"We find that children are spending less time outdoors, and their free time is really spent in highly structured activities," said Robert Martinez, president of the Connecticut Audubon Society. "They have very little opportunity for spontaneous interaction with the natural world."
Martinez said that just about all of those involved in conservation today and through history "developed a bond with nature" when they were children.
"That bond is a lifelong experience," he said. "If they don't forge that bond early enough, then where are we going to find the next generation of conservationists?"
"When I was a kid, it was easier to find vacant lots, to go exploring, to follow a brook and to go on an adventure. It's getting harder and harder for kids to do that today." Read more here.
It can't be good for children not to get a lot free time in the fresh air and sunshine.
2 comments:
Very true. When we have my kids' friends with us on a day off school, I'm always taken aback by how thrilled they are just to be out hiking, because they never do in their regular life. Between masses of homework and extracurricular activities, time outdoors for kids has gone down significantly.
That's what I was thinking, my friend's children always look so tired! They have every moment scheduled and don't get home until 9pm, a few nights a week.
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