WILD CHILD: Nature Connection

Have you connected with nature today? Have you spent some time in bright sunlight, enjoyed fresh air, looked at something green?

Just 10 minutes a day gives you over 60 hours outside over a year, that’s more than if you camped outside all weekend without going indoors! If you spend 30 minutes a day outside you will have spent over a week outside by the end of the year. That’s some serious nature time.

That 10 minutes makes a big difference. Outside time in nature helps us be more active (Wheeler et al., 2010), improves our mental health (Hunter et al. ,2019). and builds our resiliency to difficult things that happen (Berto, 2014). Time outside helps up be healthier, happier, and hardier.

This nature pyramid was creature the the Nature Kids Institute to help families see how easy it is to connect with nature and experience the benefits.

Daily play outside.

Even 10 minutes outside daily adds up. Make those 10 minutes fun. Lie on the grass, chase butterflies, smell the flowers, play tag. Whatever you choose, whether you are an adult or child, have fun outside each day.

Weekly explore something in nature.

Go for a nature walk, visit a park and look at the grass or trees. You can stay close to home and visit a park, just spend a little longer outside. If you like gardening include your children, visit an Environmentally Significant Areas in London for a walk, or join our Wild Child Playgroup for a free morning of fun with other families.

Monthly visit a place where you can spend more time away from man made things.

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and Ontario Parks have some fantastic local spaces to explore and beeches to visit. You can borrow day passes for both from the Childreach Resource Library (just search “pass”).

Yearly find a wild space.

Find nature and enjoy nature without the distractions of technology or sounds of traffic or the sights of man-made structures and buildings. This can be as simple as heading to a conservation area without your phone for a full day of fun with your children. Or you could take a camping trip or vacation to a natural space.

Spending time in nature is easy to do and the benefits of regular outside time are worth making it part of your routine.

Written by Tandy Morton, Wild Child Playgroup Facilitator