the benefits of a connection with nature
Children need nature in their lives.
Interactions with nature can:
Relieve Stress
Frequent interactions with nature and green spaces provide children with stress relief and act as a buffer from stressful life events.
Increase Resilience
Nature interaction can boost self-discipline, resilience, persistence, and children’s capacity for meeting challenges and thriving in adverse situations.
Boost Health
Access to nature can alleviate problems in public health including lower levels of morbidity and illness, through increasing physical activity.
Improve Thinking Skills
Interacting with nature and green space frequently can advance children's critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and "stick-to-it-ness".
Promote Relationships
Nature bonding can improve relationships, collaboration and communication skills including decision-making, listening, and voicing opinions.
Restore Attention
Children spending time in a natural setting return to learning with increased attention, concentration, and ability to stay on task.
(Amicone, G., et al., 2018)
(Kaplan, S., 1995)
(Sobel, 2017)
Children want nature in their lives, too.
96%
of children chose an outdoor space as their current favorite place.
Wells, N. M., & Evans, G. W. (2003).
97%
of adults chose an outdoor space as their favorite childhood place.
Wells, N. M., & Evans, G. W. (2003).
80%
of kids say contact with nature helps them become smarter, more creative, healthier, and happier.
The Nature of Americans (2019)
© Caity Peterson 2022