01/19/2007

Advantages of Nature Education

The Working Forum on Nature Education for Young Children , sponsored by the World Forum Foundation, brought together over 300 early childhood educators, environmentalists, and landscape designers to dialogue on how we can reconnect young children with nature. On the last day of the Forum, Marjorie Kostelnik and Dana Friedman summarized the ideas that had been exchanged during the week. On the World Forum Foundation web site (at www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wf2006_nature/presentations.php) Dana's paper "Report on Collected Ideas" lays out these "Advantages of Nature Education for Young Children".....

• By exposing children to nature, we’re giving them a gift of a faithful, life-long friend.
• It provides life-changing, shaping memories.
• It offers a sense of peace and reconnecting to nature.
• Nature has a therapeutic quality — it is calming.
• The natural world supports the development of caring, pro-social behavior.
• How we relate to nature gives us lessons about how we relate to each other.
• It can serve as a force for change, for peace.
• It fosters self-regulation and learning.
• Nature develops understanding of oneself.
• It brings out the best in children.
• Nature helps children with disabilities, particularly those with sensory integration deficit.
• Children’s pretend play outdoors in natural settings tends to be more complex/therapeutic than indoors.
• Play and interaction with the natural environment and materials helps develop cognitive, social, and emotional skills.
• Nature is crucial for total development of the whole child, regardless of stage, ability, or problem.
• Nature education is crucial for preserving of culture, community, learning, healthy being, and world habitat.

Also in the Working Forum on Nature Education for Young Children web pages, you can find a paper on the collective dreams of attendees, the opening slide show, as well as a photo gallery from event.

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