Green is Good!
Four year old Levi crawled inside the den he’d made and chattered happily to two friends. He used his binoculars to spy through a gap in the material at a group of children digging in the sand. Levi was proud of his complex ‘doorbell’ system, rigged up using a piece of rope, but he shrieked in happiness when a friend ignored this and burst noisily into the den.
In the classroom though, Levi was silent and withdrawn. This was Levi’s first day in my class. He lingered watchfully at the edges of the classroom, occasionally running his fingers over objects. When I called the register, Levi stood, hunched, by the door. He eyed his peers suspiciously. After the register, I invited Levi to come and sit with me on the floor so that we could share a book. As we looked at the pages together, Levi suddenly said: “I was rubbish at my other school.” To hear a four year old say this was heartbreaking.
Many children in our society feel inadequate. They struggle to cope. They feel there isn’t space for them. ‘Rewilding’ children can make them feel more capable, enable them to build new friendships and skills, and give them space to rest and reflect.
Dr Ann Masten, based in Boston, has studied resilience in children for over 30 years and she calls this ability to cope with difficulties without becoming overwhelmed ‘ordinary magic.’ This ordinary magic develops through strong, warm relationships and through time in the right environments. One of those environments is the outdoors.
Green spaces, even if they are small, are sensory rich without being overwhelming. Studies show that children engage in more creative and cognitive play outdoors and become more immersed in their play.
Physical movement can alleviate depression and anxiety - moving in different ways causes the brain to produce serotonin. In the outdoors, children can make those big movements that are impossible indoors - digging, rolling, climbing, swinging, pedalling. Whole body movements for happier brains!
A wild space can also be protective - research has found that increased tree cover leads to reduced asthma rates in young children. Being in a green space for 20 minutes can have the same impact on a child with ADHD as a dose of Ritalin. Connecting with nature regulates cortisol levels and has a calming effect.
It’s also good for kids to get in the dirt! Mycobacterium vaccae in mud increases levels of serotonin and makes children happier - we need to get away from the idea that dirt is unhealthy, and allow children to get feet, hands, and even faces in the mud!
When children are asked what they would change about their outdoor space, 90% mention spaces for escape or withdrawal. An outdoor space with a little wildness enables children to have quiet spaces and hidden spaces so they can process all the things going on in their lives.
Quiet spaces can be particularly helpful for children in a high state of arousal. When children who struggle to regulate their emotions feel calm and relaxed, this can be the best time to discuss different emotions. Outside, social interaction can happen at the child’s own pace. There is space for children who feel overloaded. They can join in with a group or play alone or keep dipping in and out.
In a Canadian study looking at outdoor play with loose parts, the researchers found that children became less fearful, more determined, more confident, better at working together and happier. One teacher taking part commented: “they take adventures every day.”
At Levi’s first school, there was a strong focus on his difficulties. I focused instead on his special interests and skills, building strengths rather than trying to fix his deficiencies. Outside, Levi came to life and showed confidence in himself and his abilities. By the end of the year, we saw a happier and calmer Levi. This was partly because we showed him we believed in him. But it was mainly because we enabled him to climb, hide, build, run, test theories, experiment and explore outdoors.
(Levi is not his real name).
Written by Sarah Watkins - Author, Lecturer and Forest School Leader.