The Great Outdoors

There’s something magical about young children and the outdoors.  Have you ever noticed that crying babies often shush when you step outside?  Or heard the laughter that comes from the playground during recess?  When I reflect on childhood memories, I recall days spend at my grandparent’s cabin by the lake, bike rides through the neighborhood and making mud pies after a rain.   My sister and I would spend spring and summer afternoons following the stream in the backyard and taking an “adventure” whiling away the daylight hours.    Exploring the outdoors not only allows children to destress and connect with nature, but it provides important opportunities for unstructured play that are so important for creativity, imagination, physical and emotional well-being.

Research tells us that outdoor play has many positive benefits for children.  Outdoor play promotes an active lifestyle and increases fitness levels.  Children may benefit in critical thinking skills as studies show that exposure to environment-based education increases student performance in problem solving.   Studies also indicate that stress levels fall within minutes of interacting with green spaces

In the last two decades, childhood has moved indoors.  According to a University of Michigan study, the average American child spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen.  Family time as well as school time is more structured, leaving fewer opportunities to have an outdoor adventure.  Certainly safety factors are part of this move indoors; times have changed since I was a child in the 70’s, but increasingly family time is more scheduled and this impacts time spent outdoors. The National Wildlife Federation is working to change this trend by encouraging adults to give children a “green hour,” time for “unstructured play and interaction with the natural world,” each day.   Another grassroots organization, The Children & Nature Network has started an initiative called “Leave No Child Inside” . 

The key to promoting a “Green Hour” for your family is to keep it simple;   leave a fixed agenda behind.  A little planning may be involved, but the key here is “unstructured”.  Pack your outdoor bag with sunscreen, hats, jackets and water and you are ready to explore the great outdoors.

The simplest way to share a “green hour” is through an evening neighborhood walk.  A simple walk after work or school is a great way to reconnect with your child and commune with nature at the same time.   Whether you bring strollers, tricycles or simply wander on foot, a daily walk allows you to interact with neighbors and release the stresses of the day.  Allow your child to set the pace and stop to explore all the interesting sounds and sights of spring along the way. 

Gardening is another simple way to connect and explore the outdoors.  Children love to plant seeds and care for their garden, watching with anticipation as each seed begins to sprout.  Working with soil and water provides needed sensory stimulation and caring for growing things promotes self-esteem and responsibility.

Here are some other ideas for exploring the outdoors around Columbia:

Bike the Trail. Columbia has miles of bike trails through the MKT Trail and the Bear Creek Trail System.

Take a Hike.  Explore the many hiking trails around Rock Bridge State Park.

Visit Stephen’s Lake.  Walk alongside the lake or stroll on the paved walkway.  Enjoy the sounds of nature on a quiet bench or run laughing down the hillside.

Explore a new park.  Columbia has dozens of parks waiting to be explored.  Spend an afternoon in your favorite park or set out to find a new favorite.  Visit www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Parks_and_Facilities/ to find out about parks and trails within the city of Columbia.

More Ideas for Outdoor Experiences.  Visit www.childrenandnature.org/ and www.greenhour.org.

I invite you to share a “green hour” with your child each day.  This simple lifestyle change can instill in your child the love of nature and precious opportunity to connect and destress. 

Susan Mathis, M.Ed., RYT teaches yoga to children and adults in Columbia, Mo.  She explores the outdoors at every opportunity hiking, walking, rock climbing or scuba diving.  Her next adventure will be backpacking the Grand Canyon in  June.