Connectedness to nature for children living in areas of high deprivation tend to be an “implicit sense” versus explicitly understoodResearch investigating children’s perspectives of well-being is scarce. Existing studies rarely document contributions of art and nature to well-being. This current study attempts to understand why, as well as to uncover children's views about their own well-being. This study solicited children’s perceptions of well-being prior to their involvement with a larger research project referred to as “Eco-Capabilities.” This larger project was designed “to explore how the well-being of children living in areas of high deprivation can be supported through working with artists in nature and outdoor places.”
A total of 91 children (age 7-8) from two primary schools in England participated in the first stage of the Eco-Capabilities project. Both schools were located in areas of high deprivation. Two main activities were used to solicit children’s perspectives on their well-being and “happy places.” For the first activity, children were asked to draw a place where they feel happy–either a real place they have visited or an imaginary place. The second activity engaged small groups of children in facilitated discussions about what well-being means to them and what they consider important for their well-being. Children’s perceptions of well-being evident in their drawings and discussions were categorized into three broad themes: emotional and mental well-being; physical well-being; and material well-being.
Results showed that the children’s perceptions of well-being were subject to the affordances of their favorite spaces. Explicit aspects of well-being include a sense of safety, positive relationships with family and friends, and the need for love and happiness. Approximately half (56) of the children’s drawings included images of nature and outdoor spaces (trees, parks, gardens, rivers, rainbows, sunlight, etc.). These images were predominately in the background of the drawings. Rarely were they the main focus of either the drawings or children’s verbal and written expressions. Thus, while children tended to include elements of nature within their happy places, they were generally not the central component of that place, nor were they explicitly noted by the children in discussions about what they considered important for their well-being. Only a few children made nature explicit in their drawings. For these few children, it was evident that access to green and outdoor spaces provided “opportunities for relaxation, creativity, and play–essentially opportunities for happiness.” Despite mostly being in the background, representations of nature were seen across all the other themes and were the most common theme represented overall. This led the researchers to declare that nature was an overarching theme in the study and to ponder whether the reason nature is implicit in children's drawings, as well as in prior literature, is that nature is taken for granted.
Overall findings suggest that children’s connectedness to nature is an “implicit sense.” This possibility raises a concern–“if the connections between nature and well-being remain only implicit, it may be less likely that they [the children] will get involved in conscious efforts to protect and sustain the environment.” These findings suggest the importance of focusing future research and practice on making nature explicit in the lives of children. This may be especially important for children living in areas of high deprivation.
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