Why children need to get close to nature

By Alexander Benesch

The Gap between Humans and Nature

Humans have walked the earth long time before there were cities and towns and all the material goods, which today form part of our everyday lives. Back then, humans have mostly lived in close harmony with nature and was a natural element in the food chain and ecosystems of our planet. Through evolution, technological and scientific advancement, we have moved further and further away from nature. We no longer sleep in caves, but instead live in houses. We do not hunt or gather our own food, but instead pick it up from the supermarket. These are conveniences, which we have benefitted us greatly, but have also created a gap between us and the nature. To close this gap, our children need to get in closer connection with nature again.

Expression

Children should be awarded the possibility to understand how nature works, how ecosystems function and how our activities affect and sometimes damages our natural environment. When children are in nature, they have the possibility to freely express themselves, which creates spaciousness in everyday life. Children’s play in nature can often be long and full of fantasy, which can make children more calm and concentrated through other activities.

Curiosity

There are plenty of documented examples of this from nature schools and nature kindergartens.[1]
It is not a breakthrough discovery, that we thrive better in nature and fresh air. Nature also provides space for all types of children.

Here, there is room for noise and spectacle as well as contemplation and silence. Children can explore the small wonders and understand the big ones. In nature, children’s curiosity is awakened and through this a natural learning opportunity arises. Their wondering can be answered with theoretical knowledge, which they might remember much better, because they themselves have put the question forward. And in nature, a concrete event like polluted river can be combined with more abstract understanding of climate change.

To finally answer the question, it is important for children to get close to nature for multiple reasons. It is educational, calming and healthy at the same time and it provides many more benefits for everyone, which can hardly be expressed in words.

[1] Investigation of nature kindergartens in Denmark can be found at: http://www.skoven-i-skolen.dk/content/hvordan-begrundes-p%C3%A6dagogisk-arbejde-i-naturen