If the coronavirus spreads at the rate that some experts believe it will, schools and workplaces will continue to close. Here’s one thread of silver lining. We’ll have more time for each other, and for nature. “Do not stay inside all the time: your vitamin D level goes down,” advises John de Pluma, MD, a board-certified internist and proponent of food-based health practices and nature therapy. De Pluma points to research suggesting an association between visiting forests and improving immune responses. Keep in mind that the research he cites is specific to forests outside of cities. But, depending on your or your children’s vulnerability, and the place, Vitamin N can reduce stress, improve health, and offer solace and hope. Connecting with animals (wild and domestic) may also offset the downside of enforced social isolation. So, here’s a sampling of activities (borrowed from my books Vitamin N, Our Wild Calling, Last Child in the Woods and other sources) to help your family make the best of a tough situation. Walk this way. Take a hike or do other exercises outdoors. On their first hike, younger children can enjoy playing a game called “walk this way”—imitating different animals along the way. Bring toys and […]10 Nature Activities to Help Get Your Family Through the Pandemic
If the coronavirus spreads at the rate that some experts believe it will, schools and workplaces will continue to close. Here’s one thread of silver lining. We’ll have more time for each other, and for nature. “Do not stay inside all the time: your vitamin D level goes down,” advises John de Pluma, MD, a board-certified internist and proponent of food-based health practices and nature therapy. De Pluma points to research suggesting an association between visiting forests and improving immune responses. Keep in mind that the research he cites is specific to forests outside of cities. But, depending on your or your children’s vulnerability, and the place, Vitamin N can reduce stress, improve health, and offer solace and hope. Connecting with animals (wild and domestic) may also offset the downside of enforced social isolation. So, here’s a sampling of activities (borrowed from my books Vitamin N, Our Wild Calling, Last Child in the Woods and other sources) to help your family make the best of a tough situation. Walk this way. Take a hike or do other exercises outdoors. On their first hike, younger children can enjoy playing a game called “walk this way”—imitating different animals along the way. Bring toys and […]