According to the Czech portal conservation psychology today's children playing outdoors approximately 2 times to 4 times less than their parents' generation ago 25-30 years ago. "For now we can draw from the American, British and International Studies, Czech unfortunately not available. Although I believe that in the Czech Republic, the situation is slightly better, the trends come clear to me, "says Jan Krajhanzl research from the Czech portal conservation psychology.
So what are the findings? The average American child spends spontaneous play somewhere, whether on the street, in the park or in the countryside, about half an hour a week. The American Academy of Pediatrics same time points out that children need for healthy development to be in the fresh air for at least one hour a day. The average child in the U.S. is therefore out of 7% of the amount of time for your health needs.
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Percentage of surveyed children from three primary schools, to which that experience is missing:
stargazing 4%
Gathering mushrooms 4%
picking blueberries 5%
climb a tree 6%
feeding farm animals 7%
throwing stones skipping across the water as 7%
collecting wild strawberries 8%
walking in the nature of the tourist signs 8%
walking barefoot in the grass 9%
picking blackberries 11%
Source: Research on Children and Nature: experience and experience within the project: Research alienation of man from nature
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As reduces the time spent playing outside, while increasing the time that children spend in the world of new media. Increasingly commonplace part of life for children becomes a TV, DVD, computer, game consoles, mp3 players, mobile phones or tablets. In 2004, they children to the west of us spend around 44 hours a week in 2009 to 54 hours per week. Spent with them one hundred times more time than the outside.
With a stay in the countryside on getting "at odds" but also adults. "Taking the traffic in nature reserves and national parks, see the summary global trend that park attendance is declining," says Jan Krajhanzl. Families visiting parks in recent years were about 20% less often than in the mid-eighties. Even in adults, the more they spend less time in the wilderness, the more often they spend their leisure time in front of TV, computer, or in the cinema. In addition to the attractions of the virtual world on the signs as well as the increasing price of gasoline.
Czech research focusing on the amount of free time spent outdoors, while children are still lacking, other scientific work by Czech experts already suggest, however, that today's preschool children do not have sufficient opportunities and incentives to move. Unlike their parents, peers, therefore, thirty years ago, they are falling motor skills such as requiring coordination, which are required to be throwing the ball. And even among schoolchildren to find children who lack basic experience with nature such as collecting berries, watching the stars or climbing a tree.
Forest kindergartens are looking for answers
Proponents of more frequent children stay outdoors and nature in the Czech Association of forest nurseries. She currently together with Jan Krajhanzl working on research that compared the abilities of children from nurseries, children who attend preschool classic, and described what parents expect from nurseries. Research has also aim to find out what traditional preschools be prevented with children more often in nature.
According to the Association President Teresa Valkounová it is the first Czech research on the healthy development of children in school, family, and nature. "Similar research is lacking not only in our country but also abroad. We therefore expect the publication of the results will be of international significance, "he says. Association of forest nurseries also announced a fundraiser that will evaluate the collected data and issue a report on the results ( more information ).
Information that research will, according to the association to help such legislative anchoring of forest nurseries. In March this year, the Ministry of Education recognized forest classes in kindergarten for a full version of preschool education. More information in the report will soon be able to open forest nursery class. A children spend more time in nature.
Author: Zdenka Rudolf, red. Ekolist.cz