BOSTON, Mass. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Want to contribute to climate solutions? Start by nurturing the next generation. By supporting your kids to connect with nature, spending time outdoors and encouraging curiosity, parents can instill in their children a deep appreciation for the natural world, and an understanding of how water and food cycles are critical for life on earth to thrive. A recent survey found that 68% of parents are eager to join their kids in learning about the environment and learning together is the perfect way to spark a love for life on the planet.
Digging in the dirt, making mud pies, and exploring the outdoors…
“There’s something about kids and nature that’s just magic,” said Vicky Griffiths.
She founded “Nature Play with Vicky” with one mission in mind.
“If we want children to flourish and to be truly empowered, we have to help children to fall in love with the earth,” Griffiths explained.
Tufts University developmental psychologist George Scarlett, PhD told Ivanhoe, “A foundation for earth stewardship is a deep connection to the natural world, what I call foundational connections.”
He helps parents build moments of deep connection with the next generation.
“Foundational connections are those moments where there’s a lot of curiosity and awe and wonder,” Scarlett stated.
One way to support your child is to celebrate their curiosity.
Scarlett said, “It’s saying, okay, I’m going to follow my kids’ lead and get interested when they’re interested.”
It’s less about telling your child the facts, and more about learning them together. From nature’s rich biodiversity to how its water and food cycles support all life on earth.
“You start to care for that which you find wonder in,” Scarlett expressed.
Griffiths agrees. “My hope is that one day they’ll be, these children will be environmentalists and they’ll be naturalists and they’ll be conservationists because they fell in love with nature from an early age,” she said.
To help children appreciate nature, it’s important for parents to manage their own fears. It’s not easy to stay calm around spiders and snakes, but it’s a necessary step. Allowing your child to assess risks and appreciate even the most frightening creatures is a powerful way to empower them to become active environmental protectors.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Executive Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer; and Bob Walko, Editor.
Produced by Child Trends News Service in partnership with Ivanhoe Broadcast News and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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