Interacting with the Outdoors Early in Life

 What You Need To Know

Children learn about the outdoors by interacting with it. Experts say that educators and parents need to increase the number of child-environment interactions especially in the early years. Many young children have limited opportunities to experience the outdoors.

That should be no surprise with the statistics listed below:

• Average Americans spend more than 95% of time indoors.
• More than 90% of Americans live in urban areas.
• Studies show children in urban areas tend to show unfounded fears and feelings of disgust in relation to natural objects.

The result is that a lot of young children are at risk of never developing a positive attitude towards nature.

How You Can Help

Since many kids spend most of their waking hours in a classroom rather than outdoors there is a need to remember nature. The rationale for environmental education during the early childhood years is based on two ideas. The first is that little ones need to develop respect for our natural environment or be at risk for never developing those attitudes. The second idea is that positive interactions with nature are of course natural and an important part of healthy child development.

Experts say children who are close to nature tend to relate to it as a source of wonder, joy, and awe.

1. Begin with simple experiences. Focus on a single tree in the backyard rather than trekking through a heavily wooded area.
2. A child needs repeated exposure to nature. Take them to a nature preserve regularly which will impact them far greater than one visit. Add a bird feeder in your backyard and watch nature take over.
3. Focus on experiencing rather than teaching. Let your child’s interest direct your nature explorations. 
4. Show a personal interest of enjoyment over the environment.
5. Model respect for our environment through the gentle handling of plants and animals. Also teach proper disposal of trash and recycling.

Environmental education for the early years focuses primarily on young children exploring and enjoying the world of nature with the  guidance and companionship of caring adults. It can create a love of the environment that can last a lifetime. 

For more on this topic, see the complete article: