The Health Connection
Today’s children spend just 1% of their time outdoors (National Institutes of Health) and, unlike a generation ago, many children today have little exposure to the systems that sustain life—rarely taking the opportunity to experience the joy of spending time in nature.
Children who participate in outdoor programs – like those offered at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center – have been shown to reap physical, emotional and cognitive benefits from their experience. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Association of Ophthalmology, and the American Public Health Association has shown the benefits of time spent outdoors:
Body
- Increased fitness levels build active, functional, healthy bodies, reducing rates of childhood and adult obesity.
- Higher levels of Vitamin D lower the risks of developing osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems later in life.
- Improved coordination, distance vision and fewer instances of nearsightedness.
Mind
- Reduced symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, ADD, ADHD and other behavioral issues.
- Improved scores on standardized tests in math, science, reading, writing and social studies.
- Greater ability to adapt and think critically and creatively.
Spirit
- Increased self-confidence and resilience to adversity.
- Reduced aggression and healthier emotional well-being.
- Greater meaning and purpose, a sense of coexistence, inner peace and awe in nature’s presence with a sense of respect and concern for the natural world.
The Pew Charitable Trust’s 1998 report: Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context (EIC), showed that children who participate in nature-based education programs had better performance on standardized tests in reading, writing, math, science and social studies, reduced discipline and classroom problems, and increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning.
Nature & Health in the News
There are countless studies establishing the connection between children’s time spent outdoors and their physical and emotional health. And, the issue has begun to take center stage in news media as well. Here is a sampling of Nature & Health News from around the web.
- Natural Habitat Adventures – December 2024 – Nature in 2025: Aid to Attention, Happiness and Well-Being
- Healthy Children – May 2024 – Playing Outside: Why It’s Important for Kids
- The National League of Cities (NLC) – May 2024 – How Local Leaders Can Improve the Quality of Life for All Children Through Nature Access
- The New York Times – April 2021 – Plant a Love of Nature in Your Kids
- The Wall Street Journal – February 2021 – For Better Health During the Pandemic, Is Two Hours Outdoors the New 10,000 Steps?
- Canada Broadcasting Company – October 2020 – Getting into Nature Could Benefit Your Mental Health During the Pandemic
- The Guardian – June 2019 – Two-Hour “Dose” of Nature Significantly Boosts Health
- Greater Good Magazine (University of California, Berkeley) – June 2019 – Six Ways Nature Helps Children Learn
- Yes Magazine – April 2019 – Why 30 Minutes of Nature a Day Is So Good for Your Health
