Hello and welcome to Blooming Curious, the podcast
that's all about nurturing that natural curiosity
in our earliest kids and students. I'm Edwina,
your host from the Ed's Lessons blog, a passionate
advocate for play and inquiry, and on a mission
to keep kids curious and asking questions. The
days of talk talk are over. We're diving into
a world of integrated inquiry and nature -based
learning and exploring strategies that create
lifelong learners. So if you're a classroom or
homeschool educator, or even a curious parent,
then this is the place for you. Hello, today
we will be talking about the benefits of getting
outside every day these holidays. And to put
this into context, I'd like to share some recent
findings about technology use. So you know, most
adults and many children spend hours in front
of a screen each and every day. And in fact the
research from GWI, the link to this article will
be in the show notes, reveals that the typical
internet user now spends almost seven hours per
day using the internet across all devices. It's
crazy to think that This statistic equates to
a person spending about 40 % of their waking
life online. The GWI's broad global survey of
internet users aged between 16 and 64 also reports
that we are spending 2 hours and 27 minutes a
day on social media. Then another alarming finding
that was reported in the news this past week
here in Australia is that the recent data conducted
by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development, the OECD, shows that Australian
students are performing worse in numeracy, literacy
and science than they did 20 years ago. And unsurprisingly,
it's the use of social media and gaming that
is considered to be detrimental to school performance.
The survey also found that students who game
for more than three hours a day were behind in
math than students who didn't, or were more behind,
rather, in math than students who didn't. Now
I have not conducted any surveys. And I'm not
a scientist. But I can only report on what I
have experienced firsthand in my last decade
of teaching early childhood. And that is that
students' oral language, their final gross motor
skills, their curiosity, their attention spans,
and their behavior have been declining year after
year. And I'm no scientist, as I said. but I
cannot help but notice a relationship between
this decline in learning and the increase in
use of technology paired with less time spent
outdoors. So it's also quite obvious to me that
the increase in anxiety and mental health problems
have increased in line with social media use
and once again to reduce time spent outdoors
in nature. So with ever increasing data on the
benefits of being outdoors and in nature it seems
the obvious antidote to stress and anxiety and
the negative effects of technology on our lives
and that of our children is to be outdoors. A
recent article in the American Psychological
Association, and again, I'll link to them in
the show notes, outlines the mounting body of
research that points to a host of benefits associated
with spending time outdoors, which include increased
wellbeing, happiness, and improved cognitive
function. There's also alarming statistics cited
in the article of the detrimental effects that
a lack of green space has on our children in
later life, especially when it comes to psychiatric
disorders. So with these alarming statistics
in mind, why not use the holiday season to break
old habits and acquire some new ones? We adults
are exhausted from increased workloads and time
spent in front of computers, too much time scrolling
through social media and not enough time spent
on activities that rejuvenate our tired spirits.
And I know that I am sometimes really guilty
of this too. Parents are worried that their children
show little interest in activities other than
spending time on devices. So let's use this time
to break the cycle. So I'm going to give you
10 top tips for device detox and getting outside
these holidays. Firstly, lock away devices or
at least put time limits on them. out of sight
out of mind as the saying goes and I know it's
easier said than done I've been there and what
I have found with children is that if you explain
your reasons for making changes and maybe even
read them the articles they are more likely to
cooperate so that they know that you're doing
this for all of your good and not just because
you're just trying to be mean And of course,
this means that you have to serve your device
too, because we adults remember are also spending
way too much time on devices instead of doing
something useful or beneficial. Secondly, create
a schedule of something to do outdoors every
day. Aim for at least spending an hour outdoors
each day. I've created a free printable with
24 days of activities to do with kids. I link
it in the show notes below. Do some gardening
is number three. If you don't have a garden,
visit your local plant nursery and get some indoor
plants or even some herbs to pot up on a sunny
window sill. Number four is visit a farmer's
market. Browse through all the fresh fruit and
vegetables and buy some to cook a delicious meal
from scratch and then invite the family or friends
over to share. And if you have kids, Get them
involved in identifying the names of the fruit
and vegetables at the market and get them involved
in preparing the meal too. Not only are you spending
some great family time together but children
are learning new skills and vocabulary. I actually
wrote a blog post about the benefits of kids
helping out in the kitchen and I'll link that
in the show notes too. Number five is go for
a long walk. Take your dog, take the kids or
even a friend or go by yourself. Dress appropriately
for the weather and enjoy the sights, sounds
and smells of being outside. And make sure you
unplug too, no headphones, that way you can be
in the moment. The Japanese have embraced a form
of eco -therapy called forest bathing. It began
in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological
exercise to provide an antidote to tech burnout
and inspire people to reconnect with their country's
forests. Researchers have subsequently discovered
that the time spent walking in nature is good
for us. So make a daily walk in nature a habit
these holidays. It will not only make you calmer,
happier and fitter, but of course will help you
develop an appreciation for your natural surroundings
too. And then depending on where you live, check
out your local community website for outdoor
activities that may be happening in your area.
Things like outdoor movies, outdoor music or
theater, ice skating if you're in the Northern
Hemisphere, Christmas markets, whatever takes
your fancy. Or just go and discover something
new and different you haven't done before. Number
seven is have an outdoor picnic. Create some
fresh picnic food and go to your favorite picnic
spot or even your backyard. Lay on a rug and
enjoy watching the clouds float by. Number eight
is go on a bike ride. If you don't own a bike,
you can always rent one and have a ride around
your local area or even go to some local off
-road trails. They're great for solo riders or
involve the whole family. Or if it's snowing,
I guess you'd go to sledding or skiing or just
build a snowman. Number nine is to create an
outdoor reading nook. If you're in a cold climate
and it's snowing outside, create one by the window
so you can see outside. Or if you're enjoying
the summer sunshine, put on a hammock or pull
up a comfy chair under a tree or an umbrella
and read your favorite book. Bring a basket of
books outside for the kids too and get them lying
on a rug and enjoying you in the pursuit of reading.
And the last tip is start a new hobby. Everyone
needs something that allows them to be in the
moment and decompress. What about starting something
creative? Learn to play a musical instrument
or get a sketchbook and some pencils and go outside
and draw something you see, a tree or a flower
or part of a building. What does it matter? What
about knitting or sewing or crochet? There's
a whole new revival in these handicrafts and
kids love them too. and they not only keep your
hands busy but your mind sharp too. Find a local
craft group or lessons in your area or perhaps
use that allotted time for your technology use
to learn from YouTube. Make getting outdoors
a habit these holidays and make it a priority.
We go on our devices because we think there's
nothing else to do. But really, there is so much
we can fill our lives with that is not only more
meaningful, but has a positive effect on our
physical and mental well -being, on our relationships
and even on our creativity. Find also an accountability
partner or let your family members keep you accountable
so that you stick to that schedule you created
in number one. We won't ever be able to get rid
of technology completely unless we decide to
live off grid. but we can bring our lives into
a healthier balance. I'd like to take this opportunity
to wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas.
May these holidays bring you much joy and relaxation.
I'll be back next Tuesday, which will be Boxing
Day, so if you are enjoying my content, consider
subscribing so you'll be notified each time I
publish an episode. And with that, I'd just like
to say Happy Holidays and remember to stay Blooming
Curious.