[W. K. Lis]

From Urban Review STL. Use this link for the article and comments.

I’ve never been a woodsy type or a parent. But I have a message out there for parents, get your kids outdoors for free play. You may tell me they are outside all the time: soccer, little league, etc. Sorry, that doesn’t count. I’m talking about time outside to just explore, on their own.

The above book was among one of a couple of books from one of my three Urban Planning courses at Saint Louis University this semester. It was an eye opener! “Nature-Deficit Disorder” is not some new disorder requiring medicine to cure. In fact, author Richard Louv suggests that free play outdoors may be the solution to the many issues children face today.

I recall growing up in the 70s, I’d spend hours away from home with friends riding our bikes on dirt trails along creeks near our homes. I’d come home so dirty my clothes went right into the hamper — my mom not allowing me to walk through the house with them because I’d get red Oklahoma mud everywhere. Other times I’d go riding off by myself exploring other neighborhoods or riding to the mall to buy something. I’d be miles away from home.

It was a different, more innocent time. Parents just can’t let their kids do that these days. But the question is if parents can afford to not let their children have free times outdoors? Which brings us back to little league and such. Yes, kids are not all couch potatoes playing Wii (though many are). Yet organized events such as sports is different in a child’s development from free play.

In my pre-teen years I often walked or rode my bike to elementary & middle school. Most kids are chauffeured to school these days. I didn’t have a full schedule of play dates and structured events. The lives of kids today are very different. An amazing number are diagnosed with ADHD and are medicated. While Louv has no scientific proof that outdoor free play would reduce ADHD the prospect is interesting to explore.

A decade ago author James Howard Kunstler wrote about the connection between growing up in suburbia and the shootings at Columbine. The theory goes that youth today do not develop any sense of independence — that suburba is so automobile independent this is compounded. So while some may think suburbia is the best place to raise a child the fact is the driving lifestyle may prove worse than in more walkable areas. Please don’t confuse ’suburbia’ with a ’suburb.’ Suburbia is the worse of auto centric sprawl. Many older suburbs are as walkable as the core city in regions.

Regardless of where a child is raised it is critical to have free play outside. You’ll need to read the book for all the reasons. Clicking on the cover image will take you to the author’s website.

With our education policy so focused on test scores (No Child Left Behind), recess often gets omitted. Big mistake say some. A connection to outdoors & nature helps the learning process of young minds. The counter movement is No Child Left Inside.

As I said at the beginning I’m not a parent. Odds are high that I never will be. But as part of society I have an interest in making sure today’s kids grow up in such a way they are well adjusted.

Click on this link for an excerpt.

 

[Brian69]

Took a field trip out to nature with my students and they went nuts over a chipmunk.

Ouch.

But they enjoyed it overall and I wish they had more experiences in nature because being stuck in the city can affect one's view of the natural world.

 

[Mustapha]

Interesting idea that seems to have some common sense merit. The practicalities and realities of getting children outside and supervised more often is another thing. Reading the excerpt I realize I could I have done more for my kids but they seem to have turned out alright. - there were Beaver campouts and Sherwood Park walks and a tight budget prevented Gameboy (the original one) adoption until they were 12 or so. I see much younger kids with portable gaming systems nowadays. I do believe they may be an indicator of a lazy parent; but this can be debated.

 

[Observer Walt]

Silken Laumann, the Olympic medal winner (and native of Mississauga) is now an author promoting similar things. These ideas are dead on.

www.silkenlaumann.com/articles

Toronto is fortunate to have ravines that can be explored within walking distance of many neighbourhoods.