Has anyone else suddenly been hearing people talk about Shinrin-Yoku (森林浴)? I googled it the other morning after noticing it popping on the news and in my Instagram feed. Shinrin-Yoku is a Japanese practice that translates as “forest bathing” and encourages the practice of walking slowly in nature, taking the time to find one’s breath and center.
In an increasingly tech world, even our children are suffering from an extreme deficit of outdoor time. I’m sure you too have heard the always-depressing stats detailing how many of our children’s waking hours are spent in front of a screen.
So often, we’re inundated with these dreary statistics but aren’t really given any good advice on how to work toward reversing the ever-growing proliferation of screens during our (and our children’s) days.
When I started researching Shinrin-Yoku, my first thought was, “Ok. Here is a REAL answer” (and by the way, you don’t need a forest!). Here is something that has proven physical and psychological benefits…
The benefits of Shinrin-Yoku with children:
- Decrease blood sugar levels
- Increase immunity
- Stimulate creativity
- Helpt to develop our senses – our emotions, our intellect, even our spirit grow in response to the natural world
- Cultivate an appreciation for nature
- Teach the importance of silence and how to be alone with one’s thoughts.
- Encourage curiosity and discovery
It also gives a familiar activity a new name. As insignificant as it may sound, being able to say, “let’s try Shinrin-Yoku” instead of “let’s do…something…outside” gives a specific direction and focus. It gives the tiniest bit of structure to an unstructured activity.
It’s a great invitation to try something new, or for many, something old reimagined. Adults included! After all, the best way we can teach our kids to put down the tech and get outside is to DO IT OURSELVES (triple underlined!).
Inevitably, for certain ages or kids, suggesting an activity that boils down to reflective time outside may invite the scowls, eye-rolls, and sighs. Realistically, the chances of the “I’m BORED”s beginning 2 minutes into this activity are so frustratingly high.
I think a great place to start with kids is with a modified version of the traditional practice – a loose translation that invites kids to explore nature and develop a relationship with their outdoor surroundings. Here are a few simple nature activities you can start with…
Simple Ways to Practice Dedicated Nature Time with Your Kids:
- Be the follower – invite your child to lead you on a walk outside
- Create leaf or bark rubbings
- Find direction without a compass
- Set up a scavenger hunt (little ones might prefer our simpler free printable nature scavenger hunt!)
- Create a nature collage (here are ideas for spring/summer and fall!)
- Start a nature journal or use our printable nature explorer pack
- Go barefoot
- Get on the ground for some up close and personal insect learning, or make a DIY bug box for observation.
- Take a magnifying glass outside
- Go on a backyard mini safari – exploring for wild animals underneath the plants, behind the bushes, and in the grasses of your own backyard.
- Adopt a specific spot to visit often or throughout the seasons
- Try leaf identification (you can take along our free printable leaf activity kit!)
- Gather and observe your surroundings with a DIY nature explorer’s kit to use for art or play projects at home
- Listen for animal sounds and start a list
- Pick an evening to read a book outside every week
- Make a simple origami nature box to quickly stash small nature treasures
Want to go a little deeper? Richard Louv is a great champion of Children’s Nature Education and has written some awesome books about building connections between nature and children. Two of our favorites are ‘Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder and ‘Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life‘ – a treasure-trove of good suggestions!
Five of our Favorite Nature Discovery Resources for Kids:
Looking for easy, but action-packed solutions for helping kids discover the joy of the outdoors? Check out a few of my favorite resources…
1. Mother Natured
- When I’m in need of outdoor play inspiration Mother Natured is my go-to website for quickly finding engaging, creative children’s nature activities.
2. Little Oak Learning
- Little Oak Learning – From the beauty-drenched brain of Jill Wignall, this site is full of printable activities so gorgeously illustrated and conceptualized that you’ll want to print copies out for yourself (no, seriously). From paper dolls and weather kits to field guides and activities that will help your children find natural rhythms (in nature and daily life). Every activity is an invitation to fall in love with the outdoors.
3. 1000 Hours Outside
- 1000 Hours Outside is a website dedicated solely to encouraging quality family time spent outdoors. Their free printable trackers are a fantastic way to give kids a way to visualize and log outdoor time and keep up the motivation to get outside.
4. Tinkergarten
- Tinkergarten offers expert-designed outdoor classes and activities to help kids ages 18 months to 8 years develop core life skills while enjoying healthy, fun, engaging experiences in the physical freedom of local green spaces. For those who aren’t in a city with local classes, their online community and free activity library are chock full of resources you can use to easily re-create the experience at home.
5. Wild Explorers Club
- The Wild Explorers Club, a subscription-based adventure program for kids aged 6-12, includes weekly video assignments, a monthly print magazine, certificates & worksheets, and a free patch for each adventure level completed. This is one of my new favorite birthday gifts for kids (and follow them on Instagram for some beautiful outdoor inspiration!)
Have you tried Shinrin-Yoku? Have any ideas you’ve tried out and loved with your kids? Share them in the comments!
GETTING READY TO TRY this?
I love seeing all the ways people make these ideas their own! If you're sharing the results of one of our projects, mention or tag me with @barleyandbirch, or share it in the comments of one of our Pinterest project pins.
