100 Reasons to Spend 1000 Hours Outside
Parents, there are so many things that vie for your time. By the time school is over and homework is finished there aren't many minutes left. My passion is to bring the gentle reminder that nature play is always worth the investment of your family time. It's value extends into all facets of childhood development and beyond. Maybe, just maybe, weekend forest time or family walks after dinner should be among the first things we write in on our calendars. My hope is that this list will empower you to slow down, embrace blank spaces in your weekly routine, and experience the beauty of our world with your family.
1. Going for a walk can boost your natural immunity.
2. When you exercise outside, your body will breathe more deeply, allowing more oxygen to get to your muscles and to your brain.
3. The sun's rays give you beneficial vitamin D.
4. Studies show that children who spend a lot of time outdoors tend to perform better academically.
5. When children are playing together outdoors they relate directly with one another, they create games together, they choose sides and they improve their “people” skills.
6. Outdoor play is a great way to bond as a family.
7. You are likely to ingest or breath in Mycobacterium vaccae (a natural soil bacterium) when you spend time in nature which may help decrease anxiety.
8. When you walk barefoot outside, free electrons are transferred from the earth into your body. This grounding effect is one of the most potent antioxidants.
9. Fresh air is good for digestion.
10. Using the Profile of Mood States test, researchers found that time amidst nature significantly decreased the scores for anxiety, depression, anger, confusion and fatigue.
11. Sunshine helps increase calcium absorption.
12. Bullying behavior is greatly reduced where children have access to diverse nature-based play environments.
13. Unstructured play outside gets children moving - which is extremely important in light of the current childhood obesity trends.
14. Research has found that just looking at a natural scene activates parts of the brain associated with balance and happiness.
15. Fresh air gives you a break from all the circulating germs inside.
16. Looking at green, growing things can put you in a better mood.
17. Vitamin D from the sun helps kids have stronger bones.
18. Outdoor kids are more likely to use their own imaginations, inventions and creativity while playing.
19. Dirt is good for the skin.
20. A 2008 study at the University of Michigan found that memory performance and attention spans improved by 20 percent after subjects spent an hour in nature.
21. Walking barefoot outside helps support adrenal health.
30. Viruses and bacteria thrive in air-tight spaces. Heading outside will get you away from enclosed spaces where germs tend to be the highest.
31. Being in nature will refresh you.
32. Vitamin D from the sun helps lower cancer risk.
33. Recent studies find that kids who get outdoor time have less nearsightedness and need for eye glasses.
34. 89% of kids say they prefer playing outside with friends to watching television.
35. Time outside can help the mental and emotional state of moms who are caring for young children.
36. Walking barefoot outside improves sleep.
37. Research indicates that children who have nature experiences demonstrate more advanced cognitive development.
38. Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in math.
40. Nature experiences can greatly strengthen family bonds.
41. Fresh air makes you happier because your serotonin levels are affected by the amount of oxygen you inhale.
42. Walking barefoot outside helps protect your body from EMFs.
43. Tree climbing and moving about over varying terrains outside require a very broad spectrum of brain activity.
44. Sunshine improves the function of your liver and helps it better break down toxins and eliminate wastes.
45. Getting fresh air will help your body fight bronchitis.
46. Being in nature gives you an overriding feeling of peace.
47. Outdoor time in natural setting soothes kids and lower their need for medications.
48. People are likely to ingest or breath in Mycobacterium vaccae (a natural soil bacterium) when they spend time in nature which may help to improve the ability to learn new tasks.
49. Walking barefoot outside promotes calmness by reducing stress hormones.
51. You can focus better after you've spent time in nature because you've given your brain a break.
52. There is typically more light outside than there is inside and light helps to elevate your mood.
53. Studies have shown that simply having contact with dirt, whether it's through gardening, digging holes, or making pies out of mud, can significantly improve a child's mood and reduce their anxiety and stress.
55. Research indicates that children who have nature experiences demonstrate more advanced emotional development.
56. Vitamin D from the sun helps to protect against heart attacks.
57. Fresh air will help the airways of your lungs dilate more fully.
58. Children with ADHD focus better after besides outdoors.
59. Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in reading.
60. Exposure to sunlight will make trace minerals more accessible to your body.
60. Fresh air cleans your lungs.
61. The more you are outside, the more energized you will feel and the more you will move your body.
62. Children who spend time outside have longer attention spans than those who spend time in front of screens.
63. Doctors estimate that sedentary and obese children lose three to five years from their life expectancy.
64. Microbial exposures early in life may be important to keeping inflammation in check in adulthood.
65. Walking barefoot outside normalizes your biological rhythms including your circadian rhythm.
66. Nature experiences can greatly strengthen friendships.
67. Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other.
68. Sunshine leads to a healthy, glowing complexion because it can help improve skin conditions like acne and psoriasis.
69. Playing outside is a simple and inexpensive activity.
70. Exposure to natural light and nature views can help speed along recovery.
71. People who live within 1 km of a park or a wooded area experience less anxiety and depression than those who live farther away from green space.
72. Kids ages 8 - 18 devote an average of seven and a half hours to using entertainment media every day. They need healthier alternatives.
73. Vitamin D from the sun can help with fighting depression.
75. Looking at green, growing things can lower your stress.
76. When you engage with nature you will actively use your brain.
77. Increased exposure to ultraviolet light could be the key to improved vision.
78. Kids who grow up on a farm show lower rates of allergies.
79. Walking barefoot outside lessens menstrual and female hormone symptoms.
80. Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in writing.
81. Natural environments stimulate social interaction between children.
82. Research suggests that children gain an awareness of their self and a greater sense of what they can control by playing in nature.
83. Early childhood experiences in natural settings increase a sense of wonder about our world. Wonder is an important motivator for life long learning.
85. Students in outdoor science programs improved their science scores by 27%.
87. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, sixty minutes of daily unstructured free play is essential to children's mental and physical health.
88. Children's stress levels will fall within just minutes of seeing green spaces.
89. Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables.
90. Looking at green, growing things can lower your blood pressure.
91. You will have less time to watch television.
92. Reintroducing some of the organisms from the mud and water of our natural world would help avoid an overreaction of an otherwise healthy immune response that results in such chronic diseases as Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and a host of allergic disorders.
93. Walking barefoot outside can reduce or eliminate snoring.
94. Schools with environmental education programs score higher on standardized tests in listening.
95. Nature walks can increase longevity.
97. Mental benefits that children may experience from playing in nature include increased confidence, self-esteem, and independence.
98. Children who play regularly in natural settings are sick less often.
99. Sunshine is a natural antiseptic. It can kill molds, yeasts, bacteria, fungi, and viruses - even ones that are living on the skin.
