Thoughts in response to a recent news article describing how many children today find the outdoors and nature to be boring.
An article in the San Francisco Chronicle this week described a disturbing trend among today's children. Kids, the article said, aren't only not playing outdoors and getting into nature much anymore -- they're not even interested in doing so. If it's not on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel, nature is boring, many children apparently believe -- video games, Web surfing and trips to the mall are much more entertaining for them.
Of course, the natural world isn't boring ... but you have to understand it, be aware of its intricacies and mysteries, to appreciate it. Otherwise, as one child interviewed for the article said, "the only thing you look at is the trees, grass and sky."
That's where green-minded parents and educators can make a huge difference: by talking to kids about the wonders of nature, reading with them about strange creatures and awesome landscapes, and -- most of all -- by enjoying the real, natural world with them. So plant some seeds in a flower pot with your child. Go digging in the backyard to see what lives beneath your feet. Show them in real life how amazing, unexpected, weird and miraculous nature can be. Because it's certainly much more than just "trees, grass and sky."
