Last week I shared with you some of the benefits to young people of attending summer camp, such as social, decision-making and leadership skills and increased self-esteem.
This week I will share with you another benefit of attending summer camp: being outdoors.
"Nature deficit disorder" is what happens to young people when they become disconnected from their natural world.
Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," coined the term and believes the lack of exposure to nature contributes to some of the most disturbing childhood trends. These trends include depression, attention disorders and a rise in obesity.
Americans are spending less time in nature. According to Oliver Pergams, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Americans are participating in activities such as fishing and camping 18 percent to 25 percent less than they did in the early 1980s. State and national parks report a decrease in visitors as well.
In one study, young people were able to name 1,000 corporate logos but only 10 plant and tree species. Additionally, children ages 6 to 11 spend 30 hours a week watching television, a 400 percent increase over the last several years.
On average, American children are spending only 30 minutes of unstructured time outdoors each week.
T. Berry Brazelton, an influential pediatrician and a clinical professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, is quoted as saying, "The tragedy we are facing in this generation is that there is no time for children to explore, to play, to go outside."
Brazelton believes outdoor play lets children "find themselves, find out what they're like as people, find what works and what doesn't work."
Why should we be concerned about these trends?
First, how can we expect children to help protect nature when they don't appreciate it? Conservation efforts will be even more daunting when future generations have not had experiences in nature.
What is more important, research shows that being close to nature may increase people's ability to concentrate, improve the behavior of children with attention disorders and boost science test scores. Taking a walk in the woods, stopping to smell the roses and digging in dirt are good for mental health, learning and brain development.
Exploring nature and experiencing the outdoors allows learners to use higher-order thinking skills, increase vocabulary, make inferences and draw conclusions. Researchers have also found that outdoor play and nature experiences increase children's self-discipline and cooperation skills.
What can you do for the children in your life who may be suffering from "nature deficit disorder"?
One thing you can do is provide a summer camp experience.
When young people attend a summer camp, they are typically immersed in nature. Playing, eating and even sleeping take place outside.
Everything a young person does at camp is hands-on. When people (young and old) are able to use more than one sense to learn about something, there is a greater chance the information learned will be remembered.
A week in nature will give young people experiences they will remember for a lifetime.
I encourage you to make a summer camp experience possible for young people in your life. The evidence of camp being a positive experience -- with benefits for a lifetime -- is overwhelming.
