From a 5th grader, those words are quite a revelation. Statistically, youth 8-12 years old spend 6-8 hours per day on entertainment media and only 6-8 minutes in unstructured outdoor play. This amount of “screen time” and sedentary activity has led to increases in child obesity, inadequate physical activity, stress, sleep deprivation, and poor diet quality; in contrast, being outdoors in nature has proven to combat many of those ills. In fact, numerous studies have shown the benefits that time spent in the outdoors has to one’s health and well-being. For instance, psychologist, Roger Ulrich, has discovered that people have significantly lower heartbeat rates and higher alpha-wave amplitudes when viewing natural scenery. 

Bowler and colleagues found that activities in a natural environment resulted in reduced negative emotions (e.g., anger, fatigue and sadness) as compared to similar activities in a human-made environment. Children with ADHD who regularly play in green settings have milder symptoms than children who play in built outdoor and indoor settings according to a study done by Faber Taylor with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. And it’s been observed that children with better access to public parks and recreation programs are less likely to have significant increases in BMI (Body Mass Index) over time. As a result, when our children are withdrawn from the natural environment, they are deprived of the innate benefits it has to offer.