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anyone's kids totally not care about nature and the outdoors?

630 views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  natashaccat 
#1 ·
my dd couldnt care less if I point out a beautiful spider web or sound of insects, or a blue jay or anything else (except she loooves cats) and she definitely doesnt go off exploring on her own..she's grossed out by bugs, yells at the spiders for making webs on her bike/toys, wants to be indoors most of the time except if it's at an actual park with a jungle gym..

I skimmed thru some posts on charlotte mason and i'm thinking that would be kinda cool but then she's be even more bored than she already is.lol
 
#2 ·
Have you read Louv's "Last Child in the Woods" It talks a lot about how children today don't have a connection to nature and also has some ideas about how to foster that connection.

My (boys) are bug phobic as well, but I blame my own bug phobia for that... I would just as soon EAT a bug as hold it. I can do spiders, ants, stuff like that, but roaches, beetles, etc? NO WAY. My boys do love to be outdoors, though... they enjoy hiking when we go and we've taken up letterboxing to get us out in nature even more


Lo
 
#3 ·
My dh thinks my ds doesn't like nature much but it is really like everything else, ds likes some things but not everything. Ds doesn't like weather that is too hot or too cold, so will choose to be inside unless he has a fun playmate or the weather is great. He is very interactive so he likes only the pet feeding section of the zoo. He also likes the reptile house but that is inside. He like check out how their habitats were made. He likes reading about volcanoes. He likes catching fireflies and caterpillars. I put a bird feeder outside our window during the winter. Ds liked looking at that briefly off and on but he didn't sit and watch for hours. My ds isn't one to go off and explore but I wouldn't say he doesn't like outdoors or nature.

I don't point things out to ds much, just let him discover them and tell me about it. It could be that calling your dd's attention to something jars her out of her own thoughts and is asking her for a reaction that she isn't prepared to give at that particular moment. My ds would probably be interested if the spider was making a web but not interested in seeing one already made (or on his bike!).
 
#4 ·
My kids could care less about nature. Everything is "icky" and they hate to be out. Of course we don't have too much nature around living in town and I'm personally skeeved out lately about things I never used to be (don't know why, but I try not to show it around the kids). I really want to do nature study and nature notebooking, but I think it will be a while while I try to get the kids more into the great outdoors.
 
#5 ·
Nature stuff is hit or miss with us. If it's a bug that flies, forget it. The kids are majorly freaked out. Until very recently, Colwyn hated going for walks in the woods. He's never shown much interest in birds or creepy-crawlies or in anything at any of the nature centers we've been to.

The kids do like being outdoors, though, assuming it's not super hot or cold, or raining. They like playgrounds and in our backyard, they splash in the kiddie pool and swing on the swings. Colwyn likes to climb trees. He likes watching the squirrels and rabbits we have in the neighborhood, but freaked out one day when a giant turtle showed up in the middle of the street (we live next to a marshy area). They've both been okay with holding little crabs we find at the beach, and when we brought home tadpoles, they were really interested in them.

If your kiddo doesn't really like being outdoors, there are other things you can do to foster a connection to nature. Tadpoles are a good idea, but involve a fair amount of work (changing the water, boiling lettuce for them, etc). If you find a caterpillar or something outside, you could bring it in and try to raise it, though we've never had luck with that. Maybe set up a nature table where you can display things that you find outside, like pine cones or leaves. Maybe if you don't push her to show an interest, but model being interested in it yourself.. I dunno. My kids have always been more interested in something I start on my own than in things I try to encourage them to do. Just an idea.
 
#6 ·
Some kids need to be moving, and looking at bugs might not be moving enough. You can enjoy nature even if you aren't looking at bugs. Fire pits are fun. lol Sleeping in a tent and making breakfast over a fire pit is fun. Hunting for owl pellets and cracking them open can be fun. Playing in the snow is fun. There are active things to do-- biking, kyaking (some places have rentals), walking with snowshoes on etc. I think being active outside-- making tents etc iappeals to children more than 'Hey check out this web". Maybe kids who don't like bugs might enjoy hunting for shells or crabs.

I think being inside is easier, more comfortable for some folks, and sometimes planning a specific activity outside can get some kids interested. Maybe swimming with goggles on, and learning how to use a snorkle, or kite flying? Tree climbing? Hiking on roks near the beach? Looking for caterpillars on milkweed. (Spiders are creepy, but caterpillar aren't so much. Maybe? lol) Active things- like rowing a boat on a lake, using a big net to catch minnows- and then letting them go after watching them swim in a big bucket for a time, flipping over rocks and checking for crabs etc are more fun for some kids.
 
#7 ·
Is nature exploration something you want more of for your kids?
If so you might look into a nearby nature centre, arboreteum etc. Many run family programs on the weekends which may introduce your family to some fun nature programs in ways that are engaging for your dd. Our nature centre is AWESOME and is a key component of our educational 'plan' for our kids.

I second the suggestion for Last Child in the Woods and also checking out nature books from the library. There are a few cool nature crafts ones that might engage your daughter to interact in nature in a different way.
Good luck
Karen
 
#8 ·
We do CM and my kids aren't overly thrilled by nature. They will point out a bird or two and sometimes like a really cool spider (unless it is in the house, LOL) but the whole nature study is met with much complaining. So we don't do a formal study. We do have a garden and they like that. They also raise succulents. They love to look through the garden center at Target but that is about it. I think it is that these things are more hands on (well except Target!!) than sitting down and sketching something.
 
#10 ·
I might be way off about this, but it seems to me that enjoying nature comes easiest if a child has lots of time to just be in the quiet and beauty of nature and soak up the spirit and essence of it. I had that as a child - I think it's becoming less and less common. Climbing up and hanging out in a big tree on lazy summer afternoon; lying in a bed of daisies, with absolutely nothing else to think about; watching the clouds float past and seeing animals and faces; sitting out under the stars and just dreaming; all that sort of thing - just dreamy time for soaking it in. Our lives are entirely too busy today. Uh...including mine - I need to get off my duff and run out to get some packing boxes - moving from Seattle to southern CA in about a WEEK, and everything's happening much too fast! Ack!
- Lillian
 
#11 ·
well I dont push it as it sounded in my OP...I happen to think webs and bugs etc are interesting (those were just examples, not the extent of exploring nature!) so while we're outside and the kids are playing if i see something I just point it out from my own interest..like wow this is cool! they just dont care.it's not really a concern of mine. I was just curious if there were many other moms out there whose kids were similar..

I dont have a car so all those cool places are out for us ,except the backyard, which there isnt much to see..we do have a bird feeder and put out food for the birds, but that's about all...also we're renting and cant grow a garden in the back...hmmm reading this I can see why she'd be utterly blah about 'nature'.LOL.

anyway thx for the replies..for now she's into "animal shows" like Blue Planet and The Life of Mammals..I'll just try to incorporate things here and there as it comes up..
 
#12 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by neveryoumindthere View Post
well I dont push it as it sounded in my OP...I happen to think webs and bugs etc are interesting (those were just examples, not the extent of exploring nature!) so while we're outside and the kids are playing if i see something I just point it out from my own interest..like wow this is cool! they just dont care.it's not really a concern of mine. I was just curious if there were many other moms out there whose kids were similar..

I dont have a car so all those cool places are out for us ,except the backyard, which there isnt much to see..we do have a bird feeder and put out food for the birds, but that's about all...also we're renting and cant grow a garden in the back...hmmm reading this I can see why she'd be utterly blah about 'nature'.LOL.

anyway thx for the replies..for now she's into "animal shows" like Blue Planet and The Life of Mammals..I'll just try to incorporate things here and there as it comes up..
Can you grow stuff in pots or indoors?
set up a bird bath near your bird feeder?
go for hikes on weekends when (if?) transportation isn't an issue?
investigate a rocks and minerals set?
Is there as stream, vacant lot, park near you that you can walk to?
Can you bring home a large jar of pond or river water and watch the little creatures - my kids love this.

I think that exposing kids to nature and helping them connect with it can take work, especially if it isn't part of your every day world, but in my mind it is completely worth the effort.

Karen
 
#14 ·
Quote:
I might be way off about this, but it seems to me that enjoying nature comes easiest if a child has lots of time to just be in the quiet and beauty of nature and soak up the spirit and essence of it. I had that as a child - I think it's becoming less and less common. Climbing up and hanging out in a big tree on lazy summer afternoon; lying in a bed of daisies, with absolutely nothing else to think about; watching the clouds float past and seeing animals and faces; sitting out under the stars and just dreaming; all that sort of thing - just dreamy time for soaking it in. Our lives are entirely too busy today
I think you are way on with that!
I also think that if TV is off most of the day children want to go outside more. I don't point out nature things to my kiddos usually, they find them and bring them to me, but that is the older one. The younger one (3) just plays and lives and breathes the outdoors.
 
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