Nature the Greatest Teacher Ever

Nature is the greatest teacher, shaping children’s curiosity, creativity, and well-being. In today’s digital world, outdoor experiences are fading, but nature-based activities in schools can rekindle this bond. Through hands-on interactions with nature, c

Today, in a materialistic world where working parents barely have any time beyond their professional lives, the children have limited opportunities to interact with nature. Unlike the past when there was so much exploration of nature as an integral part of childhood. Contrary to this child in today's world have pre-packaged toys to be their friends along with digital distractions. When I look back on my childhood, there were many activities to explore nature knowingly or unknowingly. We were far from the readymade goods, especially the play materials. Playing with sand, clay, water, etc. was something that had no alternatives. We grew up with nature in a real sense.  I could relate to how much I myself is attached to nature and have love and empathy for nature which according to me is faded among the children in today’s context. I believe Nature-based activities for children help nurture curiosity, creativity, and a love for the environment.

In today’s technology-driven world, children are spending less time outdoors, which affects their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Unfortunately, many children today are confined to indoor spaces, leading to increased screen time, anxiety, and social disconnection. To counter this, the interaction of children with nature is something that has become vital to reconnecting children with nature, promoting their holistic development through outdoor activities, mindfulness, and environmental awareness. Connecting to my own professional life, as a school leader, we allow children to interact with nature with different activities regularly. The activities include nature walks and scavenger hunts, gardening, watering plants, leaf art, flower art, nature-based storytelling, sensory play with natural materials, nature-based counting and sorting, etc. It’s a kind of Nature therapy for the children and teachers, which enhances health and well-being among all. It is proven that time spent in environments improves mood, reduces stress, boosts concentration, and enhances creativity. Through exposure to nature, we can encourage children to step outside, explore, and benefit from the healing power of nature along with physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and language development. In school, we try to connect our children to nature through direct interaction with clay, water, sand, plants, etc. We take nature walks around in the nearby jungle, where they do scavenger hunts and connect with the theme under study as well. This makes the teacher convey the things they meant for. At the same time, children get things more easily than any other way. In school, along with the interaction of students with nature, we try our best to convince the parents with different workshops connected to nature and its importance in early childhood development. Parents need to understand the value of being connected with nature. Emotion, love, and attachment to nature allow a person to respect each other along with nurturing and caring.

Many times, it was found that the parents, being very possessive towards the children, misinterpreted the nature. Until a few years back, parents in general, wanted their children to be away from mud, sand, water, etc. which according to them decreases the self-confidence in children making them untidy. This notion changed with time, especially in the context of our school. Here we periodically do parenting sessions and let them realize how the natural things found around us can work like magic. Those materials on the one hand are low cost or no cost and at the same time, have real-life experience which allows holistic development. This enhances the belongingness among the children, and they can think positively about every element of nature. For this, the triangular relation among the parents, teacher, and students plays a crucial role.

Nature is a great healer, just being outdoors enriches sensory and imaginative awareness cultivating inner peace, focus, and resistance in a child's mind. Moreover, through the exposure of children to outdoor nature, harmony within nature is ensured since we foster in them respect for the environment as well as concerns. In schools, the inclusion of nature-based activities in the curriculum can significantly contribute to the learning process.