The physical exercise and emotional stretching that children enjoy in unorganized play is more varied and less time-bound than is found in organized sports. Playtime—especially unstructured, imaginative, exploratory play—is increasingly recognized as an essential component of wholesome child development. — Richard Louv Copy Share Image
A widening circle of researchers believes that the loss of natural habitat, or the disconnection from nature even when it is available, has enormous implications for human health and child development. They say the quality of exposure to nature affects… — Richard Louv Copy Share Image
“She was one of those exceptional children who do still spend time outside, in solitude. In her case nature represented beauty - and refuge.… — Richard Louv Copy Share
Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity. — Richard Louv Copy Share
As the young spend less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically and this reduces the richness of human… — Richard Louv Copy Share
No other youth group like the Scouts has trained so many future leaders while at the same time being a nature organization with its… — Richard Louv Copy Share
In medieval times, if someone displayed the symptoms we now identify as boredom, that person was thought to be committing something called acedia, a… — Richard Louv Copy Share
Rather than accepting the drifting separation of the generations, we might begin to define a more complex and interesting set of life stages and… — Richard Louv Copy Share
This seems clear enough: When truly present in nature, we do use all our senses at the same time, which is the optimum state… — Richard Louv Copy Share
Reconnection to the natural world is fundamental to human health, well-being, spirit, and survival. — Richard Louv Copy Share
“Most scientists who study human perception no longer assume that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. The current number ranges… — Richard Louv Copy Share
Nature is often overlooked as a healing balm for the emotional hardships in a child's life. You'll likely never see a slick commercial for… — Richard Louv Copy Share
In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy, and privacy: a place distant from the adult world, a separate peace. — Richard Louv Copy Share
Something else was different when we were young: our parents were outdoors. I’m not saying they were joining health clubs and things of that… — Richard Louv Copy Share
