Simple Ways to Support Children’s Connection with Nature this Fall

Fall is officially here!  In the northern hemisphere, fall is the season when the weather gets cooler, days get shorter and nights longer, deciduous trees shed their leaves, animals are busy gathering and storing food for winter, and farmers harvest their crops. Fall marks the transition from summer to winter; it is a season of much change. It is a wonderful time of year to remember our connection with nature; we are of it and it is of us. The fall season offers many opportunities for learning more about and appreciating the ever-changing natural world; and as adults we have a sacred responsibility to teach our children about nature and themselves as integral to it. 

Here are some simple ways you can model and support your children’s connection with nature this fall season: 

• Encourage outdoor play. Simply spending more time outdoors benefits children’s health and is a healthy alternative to screen time on electronic devices. Allow children the thrill of playing in piles of raked leaves this fall. Unstructured playtime allows children to express their innate joy and creativity as they build stronger and healthier bodies. 
• Take a nature walk or hike. Taking a walk in nature can be a natural learning experience for children. Encourage children to explore and discover by noticing the larger elements of nature, such as trees and ponds, as well as those elements that are easily overlooked, such as insects under a log, minnows in a stream, or veins on a leaf. Draw children’s attention to patterns in nature and the ways various elements and components of nature are interconnected in larger ecosystems. Encourage children to notice colors and textures of fallen leaves. Point out acorns and other seeds that provide food for various animals and birds. Encourage children to hug a tree to feel its strength, feel its textures, and see how their arms can wrap around it in loving connection. 
• Go camping. A camping trip takes some planning and effort, but the opportunities to really connect with nature are worth it. If it is not feasible for you to go to a campground, plan a fun campout right in your backyard. Encouraging children to help set up a tent and prepare the camping area teaches responsibility and cooperation. Cooking over the campfire, eating, and storytelling strengthen our connections with nature (including our human connections) and make for lasting happy memories.  
• Be present with nature through the senses.  This outdoor activity helps children notice how they connect with the natural world through bodily senses. Engage children’s sense of sight by inviting them to notice five natural objects they see as they sit quietly. Next, have  children close their eyes and quietly listen to the sounds of nature (i.e. birds, leaves rustling in the wind, people talking in the distance, a dog’s bark, water flowing over rocks in a stream, etc.). Then, encourage children to notice what they smell in the natural world, such as flowers, the moist earth, smoke from a campfire, the fresh air from a gentle breeze, etc.) Finally, encourage children to notice what they feel (i.e., the breeze on their faces, the warmth of the sun, coolness of the air, the earth supporting their bodies, etc.)  Invite the children to rest quietly as they savor the natural world through these basic bodily senses.  
• Experience wonder and awe. Sharing special moments with children in which they can experience wonder in nature opens their eyes to the magnificence of the natural world of which they are an integral part. Looking at the stars on a clear night, visiting a waterfall, or watching the sunset are some practical ways to connect children to the wonders of nature. The clear night skies during autumn offer opportunities for learning more about and pondering the universe beyond our earth home.  
• Love unconditionally. Show unconditional love to your children and the natural world to which we are all integrally connected. Children who feel loved for who they are and are affirmed feel as if they really matter. This, in turn, strengthens their connection with themselves, others, and the world, to include their connection to nature. Model loving connection to the natural world so that children experience being with nature and do not feel separate from it. 
• Have fun! Let go and allow yourself to enjoy the natural world with childlike joy and innocence. Your own enthusiasm for simply being in nature will go a long way toward keeping children interested and excited as they connect with the natural world this fall. 

The future of the earth is our children and their children going forward; yet, hope for the future begins with us, here in the present, as we model to our children loving and responsible care for the earth. As our hearts open in loving care for our children and our earth home, we instill in them a hope for the future and a connection to the natural world. Children are curious, eager and enthusiastic learners, and they will quickly pick up on the responsible actions you model that lead to full thriving and a sustainable future for all. 

Happy Fall 2021!