No Surprises

Remember the "I should have had a V-8!" commercials? That's the kind of reaction that I had yesterday when I read this article in the NYTimes about the benefits of time outdoors for children.

"New research suggests that play and down time may be as important to a child's academic experience as reading, science and math and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration and even grades."

It reminded me of the time I raised the question at my daughter's middle school several years ago when I found out the students weren't allowed out of the building during the day (despite the fact that the school bordered a large, well-equipped county park). "Oh, there's just no way to keep the students out of trouble if we let them go outside" is what I was told. -Wow-

Let's hope the educators and administrators who have the lion-share of our children's waking hours sit up and take notice. The Teaneck Creek Park is 46 acres of nature right here in our own backyard, only a stone's throw away from over 1000 students in Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Hawthorne Elementary school. Have you taken a walk today?

To learn more about the movement to get our children outdoors visit No Child Left Inside and Ricard Louv's Children & Nature Network.