“There’s so much nature out here, … I only have two eyes and one brain, and I think it’s going to explode!” exclaimed a six-year-old student at a school in Georgia, US, where a third of class time was spent learning outdoors. The student was quoted in a research report, “From Muddy Hands and Dirty Faces … to Higher Grades and Happy Places,” about children’s growing disconnect with nature, its consequences, and how to remedy it.
A Children’s World Without Nature?
The research documents how contemporary kids are less likely to roam freely and are more confined to home, the classroom, and scheduled play. As a result, children’s emotional connection to nature is diminished, as well as their emotional wellbeing, creativity, and resilience.
65% of primary school teachers worldwide found children in their care received less than one hour of outdoor playtime a day, with 12% saying children had less than half an hour.
The “Muddy Hands” report reveals 65% of primary school teachers worldwide found children in their care received less than one hour of outdoor playtime a day, with 12% saying children had less than half an hour. The trend varies across nations, with 29% of American teachers saying they had outdoor lessons less than once per month compared to 72% of Australian teachers.
A study in England, UK, shows that one in nine children had not set foot in a park, beach, forest, or any other natural environment for at least 12 months.
From Nature Connection to Climate Awareness
A research study by Otto and Pensini (2017) surveyed over three hundred 4th to 6th-grade school children on their ecological behavior, connectedness to nature, and environmental knowledge. They found that by being encouraged through Nature Based Environmental Education (NBEE), connectedness to nature had the strongest (69%) influence over pro-environmental behaviors when compared to environmental knowledge (2%).
A systemic review by DeVille et al. (2021) indicates “that overall time spent in nature leads to increased perceived value for connectedness to nature and, subsequently, greater pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors.”
Being in nature leads to a detachment from materialistic values. Researchers have found that those with self-transcendent (a focus beyond the self, for example, altruism) and biospheric (valuing the environment) values were more likely to hold pro-environmental beliefs than those with self-enhancement (personally focused) values.
Wellbeing, Creativity, Resilience
Can environmentalists use this understanding to change behaviors? Perhaps, because most people care about the well-being of their children, even if climate change feels more remote.
Given the evidence that engaging with nature enhances wellbeing, creativity, and resilience in children, it can also enhance their—and their parents’—earth-protectiveness.
In the UK, over 450 primary school children and their teachers responded to a questionnaire before and after Wildlife Trust events. Personal wellbeing and health increased after the events, alongside nature-connection and pro-environmental values.
The children commented: “I enjoy being outdoors more” (83%); “It made me feel calm and relaxed” (81%); “It made me feel refreshed and revitalized” (79%); and “I would like to spend more time in nature in the future” (78%). The researchers observed that children had high levels of enjoyment, curiosity, and observation/engagement with nature. It also enhanced their social relationships.
Research found strong positive associations between connection to greenspaces and pro-social behavior, enhanced mood, increased attention and resilience, and a sense of self-determination.
Sprague et al. (2022) confirmed these findings on the impact of nature-connection on young people's personality development. They found strong positive associations between connection to greenspaces and pro-social behavior, enhanced mood, increased attention and resilience, and a sense of self-determination.
Attention restoration theory teaches that experiences in nature enhance mental focus and concentration and personal restoration to health and wellbeing.
We All Need a Forest School
Many innovative educators seek to create new modes of schooling to reconnect children with the natural world. Alternative educational systems, such as the Montessori approach, see the benefits of children moving around in and having a tactile relationship with the natural world around them.
The risky play movement is predicated on the idea that taking risks builds confidence and resilience in life. Forest schools—where children spend a proportion or, in some cases, all their time outdoors—take tactile, hands-on, and adventurous learning to a natural, outdoor setting.
The first formal forest school, influenced by Steiner-Waldorf schools, was set up in Denmark in 1952 by Ella Flautau and other parents after observing the neighborhood children gathering in forests to play. Since then, forest schools have spread worldwide, typically for younger children.
When it comes to tweenagers, there are some nature-based Montessori and Steiner-Waldorf schools available that combine nature- and classroom-based learning. However, by the time children reach their teenage years, the majority become “trapped” in formalized education in a classroom with frequent exams and pressure to succeed.
The forest school approach can benefit children of all ages. A study in Scotland of adolescent girls’ engagement with a forest school showed that girls at risk of mental health and behavioral problems reported improvements in their mood, confidence, social skills, and relationships. These improvements persisted beyond the setting of the forest school.
Forest schools increase children's physical and creative skills because the natural environment provides complex physical challenges and enables free, unsupervised, and “risky” play.
Why It Matters
All this research matters because children's and teenagers' mental health trends are worsening in many respects. In the US, the number of 12-17-year-olds experiencing a depressive episode rose from 8.1% in 2009 to 15.8% in 2019, before the pandemic. A study of students aged 11-14 in the UK found one-third reported depressive symptoms. War, poverty, socio-political instability, and climate change are causing repeated anxiety, even trauma.
Engaging with nature can help young people's mental health and encourages them to care about nature’s health. The future of the world may depend on it.
*Deborah Talbot is a journalist with three decades of research experience in sustainability as a concept, focusing on cities, the environment, eco-tech, and education.