Foul-Weather Fun Is Good for Your Kids

“Being outside is essential for children’s healthy physical, mental and interpersonal development,” says Kurt Beil, N.D., a clinician and researcher specializing in nature and health. “The research data are quite clear that kids who spend more time outside are healthier, do better academically and socially, have better focus and concentration, are more creative and have higher self-esteem. There is even evidence that it helps them be more generous, empathic and kind.” 

But how much nature time do kids need? It turns out that children need at least 120 minutes of time in nature a week. Referencing numerous research studies conducted over the past 15 years on the health benefits of time spent in nature, journalist Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods” and coiner of the term “nature deficit disorder,” describes exposure to nature as not just nice to have, but something we all “have to have for physical health and cognitive function.”