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Families in Nature:
Connecting School Children with Nature
by Mark Stevens
www.luisasnature.com
Outings in nature are vital for school kids to appreciate nature and
make them well rounded in this computer age.
Schools should have science rooms in which children—under adult
supervision—can observe plants, animals and elements.
A class walk through the local woods is another great way for children
to get to know the local terrain. Interaction with nature should take
place at least once a day. This does not mean that the children need to
take a field trip every day. Once children are inspired to “see” things
in nature, they will be creative on their own in the science classroom
and during school recess in the immediate fields surrounding the school.
To inspire children, school events can range from a small hike along a
dirt path, on which the ants show off their busy habits, to identifying
trees, looking at growth and movement near and in streams—pointing out
the flowers, moss and other plants and animals that live on or near
them.
A schoolbook that teaches children about nature is good. But the
experience is not complete until the kids have smelled and touched the
grass, bark, water, mushrooms and insects both in and outside of the
classroom.
At the end of a field trip through the woods, it is a special treat for
the children to take a break in a picnic area to enjoy some of the local
fruits and vegetables. This is a great way to connect boys and girls to
the earth.
School children not only learn about nature but they grow their social
skills by talking with their classmates and teacher about their new
discoveries and observations. Group and team challenges such as crossing
a stream together or finding leaves or nuts in the woods necessitate
cooperation and communication. This gives the children practical
experience and common sense that they can use later in nature and in
life in general.
Observing nature takes a fair share of patience as well. To see the
habits of birds and squirrels, it is important to be quiet and
observant. To wait for a gopher to come out of its hole might often
necessitate too much patience. In such situations a bit of luck is
involved. But the more knowledge kids gain, the more likely they will
get in tune with the animals’ habits, such as the feeding time when the
animals are more likely to come out and “play.”
Climbing and building outdoors help kids learn about the elements of
nature such as sand and stone. Hiking and climbing promote physical
fitness. Building with the elements helps advance scientific knowledge
to better understand the text in schoolbooks and maybe even inspire the
next generation forest rangers and architects. A nighttime outing under
the stars can literally open new worlds for school children.
Schools can help educate children in nature, so that our next generation
can not only appreciate but also better manage the elements of this
small world.
About
the author:
Families in Nature is written by Mark J. Stevens, author of LUISA'S
NATURE (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Spring 2008). Mark is a news
journalist currently working in Europe. Fluent in French, Spanish, and
German, he has enjoyed extensive travel much of his life. Shaped by the
rural New Jersey setting of his youth, Mark continues to explore the
richness of nature with his wife and two children on the outskirts of
Munich, Germany. He also belongs to several parenting and nature
organizations in the U.S. and Europe. For more information, visit
www.luisasnature.com.
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