Exposure to nature provides a wide range of restorative benefits to children and adolescentsRestoration, as a benefit of exposure to nature, refers to “ the recovery or strengthening of adaptive resources (e.g., attentional capabilities, positive emotions, etc.) that are being spent in meeting the demands of everyday life.” Previous restorative research has focused primarily on adults versus children and adolescents. This review aimed to fill this gap in the literature by summarizing the accumulated evidence and reporting the main findings in relation to the restoration of cognitive, emotional, social, or behavioral resources for children and adolescents.
Thirty studies from multiple countries were included in this review. The combined studies involved children and/or adolescent participants (age 3 -19) and reported findings related to restoration in one or more area of functioning (cognitive, emotional, social, or behavioral). All of the studies were peer-reviewed and published in English. Selected studies were categorized in relation to sample size, place and duration of nature exposure (where applicable), and quality of the study. Most of the studies (21 out of 30) were rated as having an acceptable risk of bias; seven a low risk of bias; and two as high risk. Findings from the two studies rated as high risk of bias were removed.
A total of 75 individual restorative outcomes were reported, with more than half showing statistically significant positive relations between nature exposure and restorative outcomes. Only one study reported a significant negative effect of exposure to nature, suggesting that some children may be fearful of nature. There were 21 cognitive outcomes, with attention, memory, and concentration the most frequently studied; 16 emotional outcomes, with positive mood, emotions, and self-esteem the most frequently studied; 14 behavioral outcomes, with hyperactivity, impulse control, and physical activity the most frequently studied; and 11 social outcomes, with social interaction and pro-social behavior the most frequently studied areas. Thirteen effects reflected more general concepts and included outcomes combining two or more of the other categories, such as mental health including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects. Depression, stress, and perceived restoration were the most frequently studied variables in this category. Only two of the 30 articles considered restoration within a short time period with a preceding condition of fatigue. Almost one-third considered restoration in a time frame of less than a day and included a pre-post measure. Most of the findings were from studies conducted in places close to children’s daily activity (residential areas and schools).
This review provides “a substantial amount of evidence supporting the restorative effects of nature exposure on children and adolescents.” The effects of nature exposure, however, differed across selected variables, indicating that more research is still needed. Such research could provide a better understanding of “how, why, for whom and under what circumstances different types of nature exposure offer restorative benefits to children.” Yet, the evidence provided in this review adds support to such initiatives as (1) redesigning school grounds and residences to make them greener, (2) providing more nature-based education at schools, and (3) providing more opportunities for outdoor experiences as a health priority for children and youth.
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