W
hether you grew up in
the suburbs or the city,
chances are you spent
a lot of your childhood
playing outside, getting dirty and
coming home happy. The benefits of
the outdoors are untold – from the
emotional release of exploration to
the physical benefit of a good dose of
exercise.
Living in Hong Kong today,
our children aren’t as lucky. In a
condensed and polluted city, nature
can seem far removed from our
concrete jungle. And there’s also the
challenge of unplugging a child from
the temptations of technology to deal
with.
In his book
Last Child in the
Woods,
Richard Louv coined the
issue a “nature-deficit”, drawing a
connection between a lack of nature
in the lives of today’s wired generation
to disturbing childhood trends,
such as the rises in obesity, attention
disorders and depression.
“There are so many positive
things kids can learn in the outdoors,
such as teamwork, co-operation,
self-discovery, expanding personal
boundaries and accepting new
challenges with an open mind,” says
Ryan Blair, director of Hong Kong-
based Asia Pacific Adventures, which
runs many youth programmes in the
region. “It’s amazing how much just
a few days at an outdoor camp can
impact a young person’s life.”
So, how do we narrow the
gap between our children and the
outdoors, and enable them to soak
up the many benefits? And, do the
dangers or risk of injury outweigh
them?
Nature v nurture?
Are some children more adventurous
than others, or is it a matter of
encouragement and exposure?
Cosmo Richards is an adventure
lover; when the Cathay pilot is not
on his mountain bike, he can be
found lost on the trails of Lantau
Island, where he lives with his wife
and two sons, Hudson, 11, and
Codie, nine. Despite his adventurous
It’s the perfect season to head outside on a
family adventure, writes
Rachel Jacqueline
.
calls
Nature
76
Playtimes
