With most camps closed, pools shut down and resorts shuttered because of the novelpandemic, there’s one often-overlooked option still available to kids this summer: nature.
And although that’s fantastic news for nature-loving children, it’s problematic for kids who are scared of bugs, afraid to get dirty or bored by trees, trails and rocks — or simply for those who’d prefer to sit inside all day with video games.There are plenty of reasons nature is good for kids, including both the physical and the mental . And now, with warm weather and no school, is the ideal time to get kids outside. You simply need to figure out how to lure them there.
in Hood River, Ore., carved out a small space on the family’s flower farm so her 5-year-old daughter could grow and cut flowers. Gulizia suggested giving children a small area in the backyard or garden to call their own. This could even be an indoor pot just to get them used to nature . Add a few seeds, and it’s a mini-garden. It gets kids accustomed to feeling dirt, learning about flowers and understanding that none of it is scary or something to avoid.