Just 15 minutes outdoors makes children happier and more relaxed!

 Tips for planning outdoor time into your day during the school year

For parents:

• Do homework outside
• Schedule outdoor time into your schedule
• Visit a local park after dinner
• Backyard picnic once a week
• Visit local apple orchard or farmer’s market
• Outdoor reflection time. Sit. Breathe. Observe.
• Keep a family nature journal
• Any activity that gets you outside as a family!
• Create a family “nature table” in your home to display nature finds (rocks, leaves, feathers, etc…)
• Bring potted plants indoors to “green” up your indoor space

For educators:

• Plan outdoor time into your school day
• Take reading time outdoors
• Plan outdoor walks in your day (can be worked into a multitude of subjects – art inspiration, social studies observation, science nature studies, math statistics, etc…)
• Bring nature into your classroom with potted plants, fish aquariums, nature table, etc…

Why outdoor time is so important

• Children who play outside are healthier and happier
• Outdoor time increases academic success
• Playing outside leads to more active imaginations and lowered aggression
• People who play outside as children grow up to be better stewards of the environment

Links

Iowa Department of Natural Resources: Benefits and considerations of taking kids outside
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/education/kidsoutside.pdf

National Wildlife Federation: Why Be Out There

http://www.nwf.org/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There.aspx

Children & Nature Network: GROW OUTSIDE! Richard Louv’s Keynote address to the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference

http://blog.childrenandnature.org/2010/10/04/grow-outside-keynote-address-to-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-national-conference/

National Wildlife Federation: Health Benefits

http://www.nwf.org/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There/Health-Benefits.aspx

National Wildlife Federation: Special Reports about Children and Nature

http://www.nwf.org/Be-Out-There/Why-Be-Out-There/Special-Reports.aspx

Books for Parents and Educators

Broda, H. W. 2011. Moving the Classroom Outdoors. Stenhouse Publishers.
Chalufour, I., and K. Worth. 2003. Discovering Nature with Young Children.Redleaf Press.
Cohen, R. P. 2011. 15 Minutes Outside: 365 ways to get out of the house and connect with your kids. Sourcebooks, Inc.
Cornell, J. B. 1998. Sharing Nature with Children (20th Anniversary Edition). Dawn Publications.
Leslie, C. W. 2010. The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms.Storey Publishing.
Louv, R. 2008. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books.
Ross, C., and T. Gladfelter. 1995. Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation. Mountaineer Books.
Sobel, D. 2004. Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities. The Orion Society.
Sobel, D. 1998. Mapmaking with Children: Sense of Place Education for the Elementary Years. Heinemann.
Smith, G. A., and D. Sobel. 2010. Place-And Community-Based Education in Schools. Routledge.
Stein, S. 2001. Noah's Children: Restoring the Ecology of Childhood. North Point Press.
Van Tilburg, C. 2005. Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors. Stackpole Books.