Why Is Nature Important For Children's Physical, Emotional And Mental Development

Importance of Connecting with Nature for Children’s Physical, Social, Emotional and Mental Development
We are living in an era of continuous innovation in modern technology, where each day machines are taking over more space in the life of humans. This progress, on one hand, has improved the quality of life; on the other, it has weakened the bond between humans and nature. Among the humans, children are the most affected. Unfortunately a vast majority of children, today, do not enjoy a direct experience with nature as they spend most of the time indoors both at homes and schools. According to Richard Louv, author of the bestselling book “Last child in the Woods”, this is causing an ill effect on their mind and body. Researchers are of the opinion that humans have an
Their ability to see, hear, touch, smell and taste helps them to make awareness of the world. There is a difference between knowing the fact and actually experiencing it. Touching the bark of a tree and feeling the roughness makes this experience lifelong. Nature calms down the activities of the brain and provides the much needed break from the hustle and bustle of modern daily routine. It does not excite the senses of children like Nintendo or Xbox, with high pitched sounds and ultra quick response to reach the next level. Nature does not overload the brain. Remember the primary school essay we had to write about “A morning walk” now researchers and experts have proved that a twenty minute walk in the morning has numerous health benefits. The morning breeze and chirping of birds, relax the brain in a way that it is more alert when it comes to memorizing and learning new concepts. Greenery and outdoor play also offer a retreat for children from the ever increasing noise pollution. It would not be wrong to say that nature provides the perfect and gentle stimuli that are not unhealthy for children and adult