Be An Outsider! Getting Boys Outdoors

When I think back on my own childhood, I remember the woods of Pennsylvania as my playground. As a family, we would spend two to three months of our summers at a house off the beaten path and away from TV and other screens. My brother and I would fill entire days navigating the forest, searching for plants and animals, building forts on the huge sandstone boulders, and testing our courage crossing streams and rivers, carefully trying not to get wet. Back at home and during the school year with friends, I remember biking through the local woods, skipping rocks across the lake, fishing at the nearby parks, and swinging on the vines attached to the trees. To me, these experiences weren’t just fun, they were lessons in resilience, curiosity, creativity, and finding joy in simple, unstructured play outside.

Today’s children, my own two children included, often face a very different reality. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, coined the term “nature-deficit disorder” to describe this vast generational difference in time spent outside. In his research, Louv notes how many kids are missing out on meaningful, hands-on engagement with the natural world, choosing instead to spend more time indoors and on screens. Recent data reported by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that children ages eight to eighteen spend seven and a half hours a day on screens while the National Recreation and Park Association surveys show these same children averaging as little as four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play. This imbalance has shown to have some implication on children’s health, learning, and social/emotional development.

The good news is that we can turn the tide. By encouraging children, especially boys, who thrive with active, hands-on activities, to unplug and head outside we can help to foster healthier, happier, and more resilient kids. This blog will focus on the benefits of spending time outdoors and will also curate suggestions from the Children & Nature Network and Louv’s book, Vitamin N, to help families and stakeholders develop healthier outdoor habits.

Benefits of Outdoor Play

Health

One of the most obvious advantages of time spent off the screen and outdoors is increased physical activity. When children run, climb, catch, or play tag, they are building stronger muscles, increasing fitness, improving motor skills, and lowering their risk of obesity. Our school puts an emphasis on physical education as well as getting outside for recess and unstructured play regularly. Pediatricians note that time spent outside increases our intake of vitamin D leading to stronger bones and increased immunity. In addition to boosting vitamin D, emerging research suggests that playing in the dirt exposes our immune system to friendly soil bacteria. Scientists studying the ‘Old Friends’ hypothesis are finding that exposure to biodiverse environmental microbes trains our immune system. The most concrete and most researched findings show a connection between children who spend more time outdoors and lower rates of myopia, or nearsightedness.

Learning

Though less obvious, the connection between outdoor time and academic success is an exciting discovery for parents and educators alike. Instead of leading to distraction, time in nature actually helps children focus and has shown improved behavior in the classroom. A review of the last decade of research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health showed that being in or around nature is associated with improved attention, executive function, and other cognitive skills (e.g., working memory, task performance). Just one hour outside can improve attention spans by up to 20%, according to the attention restoration theory. By offering an “attention reset,” nature has shown to improve the attention of children with ADHD, increasingly relevant for boys who are diagnosed with ADHD at higher rates. The review also notes that access to and time spent in outdoor spaces supports memory, creativity, and problem solving skills. There is also a link between exposure to green spaces and higher test scores in a few of the studies reviewed. Moreover, imagination is also enhanced when children spend time outdoors and disconnected from screens. Building forts, exploring different ecosystems, and creating unplugged games all help to enhance imagination and creativity.

Social/Emotional Growth

Stepping outside can work wonders for a child’s mental health as well. Research shows that children who spend more time outdoors tend to be happier, less anxious, and more attentive. This leads to less mental fatigue and a reduced likelihood of being depressed. Nature creates a “soft fascination" for our brain and exposure to fresh air and sunlight boosts serotonin helping kids to unwind naturally. Along with the many mental health benefits, time spent outdoors in unstructured play can lead to social growth. Unstructured play teaches children valuable lessons in communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. There are no scripts or rules so kids tend to negotiate this play on their own. Connecting with nature can also foster empathy, compassion, and moral development. In his most recent book, Our Wild Calling, Louv explores the human connection to other living things, especially animals. He notes that children who develop meaningful relationships with animals often show increased compassion and responsibility. This connection may also help counter isolation, anxiety, and emotional disconnection. One example that I use personally is gardening and feeding birds. These activities help build empathy and responsibility in my students as they learn to care for other living things.

Reconnect with Nature

Even with a clear understanding of the benefits of unstructured outdoor play, many parents and stakeholders still find it hard to resist the pull of screens or to know where to begin reconnecting with nature. As a parent and an educator, I know firsthand the benefits and from my own experience, I often have to check in with myself too and I find that I benefit just as much as my kids and students when I spend more time outdoors and off my screens. The following ideas are a few that I have used as well as some from Louv’s book Vitamin N.

Adventure and Explore

Appeal to kids' inner adventurer and spark their curiosity. Set up a nature scavenger hunt or build a treasure map in your backyard or local park. Go on a short hike or bike ride but have a destination like an interesting creek, cave, or big rock to explore. This sense of adventure and accomplishment will help to keep them engaged. Don't be afraid to equip curious kids with adventure “tools” like a magnifying glass, collection jar, or binoculars. This can turn an ordinary walk or hike into an exciting exploration in your neighborhood or local park. I personally find using scavenger hunts and collection jars help focus my students on a task when outdoors.

Get Creative

The outdoors offers an endless stage for make-believe and imagination. A group of bushes can become a base, a stick becomes a magic wand, or pinecones and leaves a treasure. Encourage children to build a fort, bring their toys outside to reimagine a new purpose, or create art using natural items. By using natural materials and open-ended spaces, children will learn to entertain themselves without the screen and use their creativity to imagine new and exciting things. In our Arboretum space at US, I love watching the middle schoolers as they create natural art, using nature to build and design artistic pieces.

Physical Challenges

Many children, especially boys, love competition and movement and will be eager to engage in physical activities outdoors. Encourage anything from basketball and catch, to tag and hide-and-seek. Family bike rides, inline skating, or scootering will get groups outdoors and active. For something a little different that is bound to capture children’s attention, set up an obstacle course throughout the yard or at the local park. Think about jumping over, crawling under, climbing up, and sliding down different objects in nature. All of these activities not only keep kids fit, but also provide an outlet for some of that extra energy.

Nature and Nurture

Channeling kids’ care-taking instincts by involving them in gardening and caring for other living things will build empathy, responsibility, and appreciation for life. Even our youngest children can help plant herbs or vegetables in a garden or pots. Feeding birds at a bird feeder creates a wonderful way to connect with animals in a unique way. Start a list of all the different birds you see and encourage children to make a plan to ensure the feeders stay full of seed. Catching and observing fireflies at night is also a wonderful way to build that connection during a different time of the day. These are all examples of easy introductions to exploring outdoors and connecting with nature that I personally do with my science students.

Family Traditions

One of the most powerful ways to get children outside is to do it together. As adults and stakeholders, we are the role models for the next generation. Children are more likely to embrace nature and time outdoors if they see their adults leading by example. Some easy ways to start are to build in a post-dinner walk in the neighborhood, weekend picnics at the park, or a campout over a long weekend. By making outdoor time a normal part of family life, we send a message that nature and play are priorities. At our school we have held a father/son campout event for the last couple of years and it is wonderful to see the connections between families and the natural environment our campus provides.

When I look back on my own childhood, navigating the woods of Pennsylvania with my brother, fishing at the local ponds, building forts, and biking around with my friends, I realize that those adventures shaped who I am today. They taught me resilience, curiosity, and how to find joy in life. None of those lessons were learned through a screen, they were taught through dirty hands, scraped knees, laughter, and discovery. After a summer away in the woods immersed in nature, I felt refreshed and ready to take on a new school year.

In our increasingly digital world, the need for nature is greater than ever. Time spent outdoors is an investment in our children’s health, happiness, and growth. Kids who unplug regularly and head outside to climb, run, imagine, and breathe fresh air tend to be healthier, happier, more focused in school, and have higher self-confidence. Remember back to your childhood and encourage the next generation to be an outsider.

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