Has it really been 30 days since I launched the second annual 30-Day Outdoor Challenge?  Yes, it has!  Congratulations, you did it!  If you joined me in the challenge to get your kids outside every day for 30 days, then I say "well done!"  You have successfully connected your kids to nature.  Give your self a round of applause.



Now I want to hear from you.  How did it go?  Was it tough to boot the kids out the door?  Or was it easy once you got into the rhythm?  Maybe you started off strong, then fizzled out over time.   Did your child look forward to going outside the next next?  Maybe you enjoyed it as much as he or she did. Please take a moment to add a comment.  I welcome your feedback!

I have to be honest.  Doing the 30-Day Outdoor Challenge was great fun for me, but also really demanding.  Thinking of the creative nature activities was the easy part; it was typing a post each day that was the real challenge!  But I am proud that I stayed true to my commitment to you, and I hope you are proud of yourselves for sticking with it throughout the past month.

As a reward for your hard work, here are some facts about how your children benefited from being in nature over the past 30 days.  You can feel good about what you accomplished for nine reasons:

1. Children and adults find it easier to concentrate and pay attention after spending time in nature.
Sources:
Wells, N.M. (2000). At home with nature: Effects of "greenness" on children's cognitive functioning. Environment and Behavior 32: 775-795.
Hartig, T., Mang, M., & Evans, G.W. (1991). Restorative effects of natural environment experiences. Environment and Behavior 23: 3-26.

2. Nature provides a rich source of hands-on, multi-sensory stimulation, which is critical for brain development in early childhood.
Source:
Rivkin, M.S. Natural Learning.

3. Children's play is more creative and egalitarian in natural areas than in more structured or paved areas.
Source:
Faber Taylor, A., Wiley, A., Kuo, F.E. & Sullivan, W.C. (1998). Growing up in the inner city: Green spaces as places to grow. Environment and Behavior 30(1): 3-27.

4. Living in "high nature conditions" buffers children against the effects of stressful life events.
Source:
Wells, N. & Evans, G. (2003). Nearby nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Environment and Behavior 35: 311-330.
Louv, R. (2005). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. New York: Algonquin Books.

5. Views of nature reduce stress levels and speed recovery from illness, injury or stressful experiences.
Sources:
Frumkin, H. (2001). Beyond toxicity: Human health and the natural environment. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 20(3): 234-240.
Louv, R. (2005). Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. New York: Algonquin Books. 


6. The ultimate raw material for much of human intellect, emotion, personality, industry, and spirit is rooted in a healthy, accessible, and abundant natural environment.
Source:
Kellert, Stephen R. (2005). Building for Life: Designing and Developing the Human-Nature Connection.Washington: Island Press.

7. Access to nature nurtures self discipline.
Source: Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2002). Views of Nature and Self-Discipline: Evidence from Inner City Children. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 22, 49-63.

8. Nearby nature boosts children’s cognitive functioning.
Source: Wells, N.M. At Home with Nature: Effects of “Greenness” on Children's Cognitive Functioning. Environment and Behavior. Vol. 32, No. 6, 775-795.

9. Children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention-deficit disorder (ADD) showed reduce symptoms after playing in natural areas.
Source:
Kuo, F.E. & Faber Taylor, A. (2004). A potential natural treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health 94(9):1580-1586.

I pulled this research from the Children's Nature Institute (CNI) (look under "Why It's Important Section") and the Children & Nature Network. There is a multitude of other studies cited and paraphrased on each of the organization's Web sites. If you have interest in the topic beyond what I have listed below, I encourage you to peruse those sites. The information available is impressive and quite interesting.


And now for the moment we have all been waiting for....drum roll please.....  The winner of the Gus Outdoors Lizard Town DVD is:


Congratulations!  I will contact you directly and ask for your mailing address.

I had the special privilege of pre-screening the DVD and it is fabulous.  The kids in your life will absolutely enjoy watching Gus while he goes on his nature adventure in The Bahamas.  Enjoy!

That's it for me until next week because frankly, I'm pooped.  I need a break from blogging, tweeting, posting, writing tags, spell checking and linking.  But not to worry, I will return next week to a more normal schedule of posting twice per week.

Thanks everyone and have a great Labor Day celebration!