Opting Outside
“Let the children be free; encourage them; let them run outside when it is raining; let them remove their shoes when they find a puddle of water; and, when the grass of the meadows is damp with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning as it wakes every living creature that divides its day between waking and sleeping. When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.”
~ Dr. Maria Montessori, Discovery of the Child
Maria Montessori was keenly aware of the benefits of being outdoors. She wrote often about the value and importance of an outdoor environment. Where possible, the Montessori environment should have a free flow between indoor and outdoor spaces.
From an early age, I’ve continually found that time outside is so beneficial. My grandfather is a naturalist, and when my family would go visit, he picked us up at the airport in his van. Instead of listening to music or talk radio, he most often played tapes of frog calls or bird calls.
A visit to my grandparents almost always included a hike, visit to the nature center or a trip in canoes down the Pierre Marquette River. My grandfather consistently could identify birds based on their call or trees by their leaves. This exposure to the beauty of the natural world from a young age helped me to head outside when life’s demands feel challenging. Without fail, time in nature has always eased my anxiety and made me feel more ready to tackle the tasks at hand.
The more research I do, the more I realize that time outside is key to our health and overall wellbeing.
Let’s take a look at some benefits of spending time outdoors.
According to Jacob Liberman, OD, PH.D:
“The pineal gland tells every part of the body whether it is light or dark, whether the days are getting longer or shorter, and what season of the year it is. Although it is only the size of a pea, the functions of the pineal gland are vast. In humans, sunlight stimulates the pineal exclusively by way of our eyes, therefore making it an integral part of the visual system. Today, the pineal gland is recognized as playing a major role in every aspect of human function. It acts as the ‘regulator of regulators.’ Aside from its documented effects on reproductive function, growth, body temperature, blood pressure, motor activity, sleep, tumor growth, mood and the immune system, it also seems to be a factor in longevity.”
Time outside before noon stimulates the pineal gland which is referred to as the “regulator of regulators” and directly impacts sleep at night.
Time outside helps our bodies produce serotonin.
Time outside offers a rich playground for children. It gives them the chance to explore and discover their own limits.
Time outside decreases cortisol - lessening anxiety and stress in only 20 minutes.
Time outside increases appreciation for and delight in the outside world.
In “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv writes that even just exposure to green plants can lower anxiety (maybe that’s why houseplants are so popular now 😉).
As homeschoolers, we have the flexibility to opt outside when it works for our schedule. We don’t have to wait for a slot at the playground or for our work cycle to end. Montessori focused on cultivating a free flow between indoors and out, so the more you can do that, the better. Taking work outside or allowing for a specific day per week to spend multiple hours outdoors can be easy ways to begin to incorporate opting outside.
“When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.”(Montessori)
Resources
Last Child in the Woods or Vitamin N by Richard Louv
Ginny Yurich - 1000 Hours Outside
Discovery of the Child by Maria Montessori
US Study Shows Widening Disconnect with Nature and Potential Solutions (2017 Study from Yale)
“Kids Don’t Spend Nearly Enough Time Outside: Here’s How and Why to Change That” (Washington Post article)
“Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature” (Child Mind Institute)
A 20 Minute Nature Break Relieves Stress (Harvard Journal Article)
