KIDS NEED DIRT, TREES, AND FRESH AIR TO LEARN
The convergence of two crises: mental and physical health in children. The two problems are related: the more detached kids become from the natural world, the more stunted their mental growth and the more obese they become.
When you build real nature (rocks, trees, bugs, birds, animals, etc.) into kids activities they behave more civilly to one another and they concentrate better in school and perform better.
A 45 minute walk in the forest increases cognitive performance, a 45 minute walk in the city does not. University of Michigan researchers.
No child should be left inside. Our brains are built to process sensory input from all sides, to focus our attention tight and pull back for a global sense of where we are. If we deprive that input we become vulnerable to “Nature deficit disorder”
Last child in the Woods by Richard Louv The Biophilia Hypothesis Harvard Dr. E.O. Wilson. Check out “Forest School” education in Canada & USA http://www.forestschools.com/what-are-forest-schools.php Waldkindergarten in Europe. http://www.edutopia.org/early-childhood-outdoor-education-waldkindergarten
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