How to Avoid Nature Deficit Disorder in Children

Although it’s not exactly a something that can be diagnosed by a doctor, Nature Deficit Disorder is a very real condition that has started to occur in many children and youths who do not spend enough time outdoors. Richard Louv’s landmark book, “Last Child in the Woods,” details this phenomenon, citing a number of scientific studies that show what happens when children spend too much time indoors playing video games and the like, foregoing exposure to nature.

Not spending time outside has several consequences, the most well-known one being Vitamin D deficiency developed from insufficient exposure to the sun. However, kids who do not spend sufficient time outdoors can experience notable drawbacks later in life, most notably attention deficit and physical and emotional problems. Getting children outdoors not only is a great stress reliever, it also teaches them about the environment and its place in their future. Here are five engaging ways to get your children outdoors to avoid nature deficit disorder.

Plan a Regular Outdoor Adventure
One way to get your children interested in nature is to tell them you are going on an adventure. Plan regular family fun by going to a nearby forest or nature preserve, beach or even a city park. Have a theme for each outing such as counting various types of animals or going on a scavenger hunt.

Use Binoculars
Using binoculars is a great way to get up close and personal with animals such as deer who often flee if you get too close to them. By looking through binoculars, you and your children can watch animals forage and take care of their young without disturbing them.

Look for Signs of Animals
Nature centers are a great place to do this activity because such places often have displays and/or brochures that show footprints and sometimes droppings of common animals. This activity can also be easily done in the winter as animal prints remain in snow during freezing weather. You can also look for other signs such as bird’s nest, beaver dams and trees that have had bark removed by deer.

Collect and Identify Leaves
Fall is a great time to do this activity because children can easily collect leaves as trees shed them. Instead of looking for the leaves with the prettiest colors, try to find as many different types as possible and then identify them to learn how many different kinds of trees grow in your area.

Plant a Garden
Learning where common vegetables come from is one of the easiest ways to commune with nature. Plant seeds of easy-to-grow plants such as green beans, cucumbers and tomatoes inside in spring before the weather warms. Make your child responsible for watering and taking care of the seedlings. When the time comes to transplant them outside, show your children how to carefully place the seedlings in the ground. Watching how plants grow and develop during the summer is a great way to show the cycle of life.