...'If, like 64% of kids today, you played outside less than once a week, or were one of the 28% who haven't been on a country walk in the last year, the 21% who've never been to a farm and the 20% who have never once climbed a tree, you wouldn't know much about nature either.
Free and unstructured play in the outdoors boosts problem-solving skills, focus and self-discipline. Socially, it improves cooperation, flexibility, and self-awareness. Emotional benefits include reduced aggression and increased happiness. "Children will be smarter, better able to get along with others, healthier and happier when they have regular opportunities for free and unstructured play in the out-of-doors," concluded one authoritative study published by the American Medical Association in 2005.'
Pressurised childhoods, where adults deem that any free time - after school - weekends - must be spent 'constructively ' adds to the problem.
'Ask anyone over 40 to recount their most treasured memories of childhood play, and few will be indoors. Fewer still will involve an adult. Independent play, outdoors and far from grown-up eyes, is what we remember. '
Many play schemes in the UK aim to improve the early experiences of children and strive to move some of their indoor time to out, providing unstructured and free play. At Nurture we know that it isn't what you know about nature that counts, its what you experience whilst there and in it.
At Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten we recognise and pride ourselves on the massive difference in ratio of outdoor time to in that we provide. It's all in our name :)
