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If you live in North America, the unusually long cold winter may have had you cooped up indoors for far too long. Now that the weather is finally feeling like spring and summer, you’re probably thrilled to spend more time outdoors  and hopefully your kids are too.

One of the most beneficial activities for children is simply spending time in nature. This encourages unstructured playtime, which is essential for kids to build their imagination, relieve stress, and simply be kids.

It also allows kids plenty of sun exposure to build and maintain their vitamin D levels. But there are benefits on a much deeper level, too, according to recent research in the
Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture.1

Spending Time Outdoors Helps Kids Connect with Nature and Increases Happiness

The study, though small with just 10 children included, yielded incredibly meaningful results. Children who spent five to 10 hours a week outside developed a strong attachment to nature, a value that is important to both human development and well-being.

Children who spent a lot of time outdoors also experienced a wealth of positive emotions, including peacefulness, happiness, and a sense of belonging to the world. As you might suspect, parents of children with the strongest connections to nature also spent a lot of time outdoors during childhood, engaging in experiences that they believe helped to shape their adult lives and spirituality.2