Give today’s kids a daily dose of nature

Today more than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. It’s therefore fortunate we now understand many of the physical and psychological benefits healthy trees provide urbanites: Our parks and trees are more than aesthetically pleasing areas that help address pollution problems.

Unfortunately, life for everyone these days can be demanding — even for children. School, societal pressures and even relationship challenges with family members or friends can be stressful for kids and young adults. Also, children are spending more time than ever indoors and on electronic devices, including laptops, cell phones and electronic games.

In the last 10 years or more, the medical field has found these sorts of habits and stresses are unhealthy and can affect the immune system.

A renewed focus on the many health benefits children receive from exposure to nature and play in the natural environment is called for. Besides alleviating emotional and mental stresses, living closer to nature also benefits kids physically. For example, a U.S. Forest Service study showed that people who live around trees have fewer acute respiratory symptoms and are physically healthier.

Studies cited by researchers such as Kathleen Wolf of the University Washington College of Forest Resources are showing contact with nature helps alleviate mental fatigue by relaxing and restoring the mind. This helps children develop cognitive, emotional and behavioral connections to their environment ― even empowering creativity and social skills ― and can improve school performance. Regularly scheduled time spent outdoors is vital and can even alleviate depression and reduce attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children.

Physicians and schools are beginning to reach the same conclusion: Contact with the natural world promotes children’s mental, emotional and social health, and daily activities in the natural environment go a long way toward keeping kids healthy. Some city libraries, including Salem’s, offer rewards like popular library “sleepovers” to encourage children to give up electronic games and activities in favor of outdoor activities or reading. And many schools now offer nature experiences as part of a class or special activity to promote healthy behaviors in students.

There are lots of outdoor activities that are fun for small children, kids and young adults, even during winter. A nature walk through the neighborhood is one; have kids first make a list of nature-related things they might expect to see. Or get hearts pumping with a little exercise on a path or trail close to town; check weather ahead of time and dress accordingly. Bring snacks, water, a cell phone and a camera, too, to capture those spur-of-the-moment memories that family-time creates.

For a special treat, watch the weather for clear nights when you can bundle up the kids, go outside and do some stargazing. There are many phone apps, magazines and books to help identify things in the natural world, including the night sky.

The lives of kids today are, in many ways, far different than those of their parents when they were growing up. However, let’s strive to leave a legacy of special moments kids are far more likely to remember than staying indoors with the video game. Let’s help them thrive by providing wholesome outdoor activities on a daily basis.

Cynthia Orlando of Springfield has a degree in forestry and is a certified arborist for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Contact her at cynthia.a.orlando@oregon.gov. For information about the Children and Nature Network, go to www.childrenandnature.org.