One of the enduring beliefs about early childhood is that young children are better off outside, free to move about. Many educationalists also argue that children need to be closer to nature because their senses are more alert, and they notice the tiny details of the natural world. By contrast, adults see and hear little.
This belief in nature has been given a new insight in a publication from Children in Scotland, in their 'Building Better Childhoods - International Perspectives' series. The booklet, entitled Adventures in Nature (available from www.childreninscotland.org.uk/publications) recounts attempts by nursery workers and children in the city of Verona, Italy, to explore the natural world. In Verona they are off to a flying start - they have mountains and rivers on their doorstep, and they have the funding for early childhood to engage in such activities. The results are spectacular.
The booklet describes how expeditions are planned and the logistics and safety precautions are worked out with the children. They explore underground passages in the city; go rock climbing, potholing, river rafting in summer and orienteering in winter. On each trip they collect lots of specimens - shards of rock and stones, fragments of wood, lichens, bark and grasses; bottles of canal and river water and water from puddles. When they come back they examine their specimens with microscopes or under magnifying glasses. They discuss their experiences, log their findings, check them out in books, and draw and paint and sculpt them.
As well as their physical strengths and stamina, the experiences test the children's capacity to support one another in shared physical activities. My own experiences of travel in remote parts of the world have shown me how capable young children are. We underestimate their need for physical activity and underrate their acute observational skills. This booklet brings it closer to home. It's an invitation to throw away all those dreary plastic tabletop toys and drastically review the sedentary activities we expect children to submit to. The natural alternatives are so much more rewarding.
- Helen Penn is professor of early childhood studies at the University of East London.
