Nature-Based Fitness for Kids
Activities to Combat Obesity, Stress and Nature-Deficit Disorder
With the lure of electronic pastimes and the pace of modern childhood weighing today’s youth down with obesity and stress-related problems, getting the kids up and moving can sometimes require creative approaches. Encouraging children to participate in healthy physical activity is a well-known way to combat excess weight and improve mental outlook, but what if they just don’t like typical sports workouts? Perhaps taping into their innate curiosity and nurturing an inborn desire for connecting to nature can help.
Nature Connection Critical to Child Development
A growing body of research shows that renewing our relationship with nature yields a multitude of physical, emotional and spiritual benefits, and experts like Richard Louv, author of the influential 2005 book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder from Algonquin Books indicate that introducing children to the wonders of the natural world is critical to their health and cognitive development. Studies have shown that children who engage in outdoor activities of all types are less stressed and more creative, confident, cooperative, focused and academically successful. Louv heads up the Children and Nature Network in support of a growing national movement to reconnect children with nature.
10 Nature-Based Activities that Can Encourage Fitness
Here are just a few suggestions for weaving movement-inducing nature experiences into the family routine:
- Plan regular hikes or nature walks. Seek out varied environments that include different terrain and landscapes. Explore parks, nature reserves and camping areas where trails are marked and convenient. Keep a hiking log. If the kids are enthusiastic, join a hiking club or organize day trips with groups from school, church or the neighborhood.
- Plant a children's garden. Choose fun and fast growing varieties and let the kids experiment in a plot all their own. If they love the experience, consider joining a community garden project where they can garden for local charities.
- Get a dog, volunteer the kids to walk a neighbor's dog (elderly people are often in need of someone to walk their pets) or donate time to the SPCA or Humane Society Walking, playing, training and bathing a dog can be enjoyable physical activities for a youngster.
- Take up bird, butterfly or wildflower watching. Invest in binoculars and a field guide, and then head out for a good search. Choose sites like lakes or streams, undeveloped meadows or wildlife refuges where there is plenty to see. Investigate area birding clubs or native plant/wildflower societies for group activities.
- Get involved in community cleanups and environmental projects. Organize a church, school or neighborhood group to pick up litter or spruce up the playground or local natural habitats. The kids will love being involved and get moving at the same time.
- Visit science or children’s museums. Exciting and active learning adventures are often available there, and topics like geology, astronomy and archeology present unique opportunities for venturing into unusual locales that can encourage natural exercise.
- Enroll in children’s programs at botanical gardens, county agricultural extension services or state and local parks. Master Gardener and Naturalist organizations are excellent sources of information about services and programs.
- Attend special events sponsored by garden groups, environmental organizations, wildlife and pet rescue societies and outdoor adventure clubs. Whether for fundraising or awareness, most activities relay lots of useful information and often involve fun fitness-related activities.
- Go canoeing, kayaking, tubing, rafting or snow-skiing. If the kids really enjoy it, consider joining a club or buying equipment. Find friends and relatives that are enthusiasts and take turns getting the kids outside.
- Do a tour of a historical site. Retrace famous battle or settlement trails or visit museums and living history sites. There is often plenty of hiking or physical participation to be had surrounding these attractions.
View a segment about Richard Louv, nature-deficit disorder and nature clubs from NBC’s Today Show, July 16, 2008.
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