Send Your Kids Outside: It Will Make Them Smarter​

 This week, my message is simple: send your kids outside. It will make them smarter. 

A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that children who spend time around plants “showed more progress in working memory and attention over the course of a year.”

Exposure to green spaces, whether a backyard, city park, nature area, or even a green patch of grass with trees outside a school, make a positive difference in children’s cognitive abilities.

It doesn’t need to be for a long time; a study I conducted in 2010 in which participants spent 10 minutes with a place in nature daily showed that significant changes in mental and emotional health arise from connecting regularly with nature. 

So, instead of another round of Minecraft or a YouTube video, encourage your kids to explore a tree or watch the clouds. It could make a world of difference. 

Tags: nature

​