“When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.”
Dr. Maria Montessori
As I lead the children into the woods for the first time their voices are excited as they immediately begin to find treasures – acorns, a beautiful rock, a wildflower along the path or an interesting leaf. As I listen to their comments, I feel grateful to stand on the shoulders of those teachers who came before me who began the tradition of walking in the woods at King’s Wood. Now more than ever, in our fast-paced, technologically driven society, children need nature. According to the Children and Nature Network, research shows when children have a chance to spend time in nature, their physical and social and emotional well-being are enhanced. Children build strength, confidence and resilience as they take risks, navigate new terrain, problem-solve, and support each other in the great outdoors.
When we arrive at “Big Rock,” which is just that, the children immediately ask to climb the rock. I go first, and show the children how to use their hands and feet to scale the incline to the top. Anisha helps each child get up onto the rock and they begin their ascent. Some climb right up, some are fearful, some are cautious and go slow, some believe they can’t. But they all do indeed get to the top with a feeling of “I did it”! That feeling of conquering a fear, or achieving something he or she thought was impossible, becomes engrained because it was felt. Years later, while the specific memory of climbing a rock might be fuzzy, that feeling of facing difficulty and challenge with a successful ending will be crystal clear.
There is also a part of the path we call “Running Hill.” Children can run full speed through the woods, down a slight hill, navigating tree roots and small rocks on the path. The sounds I hear are joyful and exuberant as they run. Occasionally, children trip and fall, but they are always either helped by a friend or a teacher, or they get back up on their own. Next time they are on Running Hill, they know to watch their footing more closely to avoid those stumbling blocks.
As adults, we know all too well that adversity is inevitable and that we will all fall and have to learn how to get back up. Richard Louv, author, journalist, and founder of an international movement to connect families with nature, writes that research shows adults receive many of the same benefits as children from being in nature. Stress reduction, improvements in physical and mental health, and an increase in focus and creativity. Why not get out and enjoy the outdoors with your child? It could be a simple walk through your neighborhood, in the woods behind your house, a park, or local hiking trails.
