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How Do I Get My Child Interested in Nature?

29/06/2021

To get your child interested in nature and the outdoors, it’s important to first reduce the time for online and indoors. Perhaps you’ve noticed already that your child is spending too much time holding a smartphone or tablet. This takes away the opportunity from actually getting outside and exploring the garden, some creatures, the sand and other things that nature and the outdoors offer.

How do I get my child interested in nature

If your child is spending three or more hours using a smartphone or being connected to the internet, that’s already considered unhealthy. It’s especially the case with children two to five years of age when their brains actually require interaction with physical objects and different environments. After all, they still lack real-world experience because of their young age. To support their healthy growth and development, it’s important for them to physically interact more (not just through screens) with objects, environment and other people.

To accomplish that, it’s good to visit or take a view of a nearby park (such as Esther Park, Brentwood Park and Eastfield Park) today or tomorrow (ensure it’s safe, the weather’s good and the sunlight is not too harsh). It also helps to choose an early learning centre that encourages interaction with some organisms, gardens and the natural environment (it’s one of our main approaches here at Dorset Early Learning Centre, where there are vegetable and herb gardens and more). This is a great way to boost their wonder and curiosity about nature and ecosystems. In addition, they get a chance to actually see and feel the plants and animals instead of just staring at them on a screen.

This is in line with how we humans have evolved through thousands of years. Most likely, prehistoric humans (including children) spent most of their time outdoors. There’s not much indoor activity (no TVs and computers yet), which is why it’s mostly about staying and playing outside for children. Today, there’s that tendency to lock ourselves indoors (and over time we feel worse and isolated) and for children to be fully engaged in whatever they’re looking at on the screen. But if we get outside and get some fresh air, instantly we feel better. For children, getting rich outdoor experiences will support their healthy physical and brain development.