Get kids off screens and into nature

Summer is the perfect time to get kids off screens and into the outdoors. In Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv introduces the idea of “nature-deficit disorder,” linking disconnection from the natural world to rising anxiety, obesity and attention issues. Children need unstructured outdoor time to awaken their senses, spark creativity, and build emotional and physical resilience.

Angela Hanscom, pediatric occupational therapist and author of Balanced and Barefoot, makes a powerful case that movement-rich play, like climbing trees, running barefoot and spinning in circles, isn’t a break from learning, it is learning. These activities support core strength, balance, sensory integration and self-regulation.

Psychologist Peter Gray, in Free to Learn, adds that children thrive through free, self-directed play. Nature is the ultimate classroom, full of opportunities for problem-solving without rigid adult-imposed structures. Narrating your thought process out loud, how you assess a branch before climbing or choosing a path through rocky terrain, teaches children how to think through challenges.

All three authors offer the same wisdom: kids need the freedom to roam, imagine, fall down and get back up. Screens can entertain and educate, but they’ll never replace muddy boots, scraped knees or the confidence that comes from unscripted, outdoor play. If we want kids to have strong bodies, flexible minds and confident spirits, send them outside — for fun and for healthy development.

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Brought to you by:Dr. Christopher Schoberl , Head of School

Ashbrook Independent School

ashbrookschool.org

4045 SW Research Way Corvallis, OR 97333

541-766-8313