"During the short span of three or four decades, centuries-old freedom to play has evolved into a play and play environments crisis that threatens the health, fitness and welfare of children”. (Frost 2009).

In Back to Nature and the Emerging Child Saving Movement: Restoring Children’s Outdoor Play, Dr. Joe L. Frost lists the many benefits of outdoor and nature play, calling them“remarkable and extensive”. They include:

• Inner Peace

Frost goes onto say that “unstructured experiences in nature are more beneficial than structured experiences and the benefits are universal across cultural and geographic areas” (p.4). He relates this crisis of the lack of outdoor active play in and with nature to more than a century ago when 

"immigrants were swarming into the crowded slums of large eastern cities, and families from failing farms were joining     them in desperate efforts to improve their lives through the oft-failing promises of jobs in industry. Disease, homelessness, hunger, and crime were rampant; orphans were everywhere; and thousands of abandoned children were surviving in the streets, shanties, and alleys while others endured long hours in factories. These same dangerous places were their play environments. Seeing the deleterious effects on children, charitable groups, government, concerned individuals, educators, and churches awakened to the plight of children and initiated a series of reforms to create a “Child Saving Movement”.

For more reading on the great things Forest and Outdoor Schools can provide read the rest of DIANE KASHIN 's article here https://www.yrnature.ca/forest_and_nature_school_in_canada_growing_a_movement

Fore more information on the team at Guelph Outdoor School Visit

https://www.theguelphoutdoorschool.com/

[email protected]

(519) 400-9507

PLEASE don't forget to comment, Like, Follow, Subscribe ....on whatever platform you're listening 

www.mindonline.ca 

[email protected]