Psychologists tell us people are happy and healthier when they feel a personal connection to the natural world. Yet we’re raising a generation of kids who are know urls and logos better than what’s growing in their own backyards.
Getting into nature doesn’t have to mean memorizing the scientific names of species or extreme outdoor adventures (although it can!). It can be as small and personal as admiring a butterfly or noticing the clouds.
What are you doing to get your daily dose?
Children who connect with nature grow into adults who care about protecting it.
Sylvie de Sousa and Katharine Byers are two Vancouver Moms who’ve put together a bag of tricks sure to nurture eco-consciousness in any kid (and, hopefully, prevent the onset of what Richard Louv calls “nature deficit disorder”). They helped us put together activities to turn kids into bird watchers and protectors for our November newsletter.
Share your wisdom about getting kids into nature here.
Lenore Dickson and Mike West, who live just outside Dundas, Ontario, have eco-minded kids - nine-year old Ruby and eleven-year-old Will - who chose to make David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge the theme of each of their summer birthday parties.
They made piñatas of things they really wanted to take a whack at – an incandescent light bulb and a Hummer – tie-dyed organic cotton T-shirts, and played cooperative games that had both a low environmental impact and repurposed stuff they had lying around the house - three-legged and sack races, bucket brigade, capture the flag, limbo, ball tosses and a dress-up relay - as well as a Nature Challenge Match Game and Treasure Hunt .
Here are some pictures from their parties:
All the kids at Ruby’s party had a hand in playing a Nature Challenge Match Game.
Ruby demonstrates one method of ridding the world of incandescent light bulbs. Celeste Alex (in purple) had such a good time, her mother Robin Lane reported, she came home “all excited about how we can participate as a family in David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge” . The other friend in the photo is Louise Monk.
For their party piñatas, Ruby and Will each picked something they wanted to give a good bash. Will chose a Hummer. Here they are putting on the final touches.
Will and his friends went on a Nature Challenge Scavenger Hunt. They pieced letters together to solve the puzzle ‘polar bears walk on thin ice’ and, by chance, came upon a white tail deer skull with antlers. Front row kneeling (L to R): Tate Angelkovski, Grant Forsythe, Brandon Viaes, William Rutherford. Standing: Cody Riccatone , JJ Shanlin, Emma Holland , Will Dickson, Noah Van Duzer, Noah Leggatt, Tim Bentley, Jess Sussman. Tucked in behind: Will Bermingham, Evan Souter.
Both Ruby and Will asked their friends to bring donations for The David Suzuki Foundation in lieu of gifts – thanks kids!
Got more great ideas for earth-friendly kid fun? Add you comments here!
I am a lunch monitor for a grade 2 class. I am trying to find kid-friendly fact or fiction questions that I may ask my kids through their lunch hour. Would you have any suggestions where I may find it??
Amy Hollett
Winnipeg, Manitoba
