Get your kids outside this winter to improve their health

This may sound strange, but stick with me…

There is a common belief that cold weather and rain can cause us to catch colds and flus, and it simply isn’t true. It is viruses and bacteria that make us sick, they are always around but tend to spread more in winter when we spend a lot more time indoors. Connecting with nature in winter does not make us sick, in fact it can help boost our immunity.

Read on to find out more so you can feel confident taking your children and class outside this winter.

There is something important we have written into our Terms of Engagement forms for Nature Kids and Nature Education Teacher Training and something that we talk about alot in both of these programmes...

"We want to encourage children (and adults) to connect with, learn in, enjoy and understand nature regardless of the weather. We believe: there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. Kids do not get sick from being outside in the rain or cold weather, they get sick from viruses and bacteria. Research shows kids who spend more time outdoors, in all weather, are less likely to get sick"

We’ve written this because we believe it's so important for kids (and adults) to spend time in nature what-ever-the-weather and to experience her in all her beauty. And because we want to shake up the belief that getting cold and wet can make us sick.

The truth is, time in nature supports our health - body, mind and soul - and can actually help boost our immunity by exposing us to different microbiomes, vitamin D and even natural oils from trees that can help fight infections, among other things (you can read some research on this below)

There are so many health benefits to connecting with nature

boosts immune system
lowers blood pressure
reduces stress
improves mood
supports positive mental health
emotional wellbeing
increases ability to focus
accelerates recovery from illness and surgery
increases energy
improves sleep

Nature is not only good for health and wellbeing, it also improves children's ability to learn. Even small doses of nature can have profound benefits. The evidence for this comes from hundreds of research studies, which we share in more detail in our Nature Education Teacher Training programmes.

Nature improves children’s psychological and physical well-being and that can impact learning. But it also affects how they attend to and engage in the classroom, how much they can concentrate, and how well they get along with teachers and peers (Kuo et al, 2019).

So, let's give our kids plenty of opportunities to connect with nature, everyday!

And, if you'd like some ideas on how to get your children, your class and yourself connecting with nature more in winter and what-ever-the-weather you can read more HERE

Get your kids outside this winter to improve their health

There are so many health benefits to connecting with nature

Nature is not just a nice to have,

it is a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive function

- Richard Louv