Take a Child Outside Week: Sept. 24 – Sept. 30

Posted September 23, 2010 by Former Employees

 

Tomorrow marks the start of Take a Child Outside Week (Sept. 24 – Sept. 30). This is one of the initiatives celebrated by the Children & Nature Network, a movement started by Richard Louv, author of the book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. 

Denver Botanic Gardens was fortunate to play host to Richard last September to help building awareness of the construction of our Mordecai Children’s Garden, which opened last month to rave reviews. Richard’s message is simple: Get outside and play!                                                                        

There are so many important reasons to turn off the TV, the Playstation or the Wii and explore nature, both near and far.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently came out with a report  (AAP report on play)  that said that outdoor play is crucial in helping children in their development — socially, emotionally, and cognitively. It also can help them manage stress and stay healthy, playing an obviously vital role in the fight against obesity. 

Another important reason to get kids involved in nature early in life is to instill a sense of appreciation and stewardship for the great outdoors.  Countless studies have shown that children who hike, climb trees, splash in streams and enjoy the outdoors grow up to be adults who support conservation of the natural world.

So how do you get started? Whether you have a kid or you’re a kid at heart, come get inspired at our brand-new Mordecai Children’s Garden!  This weekend is the perfect time to come check it out.  

Children explore Cynthia's Lookout (Photo copyright Scott Dressel-Martin)

Also, courtesy of Takeachildoutside.org, here are some ideas to get started . . . be it  in the Children’s Garden, your own backyard or your favorite local park:

1) Listen & Feel: Find a comfortable place to sit.  Close your eyes for one minute (30 seconds for younger children). Listen to the sounds you hear.  What are they? From what direction are they coming from? What might have made them? Next, close your eyes again, focusing on the sunlight and the air touching your face or arms. Talk about what you can notice through the sense of touch.  Where is the sun? From what direction is the breeze blowing? Does the air feel warm or cool?

3) What’s Out There? Go into the Children’s Garden and start exploring. Ask your child general questions about what they are seeing. Sample questions:
      a. How many different things are you seeing? Hearing? Smelling?
      b. Do you remember a time or a place you saw these before?
      c. Pick one thing and take a closer look. Use a journal to write  observations that your child has, as well as questions they want to find out more about. For older children, show them how to look up information at the library about different plants, animals, trees. 

3) Nature Study: Find a quiet area (there are many areas of Denver Botanic Gardens that are perfect for this!) and have everyone sit and observe their surroundings.  Create a watercolor study or pencil drawing of whatever they choose: it might be shadows, plant life, rocks or a flower. Remind your child that the process of focusing on their subject is more important than their final product. Encourage them to pay attention to their surroundings – the sounds, the light, the air.  The activity is less about drawing or painting, but more about being in touch with nature.

Finally, just get outside and enjoy a glorious Colorado fall day!