prone to anxiety, depression and attention-deficit.”- Richard Louv

NDD has also been linked to higher levels of aggression, poor academic performance, lower ability to concentrate and cope with stress, and a low sense of well being.

It makes you want to shuffle your kiddos out the door right now, doesn’t it?

The Importance of Nature in Childhood Development

Now let’s talk nature and the brain.

As a parent, child development is likely one of the most common concepts you’ve racked your mind over.

After all, every advertisement out there is geared towards what will make your child smarter — daycares and preschools that claim to increase your child’s IQ, developmentally appropriate toys, games and flashcards…

But what if I told you that it doesn’t have to be that complicated? In fact, it’s imperative that it be simple.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am by no means undermining the importance of structure and proper developmental practices.

But I want to help you realize that the biggest benefits for your child can be achieved by doing less. By getting your kids out into the natural world, and simply being.

How?

Doing so puts your child in a natural environment with unstructured time, which is crucial for success.

It provides them with the opportunity to problem solve, take risks with free-rein, and get in touch with their most creative selves.

These things are critical for the development of executive function — a cognitive skill that embodies the ability to exert impulse-control, prioritizing, sorting through distractions, and creating the focus needed to set and achieve goals…life skills that will transcend through every facet of life.

There’s your child’s success and happiness right there.

Nature is a teacher

The success and happiness of your children is important to you. I get it. I’m a parent myself, and these things are undoubtedly a priority of mine as well.

So I’m sure the thought has crossed your mind; won’t more time out in nature take away from academics? When are we going to find time for this, we are already so busy.

My honest suggestion?

Get less busy.

If you want your children to lead truly happy and successful lives, trust that getting out in nature will provide teachings even more valuable and long lasting than what can be learned in the classroom.

And get this…when it comes time to get back to the daily grind of academics, that time spent in nature will have primed them for more enhanced learning.

Nature enhances learning in the classroom

Research shows that the physical and psychological benefits gained by spending time in nature not only expands the ability for children to learn, but also affects how they interact among peers and how they engage and focus when they are back in the classroom.

This engagement and focus gained in nature happens by:

Reducing mental fatigue and restoring attention
Aiding in the development of self-discipline
Increasing engagement and curiosity
Sharpening cognitive processing

Not only does time in nature enhance learning in the classroom; it acts as a teacher itself.

Lessons taught in nature

Kids are natural scientists. They experience life and learn best through the engagement of all senses.

So what better way to nurture this instinct than through taking in the natural world.

There are so many lessons to be learned in nature — and I’m not talking about the lessons scattered throughout the pages of textbooks — I’m talking about life lessons.

Getting outside in nature provides children with the opportunity to really explore their imaginations, experiment, and learn lessons that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.

These lessons include:

Patience — Nature doesn’t hurry.
Mindfulness — By having to do nothing other than simply be and take in everything around them, they learn presence in its purest form.
Resilience — As in life, you stumble.You trip. You fall. You make mistakes…And you get back up and keep going.
Appreciation and Respect — There is much fragility in nature, and exploring it teaches the natural reality of the process of life.
Teamwork — When playing with peers in nature, even something as simple as holding hands while climbing over rocks and logs teaches the invaluable skill of relying on and trusting in others for help.

Just take a moment to consider how invaluable these lessons and skills are, and the scaffolding it can provide for your child throughout their life…

Profound, isn’t it?

How to get back to nature

Keep it simple

Just get out there. Bundle up warm or apply that sunscreen and take your kiddos out to your local park or open space. If you’re lucky enough, just wander out into your backyard and explore.

Play tag. Talk about the clouds. Draw pictures in the dirt with sticks. Discuss the sounds beneath your feet with each step that you take.

Let your child’s imagination run wild and just go with it. Enjoy them completely and let them notice you taking in your surroundings as well.

Just be. And do this as much as your schedule allows.

Get Creative

Getting your kids to enjoy nature typically won’t take much effort with younger children who show excitement over things as simple as a falling leaf, but what about those who are a little older?

It can be incredibly difficult to coax them out to start, and even once you do, all sounds of nature are drowned out by incessant whining and claims of boredom.

And that’s ok.

There are ways to make it fun:

Go on a scavenger hunt.
Venture out with a book and identify trees, plants, and birds.
Give them a tool to explore with, such as a shovel or magnifying glass.
Take pictures of landscapes to later paint or make a collage.
Collect items to bring home and make a craft.

Just get creative and include things that spark your child’s interest.

Can’t get outside?

I understand not everyone has the capability to get out into nature.

Maybe you live in an urban area that doesn’t provide the opportunity for outdoor play.

Maybe it’s the dead of winter and your kids cry 10 minutes into being outside.

Or maybe you truly do not have a single minute more to devote outside of your current schedule.

I get it. Trust me.

But believe it or not, you can bring it indoors.

Studies have shown that bringing nature into schools and homes can provide similar physical and psychological benefits to those that are gained by physically being outdoors.

Rather simple ways this can be done are to:

Make sensory bins — add dirt, sand and other natural materials and have your children play with them in a “freedom zone” where they are allowed to make a mess.
Let in as much natural light as possible, or install daylights in your home.
Play nature sounds.
Add natural items to your home decor — think pinecones and wood art, or even simply bring home freshly cut flowers each week.
Make flower gardens or leaves out of clay or play-doh.
Plant an indoor spice garden and involve your children in tending to them.

No matter the way you go about it, it’s rather clear just how important a role nature plays in a child’s development.

If a little downtime in the natural world could be so profoundly beneficial to your child’s future, why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to make it a daily practice?

Help them to find time to simply slow down.

Teach them that it’s ok to put some things on hold and just be… in fact…it’s necessary.

You already go above and beyond for your kids…let’s give them even more by simply expecting a little less, a little more often…And let’s do it in nature.

The success and happiness of your children’s lives depends on it.

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