{"id":4416,"date":"2020-04-22T13:16:45","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T18:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/elc\/?p=4416"},"modified":"2024-09-20T20:41:52","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T00:41:52","slug":"go-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cehhs.utk.edu\/elc\/2020\/04\/22\/go-outside\/","title":{"rendered":"Go Outside!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Photo<\/a>Today is Earth Day so our post today is centered around the ELC motto: Go Outside! ELC preschool educator Kathryn Humber has some suggestions for ways you and your family can engage with nature in our extended time at home. We hope you can find some time to enjoy this beautiful Earth Day with your family!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Having to shelter in place is hard – very hard. Not being able to go places like we are used to or visit friends when we want to feels wrong in many ways. We all know that this time of being asked to stay home and \u201cflatten the curve\u201d is so important for many who would be greatly impacted by COVID-19, but it is hard. It is hard on children, what they knew as normal has been flipped around and they are grappling with huge disruption to their lives. I am sure you have seen this in your own children; I know I have certainly seen it in my 5-year-old, Lucas. He has been testing boundaries recently and is quick to say (and sometimes, shout) things like \u201cNo!\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m not going to\u2026\u201d when my husband or I ask him to do something. I know that the change in routine is adding stress and confusion to his life and he probably isn\u2019t as physically active or stimulated as he would be at school. I, too, find myself working through many emotions that, at times, can feel overwhelming and I know that working from home for me (and probably you as well) means sitting in front of a computer to work remotely, decreasing our activity levels as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what can we do during this time of isolation that will be beneficial for you and your child(ren)? What can we do to help with regulating our emotions and expending energy?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My answer: Go outside!\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully, we are not restricted in being able to get outside right now. I hope you take advantage of this time to play with your children outside! Spending time outside can greatly impact the wellbeing of everyone, especially your children. Richard Louv (2013) reminds us that \u201cNatural play strengthens children’s self-confidence and arouses their senses-their awareness of the world and all that moves in it, seen and unseen,\u201d (p. 148). Being outdoors promotes creativity and imagination, teaches responsibility and care for the environment around them, encourages children to think and wonder, and reduces stress and fatigue (Cohen, n.d.).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some suggestions for what you could do outside with your child:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n