Engaging Hearts & Minds: Enriching Children’s Lives with the Outdoors

By Katie Dawson

It’s no secret to parents that our lives are overscheduled and overstimulating. Parents are aware now more than ever of the cautions of too much screen time and jam-packed schedules, and the effects this has on child development — from cognitive to social-emotional to physical. 

Unscheduled, unscripted time outdoors for kids and adults alike works wonders for our physical and mental health. Nature’s power to help us reset, bring a sense of calm and learn about ourselves is remarkable, and something we can give our children (and ourselves) daily. Personally, nature helps me feel more centered and grounded, and I witness the same for the students in my pre-kindergarten classroom. 

For young children, nature is the ultimate resource for sensory opportunities, and the array of smells, textures and sounds helps to balance their sensory systems. In turn, these sensory experiences can help children develop their ability to self-regulate. As children grow, nature gives them a place to connect with the world around them, develop their observation skills and problem solve.

It sounds simple, but one of the biggest barriers to getting outdoors is finding time for it. Dedicating unstructured time in nature can be difficult to fit into our schedule-driven lives, especially when parents are juggling their own schedules in addition to their child’s activities. Try adding “nature” to your family calendar and schedule time outdoors — or — simply do what you can, when you can. Every effort, regardless of actual time spent, is beneficial. 

Fortunately, all you need to get outdoors is weather-appropriate gear, some sunscreen and a little creativity. Here are a few ideas to get started:

Take a Nature Walk

With more than 100 parks and natural areas, Cincinnati Parks and Great Parks of Hamilton County offer countless trails. Encourage your child to guide a walk to give them a sense of leadership and develop their independence. Let them point out the colors, sounds, textures and scents. Allow them time to make their own discoveries, and as they observe, ask them questions to keep their curiosity going. I recommend the free Seek app by iNaturalist which can help identify the living organisms you may find. This is an activity for toddlers all the way through teens.

Build a Fairy Garden

If your child is hesitant to explore the outdoors, building a fairy garden is a great introduction to the resources nature provides us. Begin by collecting “building materials” outside — twigs, rocks, seedpods, etc. Let your child be the architect/designer making decisions about pathway materials, furniture construction, and choosing where to plant flowers for the fairies. Encourage your child to take ownership of maintaining the garden. Not only does this require imagination, but it also teaches responsibility and how to be stewards of our planet.

Create Art

If your child enjoys arts and crafts projects, nature provides endless art supplies. With a background in fine arts, I am consistently amazed by nature’s beauty, from the symmetry to the colors to the complex tiny details. You can collect leaves to create a gradient or rainbow of color, use acorn caps and twigs to make a stick-figure family, go on a color hunt, or use stones to create a sculpture. Making visual art with natural, found items may be something new for a child and can be a meaningful and beautiful experience.

Get Muddy

Mud is truly the most versatile resource your child can explore outdoors. When my pre-kindergarten students play in the mud kitchen, their styles of play, opportunities to collaborate, and imaginations flourish. Unlike playdough, mud’s textures vary greatly and offer kids the opportunity to explore gritty, smooth, watery or clay-like textures. Weather, soil content and child-added items like flower petals, seedpods or grass clippings will affect the mud’s feel. My students love to make mud “muffins,” operating their little kitchen like a restaurant, and they are so proud to “serve” their creations. Not only are they exploring their senses, but children are also mimicking what they see from adults — another important developmental milestone.

Journal Your Experiences

One of the simplest ways to enjoy the outdoors is to start a nature journal with your child. If you don’t have much time, go on a short walk and help your child record their observations or sensory experiences. Bookstores carry nature journals with prompts, or you can take a regular notebook and give your child the freedom to record their reactions in their own way. A nature journal is a wonderful way to engage with the outdoors throughout the ages. Young children can use colors to sketch their observations, while older children can write more detailed descriptions making connections to the history of the area or noting the scientific processes on display.

As you and your kids start the summer off, take advantage of the sunny weather to explore the outdoors. But remember, any weather is the perfect weather to enjoy time outdoors as long as you’re dressed appropriately. We’re fortunate to live in a beautiful city with many diverse habitats. Visit the parks, stop by the Cincinnati Nature Center, check out programs at the Civic Garden Center, and give your child the gift of the great outdoors.

Katie Dawson is a pre-kindergarten teacher at The Seven Hills School and an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist in training.