Getting outdoors with Nature Bag

Loving the outdoors, Katherine and Sylvie the creators of Nature Bag

“Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder”?

In “Last Child in the Woods”, Richard Louv describes how our society has changed just in the last generation. Children today are growing up quite differently, with the fear of ’stranger danger’ lurking in every parent’s mind and the social pressure to be like other kids and spend loads of time in front of screens of all sorts. The result unfortunately is that children don’t get the time they need to explore, engage and be fascinated by the wonders of nature.

There are inherent dangers in the the increasing disconnect between children and the outdoors. The psychological, physical and spiritual balance we all find when we step outside is lost. Nature is life. Nature needs to be known from the inside. Nature needs to be experienced at a very young age in order to be comfortable with it and gain some insight as to its powers to calm and relax. Think of all your childhood experiences in nature, did they not ground you in a very fundamental way?

Our children have a right to these experiences. The wholeness of the experience a child gets when he/she sits under a tree simply looking up through the branches or looking at clouds go by cannot be replaced by learning the facts in a book, in class or on the internet. In a 2008 study from the Outdoor Foundation, it was found that “

..among children ages 6 to 17, the primary motivations for starting their participation in outdoor activities are parents, friends, family and relatives.” Outdoor Recreation Participation Report.

It is up to us to take the time to enjoy the outdoors with our children. For those that don’t have time to look up or think up engaging activities to get their kids hooked on nature, Naturebag Eco-Activities has designed an earth friendly kit to get families started. The Naturebag, designed by two moms, makes it easy and fun to get outsideand engage with nature. It’s up to us to raise the stewards of tomorrow, let’s ground them in nature and they shall blossom beautifully!