*Guest Post* Teaching Kids to Appreciate Nature

The world has changed a lot in the last fifty years, as I’m sure it has every set of fifty years before that. Growing up in today’s society is nothing like growing up when I was a child. I remember running around in the woods outside my house after school, knowing I had to be home by dinnertime. I wasn’t planted in front of a television. There were no cellphones, so it was up to me to get home on time so that mom wouldn’t worry. If I was late and she didn’t know where I was, I was sure to hear about it when I got home.

Today, parents can keep track of their kids a lot easier. It seems that by high school, if not sooner, every child has a cell phone, some electronic game systems, an ipod, and maybe even a computer of their own. They can be glued to a screen whether they’re at home or not.

Even when my children were young, I had to maintain an effort not to have technology take over their lives. Back then it was mostly tv, which they were only allowed to watch on the weekends. They had to earn their music listening devices, and most of those weren’t very portable. Technology was a privilege you had to earn. You couldn’t let it take over your life.

Today, I feel like escaping to nature is a privilege. We use technology for so much; schools are becoming much more efficient with how they utilize it for teaching. But it is so much a part of our children’s lives, that we must make a conscious effort to keep them connected to the earth.

When I spend time with my grandkids, I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. In the summers we go camping, hiking and fishing. In the winters we go snowshoeing. I have a garden that they still love to help me out in. At the very least, we sit on the back porch watching the hummingbird feeders.

There are a lot of ways to teach kids to appreciate nature, but they all involve immersion. Reading about plants and animals is not the same as seeing, touching, and experiencing them. Besides the strategies I listed above, there are a lot of other ways to foster an appreciation of nature in your children. Here are a few:

• Go to the zoo. Talk about the animals’ natural habitats. Ask your kids what they think the differences are between life in the wild and life in a zoo.
• Visit a wildlife refuge. Many animals here are injured or in captivity for other reasons. Some are endangered. This is a great educational experience.
• Join a community garden. Have the kids help with different tasks. They can even watch or help you make meals from the food you’ve grown.
• Create a bird watching checklist. List all of the birds native to your area and have them lookout for them, whether it’s on a hike, a camping trip, or at home. This will teach them to be observant of their surroundings.
• Plan a berry-picking expedition. Let the kids snack a bit, and then make something tasty out of your pickings.

Creativity is the key to fun outdoor activities. If you’re excited about getting your children outside, they’ll be more excited about it. Not only will they be getting fresh air, they’ll be learning a lot, getting exercise, and probably eating healthier. Simple acts can lead to healthy habits.

Can you think of other fun nature activities for kids?

Ernie Allison loves nature. More specifically, he loves birds and wants to teach others how to appreciate them, too. To help further this mission, he writes for birdfeeders.com, where there is a lot of advice on attracting hummingbirds and other outdoor topics.