Parenting Fun 2/3

“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.”

-Thomas Berry

Nature walks have always been a part of our family adventures. Since my husband and I started dating we have always loved to hike, fish, kayak, and just really enjoy being outside with nature. This is where I have always felt God the most. 

“ The whole earth is full of His glory” – Isaiah 6:3

I know what you are thinking.. We have this special formula, or these perfect kids and that is why we can take them out for a nature walk without losing our minds.. Well think again, they whine and complain and really get on our nerves at times. So why do we keep doing it? There are so many reasons, but here’s a few.

First, we hope that one day they will truly love to be in nature and find solace in the trees and calm in the water. I pray when they have challenges in life they return to nature to find their path, and the right answers to all their worries.

Second, they gain so much knowledge about nature, and learning first hand really helps it stick in their minds. We look for treasures on our walk, it could be a feather, cool rock, acorns, walnuts, turtle shells, snail shells, and once we were walking and found a cow in the middle of the trail. They said it was their cow treasure surprise (which we made sure got back to its pasture) !! Oh the joy of a child is so refreshing. While we are finding these treasures they are learning, and we can share in their journey of exploration.

Third, we want them to love nature and help to preserve it, so everyone can enjoy it. We pick up trash on our way, which my son has decided the “bad guys’ ‘ threw on the ground. He is very much into super heroes right now. On a side note,  I just can not believe the trash we find, it really is sad that people just do not respect the earth enough to keep their trash and go throw it away or maybe recycle that beer they just had to have on the trail. Please just pick up your garbage, or if you see it please pick it up and throw it away! 

Tips to help the kids forget about their “tired” legs are, race them, chase them, give piggy back rides, play games with them to keep them going, pretend you see something up ahead and get them excited about it, and eventually in reality, turn around because they are hungry, tired, or just ready to do something else. It doesn’t have to be a super long walk or hike. Helpful tip, always always bring some light snacks and a water bottle, this will help them go for longer and bonus they can sit and look around for treasures.

I’ve listened to books, read articles and books on the importance of children being in nature. While all the material I have heard and read has been great and all had their own thoughts, the main reasons stay the same. They include:

• It makes them move their body– in our world of technology, although it is great for many advancements in our world, it really has increased the time that our children sit. Our bodies were not made for sitting for hours at a time, and this can have unfortunate results for both kids and adults. In America the rate of childhood obesity has been on the rise for quite a few years, and one reason is that our kids are not moving their bodies enough. 
• It helps them be more imaginative and creative. When a child gets into nature their imaginative mind really turns on. They can think more easily while using all 5 senses. It can really stimulate their senses and help them to find ways to be creative. 
• It can relieve stress. Kids have more stress, then we want to acknowledge. Unfortunately in our world today they have way more stress from social media, and new age bullying then even I did as a child. They are getting hit with information constantly, and when they are out in nature, all that noise goes away. The sound of nature and the fresh air can really help kids get away from that stress for a while, and bonus it’s a great time to talk to your kids about their troubles. 
• It can help with focus. Studies show that there is a great impact on kids with ADHD when they play in nature. There are schools that have educational times in nature that have shown to increase test scores and the students moods. If your child suffers with ADHD, why not try it and see. 

Honestly it’s just great for the family to get out in nature and get moving. You don’t even have to leave your yard, just get out and be in the fresh air everyone!

One of the other reasons we love it.. it’s FREE! 

So even if you do not prefer to go out in the woods, at least get outside and go for a walk, let your kids get messy (I know, I’m a fan of messy, embrace it.. Lol ) and let them enjoy being a kid. They will have the rest of their lives to watch TV or play on an iPad if they so choose. Show them there is a whole world out there to explore! 

-Kristy

* References - childmind.org  , www.nwf.org , thomasberry.org