ENGAGE SUNDAY – LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS BY RICHARD LOUV

PLUUF member, Kathryn Severson, will be facilitating a discussion on the study of the effects of direct exposure to nature on the physical and emotional development of children. For many years, children have increasingly been removed from engagement with the natural world. Parents and other adults have succumbed to fears of the dangers to younger children of playing outside in both city and country landscapes. In addition, in recent years, indoor activities involving screen time and social media have competed with the simpler outdoor activities of childhood play for the attention of older children. Kathryn will be presenting research findings from the revised and updated book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv and opening a discussion related to the changing perceptions of children’s play and the risks and benefits of interactions with the natural world. Come prepared to share your childhood experiences and thoughts on how fears of the modern world and an over dependence on digital technologies can be tempered into a more balanced childhood experience.