“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
Kids' Programs
Children benefit from connection to nature, mindfulness, meditation, and yoga practices just like adults.
This is time for their brains to reconnect and rejuvenate. Time when they aren’t looking at a screen, attending an organized activity, or stuck inside.
American children on average spend 4-7 minutes a day outside playing and over 7 hours in front of a screen. Technology isn’t bad, but we need to find a healthy balance.
Human bodies were not made to be this sedentary or closed off from the outside world.
When children (or adults) spend too much sedentary time inside, their bodies and minds are negatively affected.
Research shows that spending time in nature is necessary for our children’s (and our) well-being. Time with nature and outside unstructured play leads to:
- Increased physical activity
- Improved relationship skills
- Reduced stress, anger, and aggression
- Reduced nearsightedness
- Better academic performance
- Increased focus and attention
- Greater enthusiasm
- Increased engagement
- Increased Vitamin D levels
More benefits and supporting research can be found at Home – Children and Nature Network.
Some children who have not spent much time outside may be resistant to, or even scared of, “nature” and time spent outside. They may be scared of bugs, spiders, dirt, getting wet, or being too cold or warm. To help them overcome these fears, we need to:
- Be patient, and if they want to bring out a stuffed animal, blanket, or other security object, let them
- Learn about nature together, since we are typically afraid of what we don’t know or understand
- Encourage a lot of outside time each day
For all children, the best thing we can do is let them experience nature in their own way.
Let them get messy. Splash in puddles, spend time observing and touching things, and take reasonable risks like climbing trees, jumping on rocks, or crossing streams.
We can enhance the experience and keep their sense of wonder alive longer by sharing that time with them. As adults, we can get messy, observe things, climb trees, jump on rocks to cross streams, and share in this joy with our children.
En Tree offers programs to help keep the wonder and joy alive in you and your children.
See our Events page or Contact Us to learn more.
Learn more
To learn more about our programs including Life Coaching, Meditation, Nature Therapy, Yoga, Reiki, and programs specific to kids, visit our Services Page. Visit the Calendar Page for a listing of planned events, or get in touch through our contact form.