Why is nature essential for kids?I am doing a personal research on the effect on green spaces on mood ,relationship and creativity since 2014.
I started gardening and blogging in October of 2014 and I haven’t stopped.What kept me going was this need for seeing things grow .
The good bacteria in nature in their own way helps you grow your immunity.Sunlight is essential for good health. But overall the effect of mother nature,soil and green trees ,flowers ,birds,butterflies in a backdrop of blue sky is like your recharge button.
Thats the reason I visit the village home on weekends .It gives me a much needed boost of wellbeing, that nothing else can.
You might wonder,why not visit a park?You might wonder,what about your balcony garden?Why not the green mango orchard , where we play every Sunday evening?
Well they are all important and play a role in my weekly dose of nature.But every week is not the same.Plus there’s something about the silence of birds,bees and untamed nature .The silver moon lights up the night sky ,the sparkling stars keep her company while my garden gets ready to go to sleep.
The tiny village house has four rooms. Two for our use and two for when my brother in law visits with his family.The common kitchen and small covered porch cum dining space is perfect for sitting and enjoying a cup of tea in the morning. Or sometimes we just sit outside in the garden.Since there are no high rises,there’s no one watching you .
There are only chirping of birds,bleating goats,moo-ing cows and the occasional raucous village dogs trying to get rid of outsider dogs!
The sweet smell of flowers,golden sunlight and the very blue blue sky dotted with the green canopy of Moringa,Mangoes,Ticoma,Coconut and Neem greet my eyes as I look upwards.
The open terrace gives an uninterrupted view of green almost forested areas, which are but forest gardens receiving a watchful neglect from their owners.Too much clearing up is avoided,to prevent poachers and illegal settlers from encroaching. Its a complex balance of clearing up as well as letting nature be.From my eleven years experience in taking kids for visits to garden,orchards,fields and nature holidays I share my insights into why nature is essential for kids.
Why is Nature Essential for Kids?
It helps develop intelligence
Empathy
Curiosity
Adaptation
Community
Appreciate beauty
Discover practical application of science
Realize science is not just a subject humans invented but its how God works .
Realize we are what we eat
Realize your energy depends on the energy of the food you eat.An apple or a candy?
It helps then understand why farmers are the backbone of a nation.
They understand about growing food and eating fresh.
They understand cooking is not just something Maa does.Its something everyone needs to do, to stay healthy.
They understand going back to nature is the best way to beat big food and big pharma.
They realize nature never stops working and karma is a way of life.
They realize flowers bloom in the morning to wilt in the evening .But next day another flower will still bloom.That’s karma do your work,pray to God and keep going.
They understand about cycle of life,the eternal soul and inner peace.
They understand true wealth are your health,the people around you,the land where you grow food and the ability to work and earn a living.
For that matter nature is essential for adults too .We are a part of nature and we all need to realize this.
(Why science says green time matters for growing minds)
When you think back to your own childhood, what memories feel most alive? Chances are they involve open skies, trees, muddy hands, or the thrill of catching butterflies. Science now confirms what our hearts already knew — nature isn’t just nice for kids; it’s essential.
From stronger mental health to better learning and creativity, research from around the world has shown that green time is powerful medicine for children’s bodies and minds. Here’s what the science says — in five minutes or less.
🌱 1. Nature builds healthier, happier children
A landmark systematic review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found consistent links between time in nature and children’s physical activity, emotional well-being, and social development. Children who regularly play outside move more, sleep better, and report higher happiness scores.
Key takeaway: Kids who spend at least 60–90 minutes outdoors daily have better overall health profiles — regardless of screen time or socioeconomic status.
🧠 2. Greener spaces support brain development and focus
Multiple studies show that access to trees, parks, and gardens helps children think and learn better. In Italy, Asta et al. (2021) tracked children from birth to age 7 and found higher cognitive scores among those living near greenspaces. Similarly, Saenen et al. (2023) demonstrated that long-term exposure to green areas improved working memory and attention.
In practice: Even short outdoor lessons or recess in green schoolyards can improve concentration and academic performance.
💚 3. Nature soothes anxiety and lifts mood
A 2024 systematic review by Lomax et al. found robust evidence linking nature exposure with reduced anxiety, depression, and stress in children and adolescents. Tillmann et al. (2018) confirmed that accessibility, exposure, and active engagement with nature all correlate with better mental-health scores.
Think of nature as a “mood vitamin.” Even a half-hour in the park can restore calm and resilience after a busy school day.
⚡ 4. Nature time helps attention and ADHD symptoms
Classic experiments by Taylor et al. (2009) found that children with ADHD concentrated better after a walk in the park compared with a downtown stroll. Population studies (Donovan et al., 2019) also link greener neighborhoods with lower ADHD prevalence.
Pro tip: Schedule “green breaks” — 15-minute park or garden walks — before homework or study time.
🪴 5. Early exposure matters most
Early-life exposure to green environments predicts fewer behavioral problems and stronger cognitive outcomes in preschoolers (Dockx et al., 2022). This means planting a tree, walking to school through a park, or keeping plants on balconies truly adds up over time.
🌍 6. Why every community needs child-friendly green space
Nature isn’t just about individual play. It’s about public health and equity. Jimenez et al. (2021) showed that green exposure benefits extend across ages and income levels, but access remains unequal. Sprague et al. (2022) emphasize the need for urban planning that brings safe, nearby natural spaces to all children.
Policy note: Greening schools and neighborhoods is one of the simplest, evidence-backed ways to improve children’s health worldwide.
🧾 In a nutshell:
Benefit
Supported by research
What parents can do
Better mental health
Lomax 2024, Tillmann 2018
Outdoor play & family park days
Improved focus / ADHD
Taylor 2009, Donovan 2019
Nature breaks before study
Enhanced cognition
Asta 2021, Saenen 2023
School garden projects
Stronger physical health
Fyfe-Johnson 2021
Active outdoor games
Lifelong resilience
Dockx 2022, Jimenez 2021
Regular green exposure from early years
Each day includes a 10- to 30-minute nature-based micro-activity you can fit into any schedule — perfect for busy families.
✅ Take-home message
Nature is not optional — it’s foundational for healthy childhood development.
Even small, daily doses of green time yield measurable benefits for mind, body, and mood.
As parents, teachers, and communities, investing in children’s connection with nature may be the simplest, most cost-effective public-health strategy available.
“If we want children to flourish, we must give them time to touch the earth, smell the rain, and watch things grow.”
References (PubMed/PMC): Fyfe-Johnson AL et al. 2021; Lomax T et al. 2024; Tillmann S et al. 2018; Donovan GH et al. 2019; Taylor AF et al. 2009; Asta F et al. 2021; Saenen ND et al. 2023; Dockx Y et al. 2022; Sprague NL et al. 2022; Jimenez MP et al. 2021.
I wasn’t a gardner. My parents weren’t either.But my paternal Grand father must have been one,though I never had an opportunity to ask him.You may wonder why I say this.Its because he planted the tree which still bears fruits some sixty years later.
The tree is as tall as five storied building and was the reason behind many of my childhood daydreams and adventures plus delicious summers eating the firm juicy Jackfruit from the mighty tree.
I think the tree liked me too.I always felt very protective towards it.Its the reason I made plant friends easily and now have been able to increase my family of trees and plants to a number I can’t count.I love picking fruits fresh from trees and eating them.
The best part is, it gave me the first idea of how even a single tall green tree can help nurture a child.I started gardening in October 2014 the very same time I started blogging and writing online.I am not always writing aiming for SEO and money.
Writing is the cheapest ,easiest,most accessible method for my self therapy.To balance my moods indoors, when I can’t visit gardens,parks or go for fun nature walks.I miss nature even more than coffee or tea and the same amount as books.That’s saying a lot since I am a voracious reader .
But I degress .I published the audio book on How to Walk Write and Garden for the Healthy Life you want free on Youtube.
One reason was because, I wanted it to be available for free for those who want to find wellness in their daily life through going back to nature,words,walking and the simple stuff.Its not rocket science but in this world of sunless rooms ,it’s important to repeat truths ,lest people forget.
Green Gift
On that note sharing my favorite garden quotes-
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.-Greek proverb by Unknown author
Quotes by Alfred Austin
We come from the earth,go back to earth in between we garden
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.
Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.
There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder.
A garden that one makes oneself becomes associated with one’s personal history and that of one’s friends, interwoven with one’s tastes, preferences and character and constitutes a sort of unwritten autobiography.
Plucking Ripe Mango
Exclusiveness in a garden is a mistake as great as it is in society.
No one can rightly call his garden his own unless he himself made it.
There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.-Janet Kilburn Phillips
Fresh Green Ripe
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. – Audrey Hepburn
My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece. Claude Monet
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.-Claude Monet
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.-Marcus Tullius Cicero
Garden as though you will live forever.-William Kent Life begins the day you start a garden. a Chinese proverb
Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. Emily Bronte
The best place to find God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. George Bernard Shaw
Being a tree hugger helped me !
The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land. Abraham Lincoln
To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.-Mahatma Gandhi
No single sort of garden suits everyone. Shut your eyes and dream of the garden you’d most love then open your eyes and start planting. Loved gardens flourish, boring ones are hard work. Jackie French
Where flowers bloom, so does hope. Lady Bird Johnson
Did you know ,Monet had his own garden Givenchy which was the inspiration behind his paintings?
I can’t stop at five so here goes my favorite fruits with the top five in order.
Mangoes
Oranges
Mosambi/Sweet lime
Black grapes
Jaam/Indian black berry,black plum or java plum
Bananas
Guavas
Water Apple/Rose apple/Jamrul
Mulberry
Jackfruit
But secretly a fruit platter is my favorite way to snack .I even wrote a book about all the fruits I like and their nutrition secrets .It’s called Fruits for Life |What your Doctor Won’t Tell!
I grow mangoes,chiku,water apple,banana, tute(mulberry),jamun, litchi,jackfruit,guavas and papaya. Each of these fruits taste amazing when plucked and eaten fresh.
West Bengal has the perfect climate for growing the sweet tropical fruits which are delicious straight from the tree.
Sharing videos of the fruits I grew.
Mango garden
Mulberries in the balcony garden
Fresh Guavas
Starting a Home Garden
Water Apple
I even wrote a wellness book on gardening,walking and writing .
