A guest blog by Dr Fiona Holland, from the School of Psychology at the University of Derby

Nurturing a connection with nature has long-term benefits for children. This blog explains how research in this area has led to the creation of a new resource for parents, carers and those working with young children – the Connecting Families With Nature Handbook.

We can all probably identify particular moments in nature where we’ve felt a sense of connection – we might stop and observe a spider web in the dew, smell a flower, listen to a bird, or perhaps enjoy a well-earned view from the top of a hill. For those with children, a highlight of parenthood can be times when we see our loved ones enjoying times outside, immersed in nature whether they are gleefully enjoying rolling down a grassy bank, amazed at the sight of a harvest moon, or fascinated by a bug on a leaf.

The benefits of spending time in and being connected to nature for children are well established and nature-based interventions have been shown to enhance the mental health and wellbeing in children. However, it is not simply spending time outside that leads to these improvements, it the relationship with nature that has been found to be an essential ingredient.

Pathways to nature connectedness

The pathways to nature connectedness, developed at the University of Derby, show that there are five ways that people of all ages connect to nature: through Contact (such as listening to birdsong), Meaning (seeing nature as a way to represent an idea, for example the first flowers heralding spring), Emotion (expressing feeling about nature via talking or writing about it), Beauty (appreciating an amazing view, using art to capture this) and Compassion (such as being concerned for animals and plants).

The pandemic highlighted disparities across the country, as families from lower socioeconomic levels had more limited access to outside play and nature and spent less time outdoors (Natural England, 2021). The UK government sought to fund opportunities for young people from these areas once lockdowns were lifted. I, alongside my colleague, Dr Caroline Harvey, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University, evaluated one project, Generation Green. This was a large, multi-partner intervention and included organisations such as the Outward Bound Trust, the YHA England & Wales, Scouts, Girlguiding, Field Studies Council and the ten English National Parks.

Back to baseline

Findings from the evaluation were positive, with participants (aged 11-16) showing increases in nature connectedness and confidence in making new friends. However, follow-up measures indicated that once the young people return to school and daily life, their nature connectedness returned to baseline levels again a few months later. For changes to be sustained over time, more time with and in nature is needed. Resources are clearly needed to support the maintenance of these benefits over time and mapping these across the pathways to nature connectedness will help maximise any benefits.

As a result we have teamed up with Developmental Psychologist Dr Chris Barnes to create the Connecting Families with Nature Handbook, a user-friendly activity pack that is easy for parents, teachers, nursery, pre-school and family hub staff to ‘grab and go’.

The activities in the initial handbook focus on children aged from 0-7, and more activities will be added to suit a range of ages as the resource is developed further. Derby City Council has funded the initial Activity Handbook and, alongside things to do for families with young pre-school and school-aged children, it also includes some nature-based activities for 0-2 year-olds, an age-group often overlooked. The pack is freely available, and is easy to use with minimal resources needed. You can access it via this link:

Connecting Families With Nature Handbook

We are looking forward to evaluating the handbook with families in Derby later this year, and to sharing the resource at the Nature Connections Conference in Derby in June. This two day conference is hosted by the University of Derby. Fiona and Caroline are presenting a keynote talk, as are several other colleagues from the Nature Connectedness Research Group

Top tips for connecting with nature with children

1. Make sure your child is dressed for the weather, and bring along drinks and snacks if needed. Engaging with nature positively is less likely to happen if they are too cold, hot, or hangry!
2. Slow down – try to allow children to engage in an unhurried way; they can spend time playing with sticks, mud and leaves, and adults can benefit from the opportunity to be present too
3. Try to avoid the temptation to go on your phone while a child is engaging with nature – this disconnects you from the experience, and also offers a contrasting model for the child. Phones can be used to take photos of a particularly interesting plant or animal, or to identify something, but scrolling is not advised
4. When trying an activity from the resource pack, think of ways you can personalise it even further for the child/ children – e.g. if you are doing a nature treasure hunt, what could you add in that you know will delight them on their search?
5. Taking children out with a friend, sibling or play group can enhance the fun for some, and we encourage parentso try to foster a spirit of collaboration rather than competition so the children help each other to make art, or find natural objects, rather than racing or competing against each other.

Find out more about nature connectedness research at the University of Derby.