The text, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, has an abundance of stories

based on first person experiences of growing up in towns and cities surrounded by nature. The stories romanticizes being one with nature, making one crave a jaunt in the woods, to wade in babbling brooks or to lay quietly in the fields and watch clouds go rolling by. These are memories from my own childhood, and now the term childhood and nature have different connotations. Childhood of today is full of structured activities, helicopter parents, fear of abduction, and fear of what wild beings or animals may be behind the thicket of leaves to the woods. We are raising our children to be ostracized from nature, to fear it, rather than be one with it. Children of today are tech savvy, and highly intelligent, but put them into nature with the bare minimum of survival staples and they would be doomed. As both parents and teachers we must find a way to re-introduce children to nature, so they realize that nature is something that can sustain life, entertain, and challenge ones physical capabilities. Children live through their senses. Sensory experiences link the childs exterior world with their interior, hidden, affective world. Since the natural environment is the principal source of sensory stimulation, freedom to explore and play with the outdoor environment through the senses in their own space and time is essential for healthy development of an interior life.This type of self-activated autonomous interaction is what we call free-play. Individual children test themselves be interacting with their environment, activating their potential and reconstructing human culture. The content of the environment is a critical factor in this process. A rich, open environment will continuously present alternative choices for creative engagement. A rigid, bland environment will limit healthy growth and development of the individual or the group. 1

Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006, page 65.

One of the biggest factors for children having little to no interaction with nature is that, nature is becoming harder for them to find. Suburbs have taken over towns that once had lush forests as backdrops. The space children had once used to play has disappeared; instead it has become paved, and urbanized. Backyards are something to envy, with many families becoming forced to live within apartment buildings due to high costs of living and housing. It is no wonder that in such conditions parents are apprehensive to let their children leave their sight. One can never tell what their neighbors are capable of, or if their child are being put at risk while they are playing in a nearby park. Children living in Urban areas are more likely to suffer from nature disconnect as well witness violence. It is of utmost necessity for children who live in urban areas to have some sort of interaction with nature. With little to no interaction with nature children are finding ulterior ways to keep themselves entertained, which may be putting them at risk. Protection of children should and always be at the forefront of every teacher and parents mind. However, giving children opportunities to discover nature through vacations and fieldtrips will help children develop critical thinking skills, instill a sense of wonder, and let their imagination and bodies run wild. Our main goal should be educating children about the mysteries of nature. Children are our future and it is important for them to understand how nature works as one day they will be in charge of preserving it. Throughout the text there has been much discussion about childrens lack of interest or opportunity to explore nature. A lack of opportunity to learn and discover nature has detrimental effects on both children and society. In many schools across New Brunswick one of the leading exceptionalities that is openly discussed is ADHD. Students with ADHD are the ones who need to constantly be in motion, who fidget, and who are seen as being disruptive or distracting. We are so quick to put a label on these students, and to request that their parents have them tested, so

the students can be put on medication to limit the undesirable behavior. A question that has been nagging and has been mentioned by many of the writers within the text is, would putting children on medications to help them pay attention for the students benefit? Or would putting the children of medication be for the benefit of the teachers and parents? It has been discussed that giving children the opportunity to have free play and time in nature has a calming effect on children who have ADHD. Although countless children who suffer from mental illness and attention disorders do benefit from medication, the use of nature as an alternative, additional, preventative therapy is being overlooked. In fact, new evidence suggests that the need for such medications is intensified by childrens disconnection from nature.2 Medications may seem like the overall answer to get children and students ready to settle in the classroom, but perhaps their movements are an indication that they need to take a break. A way to encompass both learning and nature would be an outdoor classroom. It gets students who require movement to receive it and gets them out into the fresh air which may put them in a relaxed state. Childrens reluctance to go outdoors, or lack of outdoor space for physical activity has created an obesity epidemic. Children in todays society are constantly connected to cell phones, tablets, and computers. This keeps them connected to their peers and parents, but what about their connection with nature and being physically active. It is hard to run, and play tag while carrying a tablet or cell phone. We must remind children of the importance to disconnect from technology long enough to partake in physical activity. Physical activity is just as important as tweeting and
2

Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006, page 48.

texting with friends, not to mention the lifelong benefits it can have if done on a regular basis. Parents can help their children with this by taking their children out in nature for camping and hiking, or to the beach for swimming or flying kites. It only takes a half hour to fifty minutes out of the day, and it helps children create healthy habits that will hopefully continue well into adulthood. Another aspect of the text that one may find interesting is the emphasis that is put on children to participate in play in nature. However, in many cities across the United States there is criminal charges being laid as children are being seen as being a menace to society by being involved in imaginative exploration and play. Such examples of play that some cities are deeming illegal are; building forts, climbing trees, and damming up water to float boats on. Building forts is being deemed as a fire hazard, and damming a small trickle of water could cause flooding. Rules such as these did not exist when we were children. Criminalizing natural curiosities and play could also be playing a major role as to why children do not want to participate in natural play for fear of getting into trouble with the law. The text is beneficial because it clearly is an indicator that students today may not have had the same outdoor natural experiences that their teachers may have had. Therefore, teachers may have to lessen their expectations of childrens previous knowledge as they may not have had experiences such as these before. Teachers may have to differentiate their approaches depending on who their audience is. Children who are in an urban setting may not be as interested in learning about Moose in Newfoundland, whereas, a student who is living in Newfoundland may be very interested as they may have seen Moose in their natural habitat.

Some of the ideas that I would use that are based on the book would be creating an outdoor classroom. I feel that children are more likely to be engaged while they are outdoors. This would be a great idea for Science as children can be hands on with the material. If children are to observe bugs or plants, this will give them many opportunities to do so. I have always been very curious about nature. It began when I was a young girl who used to visit my grandfathers farm. I have always loved animals, and continue to do so now. I have also lived near the Miramichi River and had a brook beside my house so I have spent hours at each, marvelling in the large simplicity of nature. This has impacted my overall approach to teaching, as I feel that based on my past experiences, that children learn best by doing. Taking children for a walk in the woods may seem like a mundane thing to do, but it can make children start to ask questions and begin to think critically about what they see, such as, why the grass is green? Where do snowflakes come from? Why do the leaves change color? What animals may be living in the woods? Our job is to present students with nature, but ultimately it is up to the students as to whether they will ask questions, or become interested. Hopefully the future generation can come to the realization that their cell phones and computers are not the most important thing on the planet, but rather nature is. Nature has the power to entertain, nourish, and shelter us. It is of utmost importance that we co-exist with nature, and try and understand it, because ultimately our survival depends upon it.