Being Outdoors Good for Children’s Eyesight

06/03/2021

Being Outdoors Good for Children’s Eyesight

The secret to life is finding joy in ordinary things.
Ruth Reichl, American chef and writer

Nicola Davis, in The Guardian, writes, "Children should be encouraged to spend time outdoors to reduce their risk of becoming shortsighted, experts have said. Shortsightedness is rising around the world...Several studies have found children who spend more time outdoors have a lower risk of myopia. While some report that looking into the distance could be important, others say exposure to outdoor light is key."

And in their popular book, Bringing the Outside In, Sandra Duncan and Jody Martin provide a list of tools to have on hand outdoors, but that could also be brought indoors to continue the nature connection:

"Magnifiers, prisms, balance scales, specimen containers, microscopes, tape measurers, measuring cups, and documentation tools." The authors also suggest that classrooms "infuse elements of beauty and objects of provocation such as honeycomb, or moss-covered twigs to peak children’s interest in natural objects."

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