Second Nature

"Let Nature be your teacher" - W.Wordsworth With the cool, crisp fall weather upon us, it's the perfect time to experience nature with your family. We are so lucky to live in New England, where the changing leaves, open skies, and peaceful trails offer many green spaces to explore. But you don't need to travel far at all to enjoy and receive the many benefits of nature. Your family can connect with nature in a park, on a playground, or in your own backyard. However you manage to get outside, the evidence is clear —children are physically, emotionally, and socially healthier when they spend time in nature. Nature provides a sensory-rich environment where kids can explore at their own pace, engage with open-ended materials, and feel free to move, create, and simply be. Experience in nature is not just enjoyable, it is essential. "Children still need a childhood with dirt, mud, puddles, trees, sticks and tadpoles." - Brook Hampton The physical benefits of outdoor nature play are many. Climbing, hiking, and maneuvering through a forest or park build gross motor skills such as balance and coordination. Running and moving reduce the risk of obesity and boost the immune system, while the sun provides much-needed vitamin D. Spending time in nature also supports curiosity, imagination, creativity and critical thinking. This deep sense of wonder leads to happier, more focused, and less anxious children. Nature offers a calming and regulating environment for all children. Self-confidence grows through problem-solving and interacting with nature in a myriad of ways, leading to a sense of accomplishment and resilience. Safe risk-taking in nature, like balancing and climbing, helps develop judgement and decision-making skills. Socially, interacting with others while playing in nature fosters cooperation, communication, and empathy. These face-to-face interactions build connection and reduce screen time, creating more present, engaged relationships among siblings, peers, and caregivers. So while plunking kids in front of a screen might feel like the easy choice, stepping outside — even for 20 minutes — gives their bodies, minds, and spirits exactly what they need. Perhaps the most lasting benefit of time out in nature is that it nurtures a lifelong love for the environment. When children feel connected to the Earth, they grow up more likely to care for it. Nature is a gift, and it's waiting just outside your door. "The child who has felt a strong love for his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction." - Maria Montessori "Play is often talked about as if it were relief from serious learning, but for children, play is serious learning." - Fred Rogers Second Nature is submitted by the naturalists at Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center (BEEC) in West Brattleboro. Come take a walk on the trails, open to the public from sunrise to sunset. Sign up the kids for Nature Days at BEEC on days of no school. To learn more about programs for all ages, visit www.BEEC.org, and join us in strengthening our connection to nature. BEEC is a member supported non-profit organization.