Children and Nature – Are We Becoming Disconnected?
Welcome back to Eyes On Us! In Episode 27, Emma and Sophie explore children’s connection with nature, the challenges of modern childhood, and practical ways to help children experience the natural world every day.
Connecting with nature doesn’t have to mean forest schools, elaborate outdoor environments or special trips. It can begin with the natural world on our doorstep and giving children time to notice what is around them.
What does connecting with nature mean?
Being outdoors gives children opportunities to experience nature, but connection is about more than simply spending time outside. It means being able to explore, notice, touch, listen and follow their own curiosity.
A child watching a bird, feeling the texture of a leaf or noticing how sand changes when it becomes wet is engaging with the natural world. These experiences are familiar, accessible and meaningful. They don’t need to be part of a carefully planned activity to have value.
The challenges of modern childhood
Emma and Sophie reflect on how childhood has changed over the past 30 years. Many children have fewer opportunities to play freely outdoors, with safety concerns, screen time, apartment living and limited green space all influencing their everyday experiences.
Busy schedules can also leave little room for unplanned time outside. Between school, extracurricular activities and family commitments, outdoor time often becomes another organised activity.
A bike ride, swimming lesson or sports class can be valuable, but children also need opportunities to be outside without a task to complete. Sometimes, the experience itself is enough.
Why children need opportunities to experience nature
Nature gives children space to move freely. Running, climbing, jumping and balancing provide opportunities to develop strength, coordination and stamina, while the sights, sounds and textures around them engage their senses.
Emma and Sophie also discuss how natural environments can give children room to slow down. With fewer expectations and more freedom to follow their interests, children can notice how they feel, enjoy quieter moments and simply be themselves.
Natural materials offer possibilities for curiosity, creativity and problem solving. A stick, stone or leaf has no single intended use. Children can decide what it becomes, experiment with different ideas and change direction as their play develops.
Is our current practice allowing children to connect?
When every outdoor experience has a clear, adult-defined purpose, there may be little space left for spontaneous play or children’s own discoveries.
Emma and Sophie encourage us to consider the balance between planned experiences and opportunities for children to lead. Can children choose what to explore? Do they have time to look closely, try something out or stay with an interest?
Connecting with nature cannot simply be instructed. Children need the freedom to develop that connection through their own experiences, with adults supporting their curiosity.
Making the most of nature in the UAE
The UAE brings particular challenges. Summer temperatures limit outdoor time, some plants struggle through the hottest months, and many settings have limited access to natural green spaces.
However, connecting with nature here doesn’t require recreating a UK forest or garden. The desert, native plants, local birds and mangroves are all part of the UAE’s natural environment.
The starting point is to value what is available locally and help children recognise it. Familiar experiences, such as visiting the desert with family, can also create connections between home and the setting.
Bringing the desert into the setting
Sand offers a familiar way to explore the UAE’s natural environment. Emma and Sophie discuss thinking beyond a sandpit and helping children recognise its connection to the desert.
Photographs of the UAE desert and its animals can provide context, while space to explore sand allows children to investigate its properties. Dry, damp and wet sand behave differently, creating opportunities for children to touch, compare and experiment.
The language adults use can help make these connections meaningful, linking the material children are exploring to places they know or may visit with their families.
Offering natural loose parts
Sticks, rocks, shells, leaves and seed pods can bring nature into both indoor and outdoor play.
These materials don’t need to be arranged into a perfect display. Children should feel able to touch them, move them, combine them and use them in their own way.
Natural materials also change over time. Fresh leaves may become dry and crispy, giving children something to observe and talk about. Different smells, textures and shapes make these resources interesting to explore.
Encouraging children to notice what is around them
A nature walk doesn’t need a checklist of things children must find. Asking what they can see and allowing their discoveries to guide the experience leaves room for curiosity.
Children can look closely at what is growing, notice a bird or insect, or explore the difference between natural and manufactured objects around them.
Light, shade and shadows offer further opportunities. Children can also investigate how quickly different materials dry, noticing what happens to a leaf or piece of wood after it becomes wet. Everyday changes can become starting points for exploration.
Growing a small garden
A garden doesn’t have to be large or expensive. Small pots or a vertical arrangement can create opportunities for children to care for living things, even where outdoor space is limited.
Emma and Sophie discuss choosing plants suited to the local conditions and involving children in watering, caring for and observing them.
Herbs can be particularly interesting because of their smells and textures. Watching plants grow and noticing changes gives children an ongoing relationship with something natural, rather than a one-off activity.
Making time for a daily nature moment
A daily nature moment can be simple. What can children see? What can they hear? Has anything changed since yesterday?
When adults notice and talk about the natural world, they model that interest for children. These small moments can become a familiar part of the day, helping children pay attention to their surroundings.
Connecting with nature doesn’t need to be expensive or overplanned. It begins with valuing everyday experiences and giving children the time and space to notice, explore and be curious.