"The dugout in the weeds or leaves beneath a backyard willow, the rivulet of a seasonal creek, even the ditch between the front yard and the road—all of these are entire universes to a young child."
Maria Montessori? Not this time. This insight into the young child's relationship with the everyday world comes to us from Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (published in 2005). Many Montessorians heard Louv speak at the NAMTA conference in Atlanta (January, 2006).
What exactly is Nature-Deficit Disorder?
A generation of children are growing up without the benefit of smelling roses, jumping in puddles, climbing trees, or watching a trail of ants move things significantly larger than the ants themselves. According to Louv, parental fears about outdoor safety coupled with the seemingly ubiquitous inclination to interact with computers, television, and video games indoors are the root causes. Limited access to wild places for city kids and schedules packed with organized after-school activities and homework can also be factors.
Does it matter? Maria Montessori wrote, "One time a child came to me saying that he wanted to see something very beautiful, of which he had heard much talk—the stars. He had never seen them because he had to go to bed very early." (The Child in the Family.) Doesn't that break your heart a little bit? We Montessori parents and teachers believe that children create themselves through interactions with their environment and surroundings. From blades of grass in the back yard to the evergreen trees of a national forest, we already try to give our children the world so they can wholly create themselves. Exploring the outdoors can be inconvenient, messy, time- consuming, and appear disordered. In spite of all that, it matters enough to wake a child at midnight to see the stars.
Last Child in the Woods
Louv's book suggests that we, as a culture, have overlooked the value of freeing our children in nature. Louv does a great job of explaining how it happened, citing childhood obesity, high blood pressure, and attention deficit disorder as indicators that something has gone awry. Research shows that direct exposure to nature is essential for physical and emotional health. Increased time outdoors is said to reduce the symptoms of ADHD, improve children's cognitive abilities, and help children resist negative stresses and depression.
Louv says it best, "Nature as antidote. Stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even a safer life—these are the rewards that await a family when it involves more nature into children's lives."
Educators, government, national conservation groups, and even corporations, have responded to Louv's message with a genuine "back-to-nature" movement. The U.S. Forest Service recently launched its $1.5 million "Kids in the Woods" program aimed at getting mostly inner-city children into the wild. The National Wildlife Federation created "The Green Hour Forum, " a national campaign to persuade parents to encourage children to spend an hour a day in nature. Recently, a Seattle sporting goods store hosted a panel discussion on "Raising Children With Connections to Nature."
How hard can it be?
Well, it won't be easy. With life moving at the pace it does, open-space disappearing, and access to nature's beauty becoming more and more of a challenge, we need to seriously commit. As Montessori parents and teachers, we're no strangers to going out of our way to provide the opportunities children need. We'll find a way to satisfy the young child's fascination with fauna, flora, seasons, and the natural world with hands-on experiences, knowing those experiences will transform the way children look at life and themselves.
Some children will find peace and stillness, some will discover a world of space and freedom, some might encounter an overwhelming joy and bliss. The truth is that the benefit for the children is very, very big. Enjoy this new experience with them—you just might find "something very beautiful" together.
Experiencing the joy of nature need not involve rented kayaks, hundreds of miles in a car, or a giant expedition to faraway lands. Your own neighborhood and community provides a great start. Even the crack in a sidewalk is an ecosystem to explore! Get your own creative juices flowing with these simple ways to incorporate nature—healer, balancer, and builder of people—into your children's lives.
—Kelly Griffith Mannion's credentials include a Montessori Primary and a Lower Elementary Credential, as well as a Master's of Education in Early Childhood, Montessori Education. Kelly has worn many Montessori hats, acting at various times as a teacher, administrator, teacher trainer, and board member. Her favorite and most challenging job is Montessori Mom and her current passion is founding a public program, River Montessori Charter School, in Petaluma, CA.
—Originally Published 2008