Did you know…children who play outside are happier, healthier and smarter? Give your child a dose of Vitamin N (nature) every day!Nature is good for physical health:

Children who spend time outside tend to be more active, which reduces the likelihood that they will be overweight. Play in natural environments with uneven terrain improves motor abilities, especially balance and coordination.

Nature is good for mental health:

Interaction with nature increases children’s ability to focus, and therefore enhances their cognitive ability.

According to an American Academy of Pediatrics report, “Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive and emotional strength”.

After a walk in a park, some children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder experienced the same level of relief as provided by ADHD medication.

Kids learn from nature:

Real field trips provide better learning experiences than “virtual field trips”. Actual experiences create excitement, inspire curiosity and a sense of awe and wonder, as well as a desire to explore.

Students in nature-based instructional programs score as well or better in reading, math, language and spelling than students in traditional classrooms Creative, outdoor play cultivates teamwork, cooperation and social skills.

NATURE is so important that author Richard Louv coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder”

NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER: a disorder describing the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses.

 

For more details and research citations, please view the report on Ohio’s Initiative to Reconnect Children with Nature at www.LNCIgc.org. Five volumes of annotated research summaries are also available at www.childrenandnature.org.

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