“There are about 100 million people in the United States, including 28 million children who don’t live within a 10-minute walk of a high quality park or green space,” Ostfeld says. If this rings true, know that there are still ways to work nature into your day-to-day—whether it’s by visiting “pocket parks” in your city or simply looking up at the clouds. “Make moments where you can just stop and observe,” Ostfeld suggests. Are you able to walk with your child to school? Is there a flower stand you can frequent? All of these things count. “A lot of times, it’s a small shift in daily habits that can change your life,” Yurich says.
5. Bring activities to nature.
Bringing homework, board games, snacks, or anything outside adds in the instant benefits of fresh air, sunlight, the surround sound of nature, the ability to let your eyes relax, and more to an activity, Yurich explains. You can do this on an outdoor table at a café, on a blanket in your local park, or on a deck. The compound effect: Kids feel better and even learn more.
6. Seek out wildlife.
Many kids are drawn to animals, insects—basically anything alive. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yurich remembers sitting in parking lots between doctors appointments with her kids watching ants moving crumbs along and different kinds of birds flying in the sky. “There is natural beauty and nature everywhere, whether you’re in the city, in the country, or in a suburb,” she says. And you don’t need to visit a zoo to get the full effect: “A squirrel is every bit as feral and a wild animal as a cougar or as a mountain lion,” she says. “You can use the little bits of nature that are around you to engage and find novelty.”
Make it a point to call attention to different animals that you see (or make it a game to try to spot different types of the same kind of animal, like birds). Be curious. With little kids you might ask something like, “I wonder what types of animals could live here?” With older children, you may simply point out what you see and see what catches. From here, follow their lead. You could take out books from the library on certain animals, plan specific adventures around animals they enjoy, or more.
7. Create an indoor garden.
“All you need is a windowsill to plant a little garden,” Ostfeld says. Start with something simple like peas, she suggests. Growing plants in the home is a great way for kids to both learn how to take care of nature and get an upfront view of the natural growth process—i.e., that much of our food comes from nature. Plus research suggests indoor plants have health benefits, too, lowering stress levels and blood pressure.
8. Take off your shoes.
Mylan suggests trying “earthing,” the practice of connecting to the earth’s energy. Sit, stand, lay, or walk on grass, sand, dirt, or plain concrete barefoot. Research suggests the simple practice could improve everything from sleep to stress levels and also help with the development of children’s feet. Plus it’s fun and different, and it helps break us out of the regular old routine of wearing shoes outside, which can add adventure in and of itself.
9. Encourage spins, twirls, and upside-down behavior.
Basically, any time a kid moves their head from an upright position they activate their vestibular sense, which is the one behind movement and balance, Yurich says. “The vestibular sense is a foundational sense that helps not only with the gross and fine motor skills, but with helping the development of the other senses in a lot of different ways.” Childhood is a prime time to activate this, since once you hit puberty, you’re more likely to get motion sickness from these kinds of movements, Yurich says.
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