The Last Child in the Woods
Today I took 15 six and seven year old girls and assorted siblings, parents, and grandparents on a walk in the woods. We weren’t really even in the woods but walking along the lakeside next to the woods. The weather was gorgeous and the kids had been sitting in school all day, poor kids. It’s days like this when I realize just how lucky my own homeschooled kids are. The girls were overly enthusiastic which is always nice and who wouldn’t be in such a beautiful environment. We saw deer tracks which one child suggested were pig prints. I told her it was great she noticed the cloven hoofs. They got the dog prints right away but one child asked if they were wolf prints. I said they are part of the same family but there were no wolves in our woods.
What struck me as surprising and even somewhat sad was how frightened one of the children was. It was broad daylight and it was as if she was concerned that something was going to jump out at us and attack her. She insisted on holding my hand the entire time even after I assured her she was completely safe. She jumped even when a small twig brushed against her face. I realized many of these kids do not get much or any time in nature to explore and learn. How sad.
Which brings me to the title of my post. The Last Child in the Woods which is an amazing book written about this very subject. Many children are more comfortable sitting on a couch watching television or playing video games rather than playing outside in the great outdoors. They do not connect with the natural world because they have no experience with it. Their parents are either too busy to take them out or afraid themselves. Rural spaces and woodlands are not always accessible to the public. Some people do not even see the benefit of going out in the woods. All I know is that it brings me great joy to expose kids to the many wonders of the natural world which can be as simple as seeing a deer print in the sand next to a lake, finding tufts of fur in the woods, or as exciting as baby birds hatching or a snake eating a frog. There is much to learn from nature and if few children are exposed few will have the interest or concern to care for the environment in the next generations.
Oh how fun! I love our desert wilderness here but your pictures make me want to take my kids to an actual forest…with TREES. Yes, I agree, I think it is so good to teach our kids to be enthusiastic about nature.
I agree – kids love the natural environment, if it is something they are exposed to from a young age. Our best weekends are spent when we camp, go to the beach, or go bush-walking.
Glad you all (well, almost all!) had such a good time.
Great post! You are doing your part to get those kids out in the woods. I will have to check out the link for the book, sounds interesting. Have a great day!
Sweet!!!!!! I am in one of the pictures.