How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature. This item is unavailable.How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature

From the beloved host of PBS Kids’ Dinosaur Train, an easy-to-use guide for parents, teachers, and others looking to foster a strong connection between children and nature, complete with engaging activities, troubleshooting advice, and much more

American children spend four to seven minutes a day playing outdoors—90 percent less time than their parents did. Yet recent research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth. Regular exposure to nature can help relieve stress, depression, and attention deficits. It can reduce bullying, combat illness, and boost academic scores. Most critical of all, abundant time in nature seems to yield long-term benefits in kids’ cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Yet teachers, parents, and other caregivers lack a basic understanding of how to engender a meaningful, lasting connection between children and the natural world. How to Raise a Wild Child offers a timely and engaging antidote, showing how kids’ connection to nature changes as they mature.

Distilling the latest research in multiple disciplines, Sampson reveals how adults can help kids fall in love with nature—enlisting technology as an ally, taking advantage of urban nature, and instilling a sense of place along the way.

Advance praise for How to Raise a Wild Child

Scott Sampson is one of the leaders of the emerging new nature movement, which places great focus on human health and well-being, particularly for children. In How to Raise a Wild Child, he combines an elegant testimony to the power of the natural world with practical tips for anyone who cares for children. In a time when the connection between humans and the rest of nature is most vulnerable, Scott offers parents and teachers a book of encouragement, knowledge, and, to children, the priceless gift of wonder."
Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle

We all know by now that nature is good for kids, but crossing the threshold into the natural world can seem daunting and overwhelming. Don t despair, because Scott Sampson has provided us with an instruction manual on how to help our children fall in love with nature. With wisdom, intellect, and empathy, he provides us with a bounty of simple yet profound ways we can enter this natural world, oftentimes starting in our very own backyards. And if we can take the first step of simply going outside with them, he will help us with the rest.
Lili Taylor, actor, mom, and board member of the American Birding Association