Children, Nature & Play
Introduction
Whether by necessity or choice, more children around the world are living in urban areas. For the first time in human history we are now more urban than rural society, with 55% of the global population now living in cities and growing rapidly.
In just a few generations, access to play opportunities and nature-rich experiences for children have decreased significantly. This global deficit of play and nature has negative impacts for children's healthy development. There is a growing body of research that highlights the many benefits of play and nature experience on children's physical, mental, social cognitive, and emotional health.