How Nature Nurtures

How Nature NurturesKacee WeaverAnalysis of Contemporary Issues in Education and MontessoriSubmitted To:Sandra Wyner AndrewThe Center for Contemporary Montessori ProgramsSt. Catherine UniversityJuly 28, 2013

13 to 20 percent of children in the US suffer from Mental DisordersWith the most prevalent being Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

An Estimated $247 BILLION dollars is spent each year on childhood mental disordersOne Swedish study showed; Coming from a family on welfare benefits increased the risk of ADHD medication by 135% when compared with households not claiming benefits. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100601072634.htm

On average, children in the US spend as little as 30 minutes outside each day involved in unstructured playAnd, as many as 7 hours in front of an electronic screen

Two-Thirds of children cant pass a basic physical and 40% show early signs of heart circulation problems

Whats wrong with this picture?!

Contact with nature is essential to healthy child developmentWhat is YOUR best childhood memory?

Adult Memories of ChildhoodGoing to Yellowstone National Park with my grandparents~ Shantell GillmanFinding my first horse when I was out walking my puppy when I was 10 ~Hillary MeaderGoing camping at the beach with my family`Alicia BlackardRiding 3-wheelers in a huge field for my birthday~Tony WeaverBottle feeding baby goats on my grandparents farm~Amanda MullinsBuilding tree houses and playing in the river~Me

The outdoor environment is natures Ritalin Last Child in the WoodsRichard Louv says; Immersion in a natural environment was shown to improve concentration, mood, and perceptions of health in children. Another study found that outdoor space fosters more creative mental activity, improves child/adult interaction, and can relieve the symptoms of attention-deficit disorders.Isnt it Dangerous outside?The greatest danger lies in raising a generation of couch-potatoes with no sense of community, autonomy or self-confidence; not in the fear of a skinned knee, broken bone or unproven kidnapping statistics.

If You LOVE your children, make them go outside! Children with generous exposure to nature, those who learn to see the world directly, may be more likely to develop the psychological survival skills that will help them detect real danger, and they are therefore less likely to seek out phony danger later in life. Play in nature may instill instinctual confidence.

GET OUTSIDE

References Candra, D. T. (2009). LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Childhood Education, 85(5), 329. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/210393857?accountid=26879 Tucker, P. (2006). Curing "nature deficit disorder". The Futurist, 40(3), 13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218596005?accountid=26879http://www.cdc.gov/features/childrensmentalhealth/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100601072634.htmhttp://richardlouv.comnull218867.42