One of the saddest commentaries on our times comes from “A Report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World” by the Children and Nature Network. It quotes a fourth-grader from San Diego: “I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.”
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised by such a comment, since that’s the reason most of us adults play and work indoors.
Even though as a kid I lived in town, my friends and I hardly played indoors except for rainy weather and deep winter. Actually that was true until Dickie Andrews’ family purchased the first television in the neighborhood. Before TV, we all played outdoors after school until we were called inside for dinner. Then came Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, Howdy Doody, and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. And I can remember, just as depicted in the movie “A Christmas Story,” waiting impatiently for my own magic decoder from Ovaltine—and being disappointed that it was not as exciting as it looked on TV.
But come summer, daytime TV could not compete with the woods, the pasture, or the creek. The moms of 
we “OAK Boys” (Ohlman, Andrews, Kenfield) typically asked us in the morning, “Are you going to be home for lunch, or do you want me to make you a sack-lunch?” If the choice was sack-lunch, it came along with the admonition to be home by supper-time—an admonition that was often fruitless, since none of us had a watch. Sometimes what we were doing was very well worth coming home to a cold supper for.
I truly grieve for my grandchildren today—for their not having the oppo
rtunity to experience the joy we Oak Boys had of almost total outdoor freedom, of tree houses in the woods, of shinnying up and bending down trees, of pulling apart stumps searching for a possum, of trying our hands at milking farmer Kelly’s cows in the field, of catching “hair snakes” in the creek, or of finding and keeping track of fledgling growth in a robin’s nest—at the risk of being beaten on the noggin by the mother bird.
I even grieve their loss of such risk: risk of a dunking trying to cross the creek on a wobbly log or launching a poorly constructed raft, risk of getting a poison ivy rash, risk of getting a nasty pinch grabbing crawdads, risk of getting stung throwing stones at a 
paper wasp nest, risk of getting sprayed by daring to be the one who got closest to the skunk before it cocked its tail, and even the risk of falling through the ice on a shallow muskrat pond—one we had grown familiar enough with to know that it was not deep enough to drown in. Life itself is a big risk, but it is less risky when we learn from having taken smaller risks—risks that often result in scratches, cuts, burns, bruises, slivers, rashes, and barked shins. Pain is not only a great teacher, it is also a great behavioral change agent—the whole point of spanking!
Author Richard Louv has written a valuable book that goes into all such matters and offers us adults a great challenge: to get our children and grandchildren back outdoors: Last Child in the Woods. Louv also spearheaded the formation of the Children and Nature Network that seeks to perpetuate the ideas, concepts, and precepts he suggests in the book. With spring coming on (the male red-winged blackbirds are back!) take time to examine these valuable resources and motivate yourself to be active in the fight against NDD: Nature Deficit Disorder—and CKD: Creation Knowledge Disorder. If we worship the Creator, should we not become intimate with His creation?
See you outdoors,
Dean
March 9th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Dean, had the same experience as a boy. Rarely was in the house during sunny days, no matter the season, unless weather was terrible. Spent many a day with a rain shower or two in the summer. Those rainy days provide a different but exciting time to be in the woods.
Have 9 grandchildren, and all but 1 loves to go outside with grandma and grandpa. Camping and wading in the streams, wildlife viewing, they love it and I am delighted. Leave the nintendos at home (or at least locked in the truck) and don’t miss them at all (well, much anyway).
Two of my granddaughters look forward to coming south during June and spend a week camping with us. They talk about it all the time. When back in Kentucky, they do spend a lot of time inside, so they get their “fix” when they come to grandpa’s.
Not sure what the next generation will do with their grandkids, but hope since they love the outdoors now, that it will continue.
March 10th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Your comments on this topic evoke many memories. Without going into a long explanation, let me say my childhood was somewhat abnormal when comparied to many. However, Two things developed during my formative years.
My friends and I spent every waking opportunity outside. Swiming in the creek,building forts.Fishing, groundhog hunting,playing baseball,climbing trees,skipping rocks,and sometimes just laying on our backs looking up into the sky immagining what the clouds looked like. In the worst snows of winter we were the same. Snowball fights,snow forts,sled ridding,skating on ice (we had no ice skates),shoveling walks and of course making snow angels. winter had an added benifit…immagination!!! I wound spend the long evenings planning fishing and hunting trips and plan out my next series of camping trips. All with the aid of magazines filled with neat stuff to aid in my imaginary adventures.
Such a childhood taught me social skills,confidence,and an appreciation for all natural things around me as my playground.
Today’s children have been robbed of exercising their imaginations,and appreciation of all things natural. We see the results every day in the news, and actions of industry.
March 10th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Just these two comments alone highlight the concern expressed by Richard Louv in his book. Those who love the outdoors and benefit so much from it had long and rich experiences in the natural world as a child. The fact that most children think of a mouse as a computer accessory is indeed a sad fact. What used to be natural—kids playing in nature—is now “unnatural.”
March 11th, 2009 at 11:17 am
My son is 8 months old and this is an issue that scares me. I worry that he will not have the same exposure to wildlife that I did. We live in town where the only wildlife in our back yard are squirrels and a few birds. I guess that’s better than nothing but I want him to have opportunities like I did to catch frogs, watch deer in the back yard and just wander all over creation. I’m going to have to check out the book you mentioned.
My parents gave us another book titled “I love dirt” by Jennifer Ward. (I believe Richard Louv wrote part of the forward for it.) I plan to use that one as well.
March 12th, 2009 at 4:56 am
Yes, I spent most of my childhood outside, only inside when I was spent from the hot sun or it was raining, or just to have relief from the cold.
It was truly wonderful. Something that will be with me throughout my lifetime, and hopefully forever.
To this day I still love that place and am glad for every chance to go back to it.
Today’s suburban sprawl just doesn’t seem to facilitate enough of this sort of living. A regret I have now is over the small amount of land we live on. You need some space, though we just need to learn to appreciate more and more the space we have.