By Richard Louv; 390 pages. Subtitle: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
Calling something a "disorder" is a trendy way to call attention to it, and author Louv isn't really making much of an argument for, say, putting lack of time in the woods in the DSMV. But he does have a lot of thoughtful things to say about the decline in outdoor play, the reasons for it, and why those reasons are wrong. Whether that's going to be compelling to you probably depends on your own feelings about the outdoors, and the degree to which it's practical to expand your individual child's exposure.
- Text is lively and easy to read
- Offers thought-provoking look at the reasons kids spend less time in nature than they used to
- Avoids blaming parents for kids' sedentary lifestyles
- Includes action ideas and book recommendations for parents
- Touches on how nature-deficit affects children's physical and mental health
- "Touches on" is the key -- doesn't really go into much depth about ADHD, depression and obesity
- At 390 pages, the text goes on longer than it really needs to
- If you're not a nature lover, you may not be moved by these arguments
- If your child has serious special needs, nature may be the least of your worries
- Part I: The New Relationship Between Children and Nature
1. Gifts of Nature
2. The Third Frontier - 3. The Criminalization of Nature Play
Part II: Why the Young (and the Rest of Us) Need Nature
4. Climbing the Tree of Health - 5. A Life of the Senses
6. The "Eighth Intelligence"
7. The Genius of Childhood: How Nature Nurtures Creativity - 8. Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment
Part III: The Best of Intentions
9. Time and Fear - 10. The Bogeyman Syndrome Redux
11. Education as a Barrier to Nature
12. Where Will Future Stewards of Nature Come From? - Part IV: The Nature-Child Reunion
13. Bringing Nature Home
14. Scared Smart
15. Using Nature as a Moral Teacher - Part V: The Jungle Blackboard
16. Natural School Reform
17. Camp Revival
Part VI: Wonder Land: Opening the Fourth Frontier - 18. Decriminalizing Natural Play
19. Cities Gone Wild
20. A New Back-to-the-Land Movement - Part VII: To Be Amazed
21. The Spiritual Necessity of Nature for the Young
22. Fire and Fermentation: Building a Movement - 23. While It Lasts
Suggested Reading
A Field Guide to Last Child in the Woods
In this thought-provoking call to action on bringing kids back to nature, Louv casts a critical eye on some negative aspects of contemporary life -- criminalizing of free play, team sports at the expense of individual experience, lawsuit fever, stranger danger. Perhaps he should have added "the tendency to add 'disorder' to things that are really nothing of the sort."
Not to make too much of this, but calling something like lack of exposure to nature a "disorder" both artificially raises the scare factor -- something Louv otherwise writes against -- and casts doubt on the validity of actual disorders. Certainly kids with, say, ADHD would benefit from schools that allow more play and communities that were less restricted in what they considered acceptable outdoor behavior. However, the sort of unsupervised and rambling play championed here would be flatly dangerous for kids whose impaired executive functions interfere with cause-and-effect thinking and safe conduct. It's really not as simple as just more playing outside.
In fairness, the author doesn't suggest that it is, and in fact the connections between "nature-deficit" and childhood disorders is a very small part of a big book. I wish, honestly, that it had been left out entirely, because I'm left feeling that it's more of a "hook" to get more book sales than a legitimate argument, considering the depth Louv goes into on other subjects.
Still, to the degree that our children are citizens of communities and the world, Last Child in the Woods is a worthwhile read, and a generally involving and entertaining one. I wouldn't put it at the top of your special-needs parenting list. But if you're in the mood for something a little more mainstream -- and especially, if you were a nature kid yourself -- it may be just the inspiration you need to get the family outdoors.
