Our 9 month (and change) old grandson Brantley took his first trip into Yellowstone National Park this past weekend, touring the Mammoth Hot Springs with mom above, and otherwise looking pretty mischievous while enjoying some of Spring’s first bright days in Montana and Wyoming. (Images via our son, Jake.)
That little excursion on Saturday brought to mind something I’d run across in the Adventure Journal – Study: Kids Who Spend Time in Nature Become Happier Adults.
It’s based on this research piece published a few weeks back in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences US), and backs up what many of you who love being in the outdoors have know for years – humans thrive when connected to the physical world around them, getting their hands dirty, skinning their knees and elbows, soaking up the sun, and literally connecting with the earth around them.
I’m truly astounded at how disconnected many children and youth are from the natural world today; make sure kids (and grandkids!) you influence in your world are getting a healthy dose of “outside” each and every day.
