Children and Nature Psychological, Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations

"For much of human evolution, the natural world was one of the most important contexts of children's maturation. Indeed, the experience of nature was, and still may be, a critical component of human physical, emotional, intellectual, and even moral development. Yet scientific knowledge of the significance of nature during the different stages of childhood is sparse. This book provides scientific investigations and thought-provoking essays on children and nature.

Children and Nature incorporates research from cognitive science, developmental psychology, ecology, education, environmental studies, evolutionary psychology, political science, primatology, psychiatry, and social psychology. The authors examine the evolutionary significance of nature during childhood; the formation of children's conceptions, values, and sympathies toward the natural world; how contact with nature affects children's physical and mental development; and the educational and political consequences of the weakened childhood experience of nature in modern society."

California Department of Parks and Recreations

Issue

“After tens of thousands of years of children playing and working primarily outdoors, the last few generations have seen such interaction with nature vanish almost entirely. The implications -- for children's physical and mental health... -- are immense.”
 (Richard Louv, interviewed by David Roberts, 30 March 2006)

Vision
All California children will be inspired to actively and creatively engage with and appreciate the natural environment.

Mission
To energize, educate and engage public, private and nonprofit entities to increase the number and variety of opportunities for California children to experience and benefit from interacting with the natural world.

Great Schools

Children and nature: who let the kids out?

Child Mind Institute

Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature

They may prefer to stick to their screens, but here's why getting outdoors matters

Why Naturalize Outdoor Learning Environments

Childcare center naturalized outdoor learning environments (OLEs) stimulate the diversity of children’s play experience and contribute to their healthy development. Best practice design of OLEs incorporates trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, grasses, edible fruits and vegetables—to connect children with nature and diversify their outdoor experience. This InfoSheet discusses the benefits of connecting children to nature and presents examples of simple ways to naturalize outdoor learning environments in childcare centers.

Children and Nature Research Library

Children and Nature Network

We provide detailed summaries and citations for peer-reviewed research articles as well as links to those that are publicly available, or to publishers’ websites when not publicly available. Access via an educational institution or payment may be required in some cases to access full studies and source documents.

Nature Deficit Disorder

Nature deficit disorder is a phrase referring to the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. This disorder is not recognized in any of the medical manuals for mental disorders, such as the ICD-10 or the DSM-5. Evidence was compiled and reviewed in 2009. Richard Louv has stated "nature-deficit disorder is not meant to be a medical diagnosis but rather to serve as a description of the human costs of alienation from the natural world".

Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of electronic devices. Recent research has drawn a further contrast between the declining number of National Park visits in the United States and increasing consumption of electronic media by children.

The phrase has been criticized as a misdiagnosis that obscures and mistreats the root problems of how and why children do not spend enough time outdoors and in nature.

Vitamin N

“Vitamin N (‘N’ is for nature) is everything the worried parent needs . . . The accessibility of Louv’s writing is what truly shines, and his enthusiasm, so evident in earlier works, is on overdrive here. Anyone who works with children will embrace this title; families will be thrilled by its offerings. This is, without question, another shot out of the park for nature-advocate Louv.”
—Colleen Mondor for Booklist, starred