Kids Still Need Nature Time During the School Year
I'm going to take you on a walk down the school hallways of my childhood.
In kindergarten I remember that our teacher gave us a hug every day when we left to go home at lunch time. In first grade there was a boy who always wanted to sit on top of his desk and he was constantly getting in trouble for it. In second grade we grew meal worms into beetles right on our desktops. In third grade I played "James" in our classrooms James and the Giant Peach play. In fourth grade we all cried on the carpet at the end of "Where the Red Fern Grows". In fifth grade we did mini-society.
In sixth grade I wore a sweater with a bunch of small sweaters knitted on it that I'd gotten for Christmas from one of my aunts and one of the kids in my class asked if my mom still dressed me. In seventh grade I made a wooden duck on a stick in shop class but I drilled the hole too deep into the base and the whole thing fell through when I lifted it up to show my teacher. That was my first C. In eighth grade I took geometry. It was our teacher's first year teaching that subject and I have vivid memories of her consistently turning the class over to one of the students (who was brilliant) when she got stuck. In high school, I took a lifeguarding class that met first hour so I would often get dressed with my swimsuit underneath my clothes in the morning before school. One day I forgot to pack a pair of underwear for after class. That situation didn't pair well with the overalls I had with me that day. The only option I had was to wear my wet bathing suit underneath my overalls to my remaining five classes, where I left all of my seats damp when the bells rang.
There are a smattering of other memories for sure. Some great and some involving peeing my pants during a chess tournament or the discovery of a colony of lice in my hair by the school nurse. I would imagine your story is somewhat similar, high moments and low ones with all sorts in between. School certainly has a huge hand in shaping who we are. With a main focus on academics, a good school career can help children successfully enter the world of college or work and beyond.
While school will hit heavily on academic development and also include some character development there are many other aspects of childhood that are completely missed during time within the four walls of classroom. Since the school schedules takes up a majority of the day, it can be hard to remember (or even find the time) to focus on other areas.
Like adults, there are many facets to children. Childhood is a time to learn socialization skills. It's a time to learn how to channel creativity and to combat boredom. It's when we learn what makes us tick and what we might be able to offer the world. Many of the things kids need to learn during childhood happen only during unstructured time. Hours upon hours are needed and these portions of development cannot be hurried.
When we are setting up the life we want for our kids and for our families we must structure the ancillary time with some thought towards the other area of development. Nature play facilitates growth in every area, making time outside a crucial part of the landscape of childhood. An added bonus with scheduling in outdoor time before of after school and on the weekends is that it provides family bonding opportunities as well. With time always at a premium, it's important to remember that time outside can be enjoyed by all ages, and there really are endless options of outdoor activities for families to engage in together.
