Canisius Children-Animals-Nature Research

A wonderful book, Teaching Green, offers parents the first four ideas below on how to help children develop a deep connection to nature that can result is a commitment to and sense of stewardship for the future health of our planet.

Outdoor learning advocates says that learning in nature helps kids develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, resilience, an ability to work as a team, and an appreciation for nature. And a review of research from 2019 backs that up. Researchers in Denmark also concluded that learning in nature improves reading skills and increases motivation.

So, what do we do about this nature deficit? Parents and caregivers are key influencers in how children spend their days. With so many demands on families’ time, one strategy is to be very intentional about scheduling ‘nature time’ (or unstructured outdoor time) on the family calendar.

The pandemic has been devastating to the field, according to a recent survey. A survey of nearly 1,000 environmental education and outdoor science schools that serve primarily K-12 learners shows that 63 percent of such organizations are uncertain whether they will ever open their doors again.

As many people's lives around the world have moved indoors, some fear children are losing their connection to nature. DW spoke to an expert about how the outdoors impacts our happiness and the way we treat the planet.

In science, children can learn about the animals themselves but it goes much further than that. In other lessons, the presence of animals can make children feel more relaxed, and it can also boost their learning in less obvious areas like social and emotional development.