Leave No Child Inside
I recently read a provocative article in Orion magazine about a movement to reconnect kids with nature. The article, called "Leave No Child Inside," talks about a groundswell movement in California that focuses on the importance of having children play outside.
The movement also is questioning why some schools have windows that don't open, why communities are built without sidewalks, and why too many kids don't know how to fish.
Sound familiar?
In New Jersey, most cities don't have enough parks, open spaces or community gardens. Most suburban towns don't have sidewalks - not that there are many workplaces or shops you could walk to anyway. In rural areas, many farmers just don't want to farm anymore, and McMansions sprout where corn, rye and vegetables once grew.
It's easy to get down on New Jersey when I start thinking about how we have mistreated our environment and paved over so much of a precious - and limited - resource. But there is reason to be hopeful.
I went to Ag Field Day at Cook College, Rutgers University, last month. My 18-month-old son got up close and personal with cows, sheep and pigs. He even fed hay to a goat. We bought Rutgers tomato plants, which are genetically engineered to grow in our climate, and we chatted with a young woman who was studying to become a veterinarian.
There was something about Cook College students that seemed a little more wholesome than your typical college kid. They were in touch with nature. They seemed to understand the importance of keeping the Garden State green and full of farm animals.
Perhaps most of us start out with a real curiosity and respect for nature. There wasn't much nature in Hudson County, where I grew up, but I sure did get my fill when I visited my grandparents at their summer home in the Poconos. I remember catching tadpoles in milk jugs, picking the blueberries that grew wild in the woods and kayaking on a lake. We made campfires and learned to shoot BB guns and ate tomatoes that my grandfather grew in his back yard.
Perhaps I'm a little sensitive about this issue because, as a child, I was keenly aware that my family had to drive two hours if we wanted to commune with nature.
It doesn't have to be that way for my son, though. We live in a more rural part of the state, and my husband and I are trying to teach him early how to enjoy the great outdoors. We will do everything to ensure he won't be left inside, spending his days playing video games or watching television.
Attending events like Ag Field Day is just one way to help children feel connected to the land and all its wonderful creatures. Now when I read Hendrick books about farm animals and show him the illustrations I wonder if he makes the real-life connection.
Probably not yet, but someday.
Here's the link to the Orion article:
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/240
The movement also is questioning why some schools have windows that don't open, why communities are built without sidewalks, and why too many kids don't know how to fish.
Sound familiar?
In New Jersey, most cities don't have enough parks, open spaces or community gardens. Most suburban towns don't have sidewalks - not that there are many workplaces or shops you could walk to anyway. In rural areas, many farmers just don't want to farm anymore, and McMansions sprout where corn, rye and vegetables once grew.
It's easy to get down on New Jersey when I start thinking about how we have mistreated our environment and paved over so much of a precious - and limited - resource. But there is reason to be hopeful.
I went to Ag Field Day at Cook College, Rutgers University, last month. My 18-month-old son got up close and personal with cows, sheep and pigs. He even fed hay to a goat. We bought Rutgers tomato plants, which are genetically engineered to grow in our climate, and we chatted with a young woman who was studying to become a veterinarian.
There was something about Cook College students that seemed a little more wholesome than your typical college kid. They were in touch with nature. They seemed to understand the importance of keeping the Garden State green and full of farm animals.
Perhaps most of us start out with a real curiosity and respect for nature. There wasn't much nature in Hudson County, where I grew up, but I sure did get my fill when I visited my grandparents at their summer home in the Poconos. I remember catching tadpoles in milk jugs, picking the blueberries that grew wild in the woods and kayaking on a lake. We made campfires and learned to shoot BB guns and ate tomatoes that my grandfather grew in his back yard.
Perhaps I'm a little sensitive about this issue because, as a child, I was keenly aware that my family had to drive two hours if we wanted to commune with nature.
It doesn't have to be that way for my son, though. We live in a more rural part of the state, and my husband and I are trying to teach him early how to enjoy the great outdoors. We will do everything to ensure he won't be left inside, spending his days playing video games or watching television.
Attending events like Ag Field Day is just one way to help children feel connected to the land and all its wonderful creatures. Now when I read Hendrick books about farm animals and show him the illustrations I wonder if he makes the real-life connection.
Probably not yet, but someday.
Here's the link to the Orion article:
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/240
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