Spending time outdoors is good for kids. The chance to explore. The fresh air and sunshine. The opportunity to engage with plants, wildlife, and changing weather. Here, we discuss how these experiences can benefit children in really meaningful ways. And we share ideas to help foster a life-long love of nature in your kids.
Nature + Kids
Numerous studies have shown that just about every measure of the physical, social, and emotional health and well-being of children improves with exposure and engagement with the natural world. As an example, researchers have found that the more time kids spend outdoors, the more likely they are to be engaged in school and interested in learning. Kids who play outside tend to be more curious, inquisitive, focused, and attentive. They demonstrate greater control over their behavior, their emotions, and their bodies. And relationally, they show improved social skills, are less aggressive, and manage anger and stress in more positive ways.
According to the Children & Nature Network, time spent in nature as a child and the presence of a caring adult who models a love for nature are the two biggest factors in determining the level of environmental stewardship a person feels as an adult.
Start Simple + Have Fun
Engaging kids in the natural world is easier than you think – even in an urban setting. Sometimes it’s as simple as turning over stones in your own backyard to see what you find. Other times, it can be a more adventurous visit to a local state park or nature preserve. For ideas, check out some of our favorite natural places to explore.
While you’re at it, you can even submit photos of your observations to the scientific community through the iNaturalist app. Older kids may appreciate the active involvement and sense of purpose that comes with contributing to citizen science while using their phone to record observations.
Engaging with nature doesn’t have to be an organized event – all it takes is curiosity and the willingness to follow it even in the simplest of endeavors. There are opportunities just about everywhere you look.
15 Things to Do Together
1. Go for a walk around the neighborhood and count how many birds, squirrels, or insects you see and hear.
2. Fill a bird feeder with seed and a bird bath with water. Then see who comes to visit.
3. Make a list of things in nature that you’re thankful for.
4. Collect as many different leaves as you can and glue them on paper to make a collage. Talk about how the leaves are alike but different too.
5. Add food scraps to your compost bin – or start a new compost pile – and talk about the benefits of healthy soil.
6. Plant easy-to-grow seeds like marigolds or carrots and watch them grow over the next few weeks.
7. Go for a hike along your favorite trails.
8. At dinner, talk about your favorite fruits and vegetables and compare the types of plants and places they come from.
9. Look for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators in your garden.
10. Use sticks, rocks, acorns, flowers, soil, and bark to create a fairy garden – and vivid stories of its inhabitants to go with it.
11. Outline your shadows from the same point throughout the day using chalk.
12. Talk about your favorite animals, where they live, and what makes them special.
13. Try to figure out how many kinds of trees there are on your street.
14. Devote a portion of your landscape to native plants, and plan out which plants could go there and why.
15. Work in the garden together, and discuss what you enjoy about the different plants that grow there.
Check Out These Local Resources
Here in Omaha, there are many organizations with great resources to help too. Here are just a few you might enjoy.
· Keep Omaha Beautiful’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program offers videos with fun ideas for exploring the trees, birds, and natural systems that exist right in your neighborhood.
· Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium also has local citizen science projects that kids can take part in, as well as behind-the-scenes tours and other resources on Facebook.
· Fontenelle Forest explores the wildlife here in our area in their From the Forest videos and other programs on Facebook too.
Let Them Explore
The wonders that nature and the outdoors have to offer are everywhere, just waiting to be discovered. We hope you find time this summer to head outside with the kids and experience the joys and benefits of exploring our natural surroundings.
