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Kids Need Nature

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has issued a health report called Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit Through Outdoor Play. The report reveals how America's addiction to time indoors affects our physical and mental health. Reviewed by an independent panel of medical experts, Whole Child explores how...
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has issued a health report called Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit Through Outdoor Play. The report reveals how America's addiction to time indoors affects our physical and mental health. Reviewed by an independent panel of medical experts, Whole Child explores how regular, unstructured outdoor play can boost the health of a child’s mind, body and spirit.
The nature of childhood has changed: There’s not much nature in it. It is not just about a detachment from all things growing and green; it's a public health issue.  In the last twenty years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled.  In addition to obesity, Whole Child highlights the rising rates of childhood diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, asthma, and vision problems, all of which can be tempered with adequate outdoor time. The United States has become the largest consumer of ADHD medications in the world and the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients has risen sharply. American kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out because they’re missing something essential to their health and development, unstructured time playing outdoors.
Whole Child includes recommendations for caregivers, healthcare providers, educators and leaders so that, together, they can change America's indoor habits.  NWF has also created the Be Out There movement to give back to American children what they don’t even know they’ve lost: their connection to the natural world. 
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Read 1831 times Last modified on Tuesday, 15 March 2016 19:54

Winter

25 Baybrook Ln.

Oak Brook, IL 60523

Phone: 630-654-8036

swiftcamp@aol.com

Camp

W7471 Ernie Swift Rd.

Minong, WI 54859

Phone: 715-466-5666

swiftcamp@aol.com