Your Children Should Connect with Nature, Here is Why

Nature is therapeutic, not only for adults but for children as well. Many of us have fond memories of spending time outdoors, in nature. We climbed trees, played in the rain and mud, and collected pebbles. Did we ever wonder how these fun activities helped us shape our brains, bodies, and personalities later as we grew up?

Today, researchers prove that your children should connect with nature; here is why they should engage with nature for a longer, healthier, and more productive life. Nature heals us in ways we seldom realize. It is a powerful tool to disconnect from our machine life and reconnect with the beauty that we hardly observe otherwise.

Similarly, for children, nature offers several benefits, including a visible change in their physical and mental well-being. They learn while interacting with nature-based elements that develop their cognitive processes as they play and explore.

Your Children Should Connect with Nature; Here is Why

The most crucial factor for Muslim children to engage with nature is that it helps them learn more about our Creator and His magnificent creations. Children are naturally curious and love to explore. They observe plants, flowers, insects, and the earth outdoors, which is the most exciting part. Interacting with nature is beyond playing outside in the park. It’s about observing the clouds, exploring trees and their symmetry, and making mountains of mud.

Benefits of Nature for Children

Children must play more outdoors because it’s fun, exciting, and crucial for their development. Playing outdoors nurtures their emotional, social, physical, and mental growth. The more outdoor exposure children get, the more freedom they enjoy. Ultimately, this experience brings them closer to the surroundings that foster their senses.

Modern studies show that outgoing children are happier, healthier, and perform better at sports and academics. Their attention span is better, and they do not experience anxiety as children who stay indoors. Outdoor activities also make children responsible; for instance, if parents assign their kids the task of watering the plants, they will gain a sense of responsibility to take care of the plants and not let them die.

In times like these, encouraging children to spend time outdoors benefits their physical health. No time spent sitting on couches is comparable to the playful activities they enjoy. We can teach them how beautifully Allah (SWT) has created the earth as they play and interact with natural elements. Children are born explorers; they love observing flowers, tiny beasts, and every detail that comes their way while having fun outdoors.

Nature impacts children’s intellectual growth.

Nature offers an entire world for our children to explore, experiment, and imagine. Front the early stages of birth; children start paying attention to sounds, scents, patterns, and views. The natural environment is the best place to explore numerous creations that helps them nurture their intellectual and creative abilities.

When children are out playing, they come across objects that intrigue them. Hence, these experiments foster inquisitive brains and improve learning experiences. When butterflies fly from one flower to another, they constantly ask where they come from and why they visit different flowers. These experiences are unmatchable, genuine, and bring authentic learning to those young minds. These learnings allow them to take risks, test and fail, and try again, which ultimately helps them become resilient and confident.

Following are some brain development nature experiences for children:

• Build molds with and dig in the mud
• Observe insects and worms crawling in the soil
• Watch clouds
• Gaze at the birds chirping
• Sow plant seeds
• Play outdoor games
• Gardening

Playing outdoors nurtures their emotions

Allah (SWT) created humans as social animals. Spending time outdoors makes us feel content and joyous. Children observe and explore what they can not enjoy indoors with their inborn nature. They jump, run, climb, shout and feel more liberated, which lessens their anxious and hyperactive behaviors.

Moreover, nature tends to take us closer to peace and contentment; particularly for kids, it boosts their nurturing traits. For instance, children pause for a while as they play in the sand, slow down while watching a spider making a web, or spend long hours playing with sand at the beach. Numerous researchers believe that nature exposure can help recover children from anxiety and other behavioral disorders.

Children are born social.

Spending time outdoors allows children to mingle with new kids; they learn to interact, share and try new endeavors together. They make different games, play together, and set their own rules, resulting in better decision-making and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, children who play and have fun together tend to bond closer with their playmates. They become kind and gentle and develop an empathetic attitude towards other children. These children are quick to share a helping hand with a friend in need or get worried if a friend is injured.

Nature is refreshing

Nature is therapeutic; it heals us in ways we can’t imagine. Spending time in fresh air brings numerous benefits to the physical well-being of children. They play in the sun, which means getting the much-needed vitamin D that helps in building a more muscular body and boosts immunity. Playing outdoors has countless advantages for young bodies, which we can not replace with indoor activities. Children become more active, physically strong, and mentally sharp, ultimately contributing to their overall physical growth.

These outdoor activities are as simple as the following:

• Running around chasing one another
• Playing on swings
• Jumping in the rain
• Playing hopscotch
• Playing outdoor games like cricket, soccer, basketball, etc.

Parents can also join their kids and experience these activities while ensuring safety. It will boost their confidence and get enough motivation to see their parents taking on new challenges. Children learn faster when they witness their parents joining them in playing these fun-filled outdoor activities.

Environmental Benefits

Children are born explorers; their connection with nature is crucial for individual growth and collective development. Young bodies play outside everywhere; it creates a unit of collective experiences. These kids will be responsible for our future earth, and to grow into responsible adults, they must cultivate a passion for protecting our environment.

As parents, we can achieve this objective by allowing them to explore nature and observe the vast planet that invites us to explore, observe and preserve it. Without a deep association and passion for protecting nature, we might not serve the purpose right. This world and this planet deserve our care, and children can fulfill this responsibility brilliantly if we start teaching the love for nature from an early age.

How to bring your children close to nature?

Allah (SWT) created this entire universe for us to explore, appreciate and seek a purpose. We can find plenty of ways for our children to connect with nature and establish a more profound association with marvelous things. Children do not need fancy activities to start loving nature; it could be as simple as gardening, going out in a park, and observing flowers growing. Start planting small plants, let them explore seeds, sow them and observe them growing.

Help them learn how beautifully Allah created everything and that every little creation is an example of His greatness. Nature inspires children and adults equally; it brings us joy, peace, and calmness. It positively affects their physical, mental, and social development.