Eco April’s: Throwback to Nature

By: Christy Millhouse, OSU Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Preble County

Growing up in the ’80s, my sister and I spent a lot of time outdoors. We played in the small creek along with my parent’s property and in my grandparent’s woods. When we were in early elementary school, we spent a lot of time playing at my grandparent’s house underneath 4 apple trees that grew together and created a little world below them. Being outdoors was an important part of our growing up. How did you experience nature as a child?

Today, many young people are more connected to electronic devices like phones, video games, and television and less connected to nature. In the article Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature author, Danielle Cohen, writes “the average American child is said to spend 4 to 7 minutes a day in unstructured play outdoors, and over 7 hours a day in front of a screen.” I am old enough to remember when we only had 3 channel choices on television and programming ended at midnight. Smartphones were something in science fiction. My children, who are both young adults, have never known a time when there were not multiple options to watch on television around the clock. Both have had smartphones for many years and rely on them for communication, connection, and information. My son, while not exclusively, communicates with several friends on what is now called game night where they are playing video games and talking together each from their own homes. With our busy lives and house in town, we have struggled with offering options to play in nature which is ironic since my husband has a parks and recreation background.

In 2005, Richard Louv introduced the phrase nature-deficit disorder. He explains that the term was a way to describe the “human cost of alienation from nature” (Louv, 2019). The term has come to represent the idea that children are spending less time outdoors and that leads to behavioral problems. Many believe that this separation from nature leads to higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, childhood obesity along other things. Play is an important part of being a child. It helps with both cognitive and social development. Play aids children with the development of gross motor skills. Research suggests that there are also mental health benefits associated with playing in nature.

Now that spring is here and the weather is warming, it is the perfect time to get back outside. It does not have to be something major like a camping trip. It can be a walk around town or to a local park. Sitting around the campfire and gazing at the stars, sharing a picnic, or enjoying an outdoor sport can be other ways to connect with nature. Whatever you choose, it will benefit you and your family.

TAKE ACTION TODAY: Become a citizen-scientist by surveying this diversity of insects and plants in your own backyard, schoolyard, or neighborhood, click here for more info.

Spring into STEM: Getting Back to Nature Lesson Plan 

References

Cohen, D. (n.d.). Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature. Retrieved from childmind.org: https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/ 

Louv, R. (2019, October 15). What is Nature-Deficit Disorder? Retrieved from richardlouv.com: http://richardlouv.com/blog/what-is-nature-deficit-disorder/

Suttie, J. (2016, September 15). How to Protect Kids from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Retrieved from Greater Good Magazine: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_protect_kids_from_nature_deficit_disorder

Peer-reviewed by: By Travis West, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Vinton County, and By Jessica George, OSU Extension, 4-H Program Assistant, 4-H Youth Development, Erie County.