Kids Are Absolutely Starved For

What Happens When All The Parts Of Childhood Are Soldered Down, When The Young No Longer Have The Time Or Space To Play In Their Family's Garden, Cycle Home In The Dark With The Stars And Moon Illuminating Their Route, Walk Down Through The Woods To The River, Lie On Their Backs On Hot July Days In The Long Grass, Or Watch Cockleburs, Lit By Morning Sun, Like Bumblees Quivering On Harp Wires? What Then?

As The Nature Deficit Grows, Another Emerging Body Of Scientific Evidence Indicates That Direct Exposure To Nature Is Essential For Physical And Emotional Health. For Example, New Studies Suggest That Exposure To Nature May Reduce The Symptoms Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (adhd), And That It Can Improve All Children's Cognitive Abilities And Resistance To Negative Stresses And Depression.

The Physical Exercise And Emotional Stretching That Children Enjoy In Unorganized Play Is More Varied And Less Time-bound Than Is Found In Organized Sports. Playtime—especially Unstructured, Imaginative, Exploratory Play—is Increasingly Recognized As An Essential Component Of Wholesome Child Development.

Time In Nature Is Not Leisure Time; It's An Essential Investment In Our Chidlren's Health (and Also, By The Way, In Our Own).

What If A Tree Fell In The Forest And No One Knew It's Biological Name? Did It Exist?