I remember summer camp well – that time between school years when we were allowed to be outside all day, every day.
At camp, we learned to play with the earth and with others. We learned to sing and how to build a fire, and then how to tell stories and sing in a circle around the fire as our ancestors did. We learned how to camp in the woods, identify the stars and look for plants and animals that were interesting, poisonous or healing – or just significant to us somehow. We learned to cook our own food over a fire and make s’mores. We walked in creeks and learned which plants were OK to ingest – or not.
Attending Girl Scout camp in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills as a child was an amazing experience. I was particularly interested in the Native Americans who lived on this land. I still am. Before it was dubbed Silicon Valley, this beautiful area was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. I believe that you can still feel that spirit in the hills near Los Altos. The stories, art, games and culture of the Ohlone people feel very alive when you engage in them under the oaks looking out over the expansive valley.
Today, the average child between the ages of 8 and 18 spends approximately eight hours a day in front of a screen, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s an average, which means that many kids spend far more time in front of a screen of some kind daily. That’s time they could be outside playing sports, climbing trees and discovering the wonders of nature.
The high-tech lifestyle doesn’t leave much time for play. Sure, nature is something kids are learning about electronically, on television, in the movies or (less so) in video games. But none of these media can convey the sense of wonder we experience when we smell lavender, feel the water in a creek or watch a caterpillar walk across a path. Kids’ hands-on time in the wilderness and with nature is greatly diminished with this busy modern life, to their increasing detriment.
There is a new movement to get kids outside. Obvious reasons, like health and well-being, spur the effort, but there are other, more far-reaching effects. Time outside with no “toys” is really good for the brain. It teaches problem-solving skills, enhances creativity and allows quiet, reflective playtime.
Studies have shown that children act more kindly toward one another when playing in a natural environment rather than a paved one. Some studies have even suggested that the simple act of breathing dirt molecules helps make us smarter. Kids need to learn that being outside is not scary or dangerous if they know certain skills. If children (or adults, for that matter) are afraid of being outside in nature, how can they learn to love, respect and care for the earth? They cannot care about something they have never experienced or do not understand.
Nature is its own teacher and lesson planner. We never know what to expect when we go outside. Which animal will show up? What weather conditions will arrive? How will nature have shifted the landscape since the last season?
Local programs get kids outdoors
Two summer programs in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills are aimed at getting kids outside and teaching them to love nature.
• Green Bean Kidz, a nature education program, meets outside year-round to teach children and their parents or guardians about the local flora and fauna through hands-on curriculum. The program includes circle time with music, hiking, storytime and art and craft projects. All lessons are geared toward teaching early science concepts and having fun.
Local residents can sign up for classes through the Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Committee and the Los Altos Recreation Department. Winter classes begin in February.
To register and for more information, visit GreenBeanKidz.com.
• Ohlone Camp, held at Westwind Community Barn and Byrne Preserve in Los Altos Hills, focuses on the Native Americans who lived in the area for centuries.
The one-week camp includes storytime in a tepee, making medicine shields, practicing “spear” throwing and going for nature hikes. Everyone selects a Native American name and creates a story around it.
Ohlone Camp also features games, painting with mud and building fairy houses under the trees. Sometimes the horses that roam free on the land visit campers, who additionally learn about hawks, rabbits, insects and other creatures.
To register and for more information, visit losaltoshills.ca.gov/parks-and-recreation/activity-guide or losaltosca.gov/recreation.
Ellen Lee Gibson is a teacher, director and CEO of Green Bean Kidz. ◆
