As I prepare to launch back into full-speed blogging, I realize I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up. One of those is the Last Child in the Woods Read Along. I’ve really enjoyed going on our many summer adventures with the wisdom of this book mulling about in my mind. I’ve been able to see experiences in a different light, pay more attention, and try not to take things for granted.
It’s interesting that as my own children are heading back to school now, we arrive at Part 5, which discusses the potential for integrating nature into education. In this chapter, Louv cites many great examples where schools are visiting nearby natural landmarks as well as incorporating natural ecosystems in their own campus landscapes and gathering data to be used across multiple disciplines. Parks, rivers, and greenhouses all become sources of input for applying science, math, even the arts.
As has been a consistent theme in this book, Louv points out that we, as parents and teachers, are often anxious to educate our children about rain forests and exotic animals, but we mistakenly assume they already know about the plants and animals that coexist with them in their very own ecosystems. Perhaps that’s the irony, but also the good news. It doesn’t take grand projects. Kids don’t need expensive excursions across the globe to build their natural intelligence. They — and their schools — can start in their own back yards. Literally.
As Louv talks about schools that have worked to incorporate nature onto their own school grounds, he notes that the projects often begin on a very small and manageable scale. Butterfly gardens, bird feeders, native plants, or simply one more tree. But like any effort to turn learning objectives into learning experiences, these small tweaks can have a big impact.
I loved the tips Mary Rivkin, of the University of Maryland, gave for creating natural spaces for kids:
“Dirt and sand must be for digging as well as planting….Some plants must be for picking. Seeing such things is only part of learning about them. Touching, tasting, smelling, and pulling apart are also vital. Shrubs and trees for climbing are the real thing….”
When considering nature in the scheme of healthy child development, the natural components of a back yard or a school yard should not be thought of in a purely aesthetic way. It’s not just how it looks, it’s how it can be used, as Rivkin explained. Though, sadly, it’s that natural, healthy need to pull, climb, taste, and touch that too often keeps nature out of reach for many kids — particularly at school.
Part 6 addresses the inherent risk, and consequential liability that comes with the ruggedness of nature. Sometimes kids fall. Sometimes bones break. And sometimes, parents sue.
Our culture has become so litigious that, in an effort to remove risk, we are too often removing access to nature. Or even nature itself.
Neighbors, afraid of suit, close off trails and paths that run through their properties. Schools, avoiding liabilities, prohibit climbing trees and block access by trimming back low-reaching limbs. And in one county in Florida, they even ban running. That’s right. Running.
Thanks to the county’s safety director “no running” signs were posted at 137 elementary schools. On the playgrounds. All in the name of preventing injury, or more to the point, preventing lawsuits.
But this whole compulsion to avoid risk of any magnitude reminds me of the research I read about while writing Is There Danger in Play or More in Its Absence?
Studies have shown that as American children have decreased the amount of active play they take part in (which arguably makes them more safe) the incidence of psychopathology has increased markedly. So while we’re keeping kids physically safe we may actually be putting them in psychological jeopardy.
Some play researchers, like Peter Gray, explains the correlation with a very simple association. Play makes kids happy. Its absence or restriction makes them sad.
Others point out that the risky play we keep trying to “protect” kids from, actually mirrors a very effective type of behavioral therapy that mediates anxiety. Consequently, without risky play kids end up suffering more frequently from anxiety.
The therapy angle makes sense as you read Part 5. Study after study cites the benefits of outdoor programs like nature education, wilderness adventure programs, and camps for children with disabilities. We’re talking about positive changes to things like self-esteem, body image, autonomy, confidence, and even behavior. Nature can be a powerful partner in therapy.
So how can you make sure your kids get a healthy dose?
I’d love to hear how you incorporate nature into your family’s daily activities, and/or how your school brings nature to life as part of your educational program!
What else got you thinking in Chapters 5 and 6?
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Start the read along at Part 1!
I read this book years ago when my oldest was a toddler. I loaned my copy to a friend & I’m happy to have it back so I can catch up on this series.
This past week my kids and I went on one last end of summer trip to the Tetons. I saw this post just before we left town and it was on my mind as my kids waded in a lake with other kids there, dug in the sand and hiked (slowly) because they were so caught up in watching for wildlife–fuzzy caterpillars, squirrels, chipmunks, tiny frogs, huge blue dragonflies, etc. I pointed out the common & botanical names of the few remaining wildflowers along the trail. Our hiking wasn’t far in distance but it was far in depth and richness of experience. It was a lovely time. Most other hikers blew right past us, never noticing the small plants and animals around us.
I love Peter Gray’s writing–it is so clear ” play makes kids happy”. It really is as simple as that.
So, I have a lot to say on this and as I have been on the go, I’ve only had my phone and didn’t feel like typing lots of words with it 🙂 So you may get flooded with comments from me over the next few days.
Besides that my own experiences are often validated by what he has to say throughout the book (it’s been a couple years since I read it) when it comes to nature at school, I actually often think of my husband’s unique elementary school experience. You see, until the age of 13, he grew up and lived in Yellowstone National Park. I LOVE to have him tell stories of his elementary school. There were 26 students in the ENTIRE school. They would stop class to go watch a badger dig its den. Elk were often caught in the school yard swings. Recess postponed because the rangers were herding the buffalo through the school area. And around 5th grade, I believe, the students would spend around an hour in the morning in their “quiet spot”. Which was roughly an acre of land where they got to just go by themselves and play quietly. This lasted a week or two. Every Friday in the winter the whole school would go skiing on their own little bunny hill. The school provided intertubes for sledding at recess in the winter (the school was set on a hill). The baseball field was turned into an ice skating rink for winter time recess as well. And while some might worry that all this time outside would kill their academic achievement ability, my husband and his siblings are some of the smartest people I know. I realize that can be somewhat of a subjective statement, so to illustrate and not to toot their horn for them, here are some academic achievements: 6 of the 7 children were valedictorians, salutatorians, or top ten in their high school. All went to college and were wooed by colleges and offered scholarships. Most full ride and academic, not for sports. Some went on to be valedictorians in college as well, and if not graduated some sort of cum laude (magna or suma). Besides all this, they are also very creative, think-out-of-the-box, ingenious people I know as well. And yet, there elementary school spent much of their precious learning time outdoors. Hmmmmm 🙂 I am sort of dying to find out how their peers have done, since I realize this isn’t exactly a random sample and all comes from the same family, but it does make for a nice anecdotal experience to add to the discussion.
What an amazing experience! I would have been in heaven with that set-up as a child! Thanks for sharing such a remarkable opportunity!