Children & Nature Network

Research supports the idea that urban green space (UGS) can positively impact the mental health and resilience of people living in cities. This proved to be particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, proximity to UGS is not equal. Lower income communities generally have less access to UGS than more advantaged communities. Closures and movement restrictions during COVID made accessing UGS even more difficult. This study examined the equity of access to UGS in Mexico City, a COVID hotspot with wealth disparities and environmental issues.

Multiple studies have shown how living near and utilizing natural spaces can greatly benefit children's social and emotional wellbeing. Being outside can increase attention, buffer against stress, and support social and emotional development. Much of the related research, however, has focused on young children. This study adds to the research base by exploring how the availability of natural spaces for older children could impact their social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing.

Nature-based education has been practiced for over 100 years in early childhood education. The natural environment can provide ample opportunities and resources to engage young children in critical thinking and problem solving. It can help children develop the power to observe, investigate using their senses, and conduct experiments. Teachers can strongly influence children's interaction with nature and play a large role in how children learn in nature if they incorporate nature into their teaching.

Renovating schoolyards to include outdoor learning spaces and natural play areas may be one way to provide increased access to green spaces in urban environments. Research shows that children with access to such spaces tend to engage in higher levels of physical activity and positive social interactions with peers. This study extends previous research by examining positive youth development outcomes of renovated, green schoolyards in low-income urban areas and the maintenance of these outcomes over time.

This systematic review of the literature sought to identify outcomes of young children's nature play that further the aims of education for sustainability (EfS). The research process included two general phases; (1) the systematic review, focusing on child development outcomes associated with young children's nature play, and (2) an alignment of the child development outcomes with Education for Sustainability outcomes.

Farm Sprouts is a farm-based and nature-based preschool program designed to support the learning and positive development of young children in the context of the natural world. The program is framed around environmental stewardship, food systems, and nature. An evaluation of the Farm Sprouts program focused on the potential impact of the program on children's learning, their behavior, and family engagement.

Outdoor activities are major contributors to young children's holistic development, yet outdoor time for many children in early childhood programs tends to be limited. A qualitative meta-synthesis of the published research was conducted to gain a better understanding of the outdoor activities and environment included in early childhood education in Turkey.

Green and blue spaces are associated with an array of mental and physical benefits. Accordingly, the availability of these spaces is important, especially in dense or compact cities. Measuring equity of access, however, is complex. Many studies do not distinguish between types of nature (e.g., natural forest versus managed vegetation) that may provide different benefits. Studies typically leave out blue space availability, which is an important consideration for island countries, such as Singapore.

Indigenous and First Nation communities tend to be more connected with nature, but this is not the case for other human communities. This has led to non-Indigenous individuals viewing themselves as separate from nature, with less affection, identity, and empathy associated with nature. This lack of connectedness to the natural world impacts environmental action and sustainability. Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) suggests that an immersed and observational experience in nature is important for individuals to be engaged in a deeper understanding of ecological crises.

The impact of climate change can be experienced directly or indirectly and can relate to both physical and mental health. The mental health impacts have been less well-researched than the physical health impacts, yet some evidence suggests that they can be equally devastating. While the involvement of youth in environmental issues has increased recently, little is known about the impact of climate change awareness (indirect exposure) on their mental health and wellbeing. This study addressed this issue by exploring adolescents' thoughts and feelings about current environmental issues.