April 20, 2019

Quote of the Week

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." --John Muir

Why Kids Need To Spend Time In Nature

"Why go outside?  Recent studies have exposed the benefit—even necessity—of spending time outdoors, both for kids and adults. Some argue that it can be any outdoor environment. Some claim it has to be a “green” environment—one with trees and leaves. Others still have shown that just a picture of greenery can benefit mental health. These nuances aside, most of the studies agree that kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than kids who spend more time indoors. While it’s unclear how exactly the cognitive functioning and mood improvements occur, there are a few things we do know about why nature is good for kids’ minds." [read more]

Reading Corner

Title: Earth Day, Birthday!
Ages: 3-5
By: Maureen Wright

"It's April 22, and Lion and his friends want to plant trees, recycle bottles, and have fun on Earth Day. But not Monkey. He wants to celebrate his birthday. Can he convince the other animals that it really is his birthday?" --Publisher
 

Be the Change

"Tearing your children away from their screens and into the backyard, let alone the woods, can be difficult, but the slew of benefits that the outdoors provides kids’ minds is ample reason to give it a try.

Happily there are lots of ways to make nature as stimulating as the activities kids like to do inside. This article mentions some ideas on Getting Your Kids Into Nature.”