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From what I've read about it, it's about getting kids out of the house, away from the couch and TV or video games, to promote a healthier lifestyle and teach them about nature.
It's a very good book, with a lot of talk about the developmental benefits of not only being exposed to nature and the outdoors, but specifically to unstructured play and observation in the outdoors.
It does become a bit redundant after a while, there are only so many times you can read the same statistics rewarmed to support a thesis. However, it's a good book and I recommend it.
Along the same lines is a book by Rick Van Noy called 'A Natural Sense of Wonder'. It addresses a lot of the same things but gives more concrete examples of how he was exposed to the outdoors as a child, and how he goes on to expose his own kids to the outdoors.
There is a very interesting man named Dr. Mel Levine who supports the theory that children need to play outside unsupervised to build imaginative play and problem solving skills. I went to one of his lectures where he told the story of big companies looking for a commonality in young people with brainstorming skills. They looked at SAT scores, GPAs and teaching methods at the schools these brainstormers had attended but couldn't find the link. Finally the companies discovered that all of these brainstormers had a shared childhood experience of playing outside using imaginative play. Who knew that pretending to be pirates out in the field might help a person be a better thinking adult, but evidence seems to support the theory.
There is a very interesting man named Dr. Mel Levine who supports the theory that children need to play outside unsupervised to build imaginative play and problem solving skills. I went to one of his lectures where he told the story of big companies looking for a commonality in young people with brainstorming skills. They looked at SAT scores, GPAs and teaching methods at the schools these brainstormers had attended but couldn't find the link. Finally the companies discovered that all of these brainstormers had a shared childhood experience of playing outside using imaginative play. Who knew that pretending to be pirates out in the field might help a person be a better thinking adult, but evidence seems to support the theory.
Growing up in a small house in WV with 14 siblings, the only time we were allowed in the house was to eat or sleep. Climbing trees, swinging on grape vines, wading creeks, catching frogs, snakes and lizards was just another day in the neighborhood. Who knew then that it would help me in my adult life and in my decision making? Good Post!
Being outside in a natural setting often can afford children a happier, more mentally stable development. But that depends on their parents or other caretakers also...how stable and happy a home they have, whether there's kindness and nurturing given by those closest to them. I look back on years early on in small towns and rural areas...even on the fringes of a city as being good, although we were poor economically. In those days, our parents wanted us close by, but outdoor play and even exploring nearby was often encouraged. Later we lived more into an actual city, the family had a little bit of economic security for the first time, but we weren't untouched by the drawbacks of city living. Children are more likely to be affected by being around individuals with sick minds, for one thing. Not that it couldn't happen in the country, mind you. Just more likely when so many people are living close by. Statistically the dangers are much more. I live in a fairly rural area now and prefer it. Nature did always seemed to appeal to me. It really seems to me that the way our population in this country has increased so much can't be a good thing.
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