THE GREEN HOUR: 60 Minutes Outdoors
I have fond childhood memories of carefree days spent playing outdoors - skateboarding, skiing, climbing, biking, digging, collecting, building, and exploring the natural world around me, at my own pace, in my own way.
But today’s overscheduled kids are increasingly plugged in to electronic devices and media and unplugged from the experience of nature. Their senses- including, mostly sadly, their sense of wonder- can be bombarded , overwhelmed, and ultimately diminished.
A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44 hours per week (more than 6 hours a day) staring at some kind of electronic screen. Now, a growing wave of research indicates that children who spend time outdoors are healthier, overall, than their indoor counterparts.
The National Wildlife Federation recommends that parents give their kids a “Green Hour” everyday, a time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. This can take place in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street, the beach, or any place that provides safe and accessible green spaces where children can learn and play.
To give parents, teachers, and caregivers the information, tools, and inspiration to get children outside, the National Wildlife Foundation has created www.greenhour.com , a website that provides a weekly parenting publication, rich in family-friendly content. The site also hosts a virtual community where families can learn, explore, and share their outdoor experiences and backyard adventures.