Spring seems to be feeling shy and reluctant to make an appearance this year. Nevertheless, this is an excellent time to begin spending more time outside. It is no secret that both adults and children are nature deprived, but they may be unaware of all the health benefits they are missing.
Some interesting benefits to being outdoors include:
- Improved mood: The increased light and fresh air are natural stress reducers and decrease depression. Many studies have shown that being outdoors
significantly improves your mental health. - Better vision: Most people’s eyes are overworked and fatigued from staring at computer monitors and small electronic screens. Research has found that spending time outdoors gives your eyes a break from focusing only on nearby objects.
- Improved concentration: Studies have shown that children diagnosed with ADHD had better concentration after spending time outside. Alzheimer’s patients also demonstrated improved mental function when given regular opportunities to be outdoors.
Some of the other potential benefits that have been identified are: improved blood pressure, weight loss, decreases in autoimmune disorders, and faster healing. All of these things add up to very good reasons to go outside and promote better mental and physical health.
10 Ways to Enjoy Spring
- visit a butterfly garden ~ learn about your local butterflies
- picnic in a meadow ~ diagram flowers
- make bird feeders ~ which seeds attract which birds?
- plan a garden ~ gardens are fun projects
- enjoy the farmer’s market ~ discuss: benefits of organic, small business, trades/skills
- field trip to a strawberry farm ~ learn benefits of fruit
- zoo ~ see the new baby animals
- plan a field trip to a local honey bee farm ~ learn about pollination
- photograph (draw) new blooms ~ try different media
- go camping ~ visit your state parks
Source: The HomeSchool Village
