Are children loosing out their time with nature ?
What would be our lives like if our days and nights be immersed in nature as immersed in technology.Unlike the tab apps, TV and cell phone games, where you can only hear and see. Being in nature, can give real life magical experience where you can feel, smell, see, hear and taste. Jump in the streams, play in the mud, climb trees, catch crabs ,hold twinkling fireflies and drink waterfalls.
To mention , even great authors inspired us to transform power of dreams and listening to our hearts by being in nature .Be it " The Alchemist '' by Paulo Coelho or Be it " The Pearl in the Storm " by Tori Mc Clure , nature played an important role in discovering hidden treasures that lie within us.
Where do children spend their leisurely hours or holidays ?
Instead of passing summer months hiking, swimming and telling stories around the campfire, children these days are more likely to stay indoors or join run on the mill Summer Camps .
As Louvrightly points out in his book 'The last child in the woods " that , children have come to think of nature as more of an abstraction than a reality. Indeed, a 2002 British study reported that eight-year-olds could identify Pokémon characters far more easily than they could name "otter, beetle, and oak tree." Gathering thoughts from parents, teachers, researchers, environmentalists and other concerned parties, Louv argues for a return to an awareness of and appreciation for the natural world. Not only can nature teach kids science and nurture their creativity, he says, nature needs its children:
Where else will its future stewards come from?
How do we bring children back to nature ?
Nature Walks
Going for quiet nature walks without speaking can help children listen closely to the flowers, woods ,waves and the stones.Spending time here will help them calm down , find peace and sense of belongingness.Naturally ,they will nurture the environment and take care of Mother Earth .Leaves on the path will soon become an object of inquiry ,where do they come from ?
Nature Table
A nature table or seasonal table can be whatever you want it to be. Simple or elaborate. It could be a collection of objects in nature like types of feathers ,stones,leaves ,twigs placed on the table in a creative way.
Nature Projects
All things collected in your nature trails are highly resourceful and in reverence can be recreated to a piece of art ,history or a new story . Creating ideas to fly like A dream catcher from feathers, A sailor boat from twigs , Stream Path from Stones where ever the mind and heart can explore.
Nature Works
Children love Gardening .Pulling out weeds, cleaning up the garden ,Sowing seeds ,Planting are all fun as they make little hands work along the gardening tools .Making little spaces for keeping potted plants as long as they get enough light ,air and water the plant will grow well. Mint leaves ,Tulsi leaves ,lemon grass can be grown at home and making '' herb drink'' by boiling them with little ginger and a teaspoom jaggery can be refreshing .Help children make these drink and enjoy sipping together.
Nature Diaries
Maintaining a diary helps in uninterrupted writing skills .Watching the grass dance and sketching it .Writing down simple lines like," Green Grass glows in the Sun" .can be an article ready to be pinned.Watching birds fly ,sketching it and writing " Birds fly to make circles in the sky " allows daydreamers to pen their thoughts
Nature Tales
Tell children stories on "how Earthworms became Farmer's best friend ?", "How Dung beetles are loved in the cattle field ? " Begin Stories from the Valleys of kashmir to the Western Ghats of Maharashtra . Find stories or create one , Make sounds and let images come alive..Get children interested in fascinating creatures that share this earth with us.
Nature Games
Blindfold your child and make her listen carefully to the sound of leaves,make her touch the bark of the tree. Then ,take her far away from that tree and remove the blind fold. Then, give her time to identify that tree. MaKe Memories and often make such spontaneous moments ...simple activities such can create the connection between mom and the child.
Where do children spend their leisurely hours or holidays ?
Where else will its future stewards come from?
So much time with Nature will naturally nurture generation next to follow their dreams and finding enlightenment within . As they explore the natural world more deeply and family connectedness in the process ,Mother Earth will be happy to share her wealth with us.
by Nature
close to Nature
Geetanjali
Founder
Secret Passages
workshops for Parents , teachers ,therapist and you
Walk towards this path for holistic upbringing
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Founder
Secret Passages
Beautiful..
ReplyDeleteFantastic..!!
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