The importance of nature for children
Deepanjali Singh is a published author, poet, painter, and educationist who loves working with children. Passionate about wildlife, she has authored a picture book for children that educates young readers about tigers LESS ... MORE
Some of my happiest memories as a child are the ones with my maternal grandfather, who used to take me for an early morning walk from an early age. From when I was 2 years old, he would pick me up when I got tired. He would often show me birds, peacocks in the fields, cows in the cowshed, and the crops of the season, like sugarcane and wheat, as my nana's house was surrounded by fields and fruit trees in the garden. We cousins would spend our holidays running around, climbing trees, and plucking fresh fruit to eat as a snack when we got hungry. Now that I think of it, I guess this is where my love for wildlife, nature, and birding came from. He made me connect with nature from such an early age.
Even today, no matter where we travel to, we as a family make it a point to connect with nature and undertake activities relevant to the surroundings, like birdwatching or an animal safari. It could also be something simple, like a nature walk without any plans.
Times have changed. Life is busier now, and families have become nuclear. This change is so drastic that you see children who cannot eat a meal at a restaurant without watching a cartoon on a mobile. Parents are looking for easier escapes like malls rather than a picnic with cousins or a trip to the zoo.
Do not undermine a simple walk around the colony, a small nature trail, just dipping your feet in a stream, a visit to a farm, or even a simple walk in a field. In today's time, global warming is a reality that brings the younger generation closer to nature. Let them play and admire trees, bugs, and butterflies. If we want to save the Earth and reverse global warming, it is important to connect our youngsters to nature. When children experience what it is like to play in a river, to run in a field, to climb a tree, to watch animals, and to see a bird up close, they start understanding why we need to protect this. It is only when we love something that we understand how and why to protect it. It is like this – how do you know what a butterfly is? Once you have seen one, you understand its beauty and its importance for the ecosystem, and then realise what it is like not to see one ever again.
I encourage schools, and not just parents, to help children understand the importance of nature, to save water, play more, and grow plants. A simple walk in the park teaches a child so much. They notice ants, bugs, snails, earthworms, trees, plants, flowers, and the sky.
Connecting children with nature is not just important for protecting the Earth, but also very good for their physical and mental health. Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods, written in 2005, came up with the term 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which means that in recent years, human beings—especially children—are spending less time outdoors, resulting in behavioural problems. When children spend more time indoors, they feel alienated from nature, have reduced attention spans, and become more vulnerable to negative moods.
Connecting with nature has these benefits for children:
Builds self-confidence
Playing in nature involves less structured play than most indoor activities. How they interact and treat nature teaches them that they have control over their actions.
Promotes creativity and imagination
Children can interact more freely, design their own games, and come up with innovative ideas. They can build things with twigs and leaves or look at clouds and imagine different shapes, like animals, just by lying down on the grass.
Increases responsibility
Taking care of a plant teaches a child to take responsibility for a living organism, meaning if they do not water a plant, it will die. Similarly, if they do not protect trees, butterflies, and the environment, what are the ramifications for the future?
Provides more stimulation
Nature provides more stimulation to the five senses as compared to video games and confined environments.
Nature gets us moving
A child moves around more outdoors in nature rather than in an indoor activity where they are sitting in one place for a longer period. Not only does a walk get their blood moving, but it is also good for physical development and makes them more focused.
Encourages critical thinking and reduces stress
Interacting with nature in their backyard or parks in everyday life makes children aware of the Earth and what it does for us. Being in nature reduces stress, as in a natural environment our brain practises a natural phenomenon called light fascination, which creates feelings of pleasure and reduces stress.
The way to build a child's bond with nature does not have to be an elaborate one. It can be a simple thing like the chorus of birds at dawn or a walk on the grass. Imagine a future where each child carries a love for nature to save the Earth. It is a tangible possibility and not just a dream if we encourage them to bond with this marvel and not mobile phones. Families get closer when we spend more time in nature. The digital age often pulls our children indoors, creating a disconnect with the natural world. Now more than ever, let us bridge this gap. By prioritising outdoor experiences, we invest in their health, their happiness, and ultimately, the future of our planet.
Let the exploration begin today! Let us bring back the way we lived our childhood for our children.
'We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sunrise and night fall—to care.' – John Cleal.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.
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