"Time outdoors seems to affect cognition, reduce stress, increase physical activity, and make children more social. Classrooms that have been moved outdoors at least one day a week are likely to improve children's academic performance and have a positive influence on children's mental disorder."
"Contact with nature meets a basic human evolutionary need, something referred to as the biophilia hypothesis. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that time spent outdoors in human-engineered spaces like parks or natural spaces like untouched forests can benefit children."
"Contact with nature can be as subtle as seeing trees while also encompassing full immersion in natural environments. The extent of nature's impact on children's health and what kind of nature children need to experience to get a mental health benefit requires further research."
Research demonstrates that children experience positive mental and physical health outcomes from nature contact, supporting the biophilia hypothesis that humans have an evolutionary need for natural environments. Outdoor time affects cognition, reduces stress, increases physical activity, and enhances social development. Schools implementing outdoor classrooms at least weekly show improved academic performance and positive mental health influences. However, the extent of nature's impact on children's health and the specific type of nature exposure needed for optimal benefits requires further investigation. Nature contact ranges from simple visual exposure, such as viewing trees, to full immersion in natural settings.
#nature-and-mental-health #childrens-wellbeing #biophilia-hypothesis #outdoor-education #nature-exposure
Read at Psychology Today
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