Book Review by Marina Schauffler
© Marina Schauffler 2008
Saving the Children and the Woods: A Review of Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv (Algonquin, 2005)
Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, has a deceptively simple thesis: the physical, spiritual and emotional well being of young people depends on spending ample time outdoors in free play. This is no startling revelation to those of us who enjoyed roaming outdoors in childhood. But few children today share in that simple luxury – playing endlessly in settings where, in the words of Robert Michael Pyle, “the earth gets under our nails and a sense of place gets under our skin.” Louv’s book offers a sobering portrait of how the landscape of childhood has changed.
American children (aged 6-11) now spend—on average—30 hours a week in front of the TV or computer and engage in a dizzying array of activities. Five-year-olds that I know already have half a dozen classes and organized activities each week beyond school. With nearly every waking hour programmed, children miss out on what Louv calls “useful boredom,” being outdoors with no agenda.
Fear further constrains children’s freedom in nature: “fear of traffic, of crime, of stranger-danger, and of nature itself.” Parents often feel a need to supervise children’s play outdoors and confine it to established playgrounds. Louv cites compelling evidence that the media exaggerates many of the risks associated with outdoor play, and he challenges the common assumption that children are “safer” indoors (especially given that indoor air pollution is now considered a significant health threat). Time outdoors teaches children to pay close attention to their surroundings and follow gut feelings—traits that can ultimately help keep them safe. Louv recommends that parents offer situations with “controlled risk,” in which children can gain both a sense of competency and an appreciation for potential dangers.
First-hand contact with the natural world gives children a powerful and enduring source of emotional sustenance. Rachel Carson recognized this truth decades ago, writing “those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” Last Child in the Woods affirms this basic truth, and documents the diverse benefits that accrue from time spent outdoors: “Stress reduction, greater physical health, a deeper sense of spirit, more creativity, a sense of play, even a safer life—these are the rewards that await a family when it invites more nature into children’s lives.”
While Louv’s book emphasizes the parent’s role in fostering outdoor experiences, he also cites ways that educators and community leaders can help children reconnect with the natural world. Some schools are “greening” their schoolyards and adopting “place-based” curricula that help immerse children in their home terrain. A few communities have established “discovery play gardens” or “adventure playgrounds”–supervised natural settings that offer ponds, rope bridges, natural mazes, and the props kids need to create their own outdoor hideaways.
Louv invites environmental groups and those who manage nature preserves to consider the basic need children have to shape their outdoor “playscapes,” creating forts, dens and tree houses. While young people eventually must learn to “leave no trace” in wild settings, imposing that ethic too early can squelch the imaginative play that fosters an enduring love of nature.
If you haven’t time to peruse Louv’s 335 pages of careful research, pick up Rachel Carson’s The Sense of Wonder, a more succinct and poetic plea to venture outdoors with children. Carson first wrote that essay 50 years ago, and her words ring even truer amidst today’s “virtual realities.” Both works remind us to ground ourselves – and our children – firmly in place, savoring the natural wonders that surround us.
