If nature came in a bottle, you can bet that every pediatrician
would prescribe it. Time spent in nature can improve a child’s
attention, boost creativity, reduce stress and provide a host of
other benefits. It’s also good for parents. Exploring the
natural world together can strengthen family bonds. And you
don’t need to trek to the most remote wilderness to enjoy these
positive effects—it’s as easy as going wild right at home.
Here's how... Curing 'Nature Deficit Disorder' “Natural
connections can occur anywhere, from the core of a city
environment to a suburban neighborhood to a rural desert
landscape,” says Cheryl Charles, PhD, president and CEO of the
Children & Nature Network. In other words, there’s no need for
any child to suffer from “nature deficit disorder,” a term
Richard Louv coined in his groundbreaking book Last Child in the
Woods. Louv links rising rates of childhood depression, obesity,
attention disorders and other problems in part to a lack of
nature in children’s hyper-wired lives. A growi