Every parent who wants to share powerful experiences with their children is naturally drawn outdoors. It’s such an obvious place to build a foundation for lifelong adventures, and to foster a love of nature. Yet, life doesn’t always make it easy to take the advantage of quality time outside. Find some strategies to reclaim that time by taking heed of the following parenting tips from a sage pair of experts. Dr. Scott D. Sampson is a science educator, paleontologist, PBS Kids presenter, and author of How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature. Shanti Sosienski Hodges is the founder of the kid-friendly hiking community Hike It Baby and author of Hike It Baby: 100 Awesome Outdoor Adventures with Babies and Toddlers. Start with their advice below and begin the steps toward creating a lifetime adventure buddy.
Start them young.
“It’s best to introduce your kid to the outdoors basically from birth,” says Sampson. “Connection to science and nature can happen at any age, but it’s easier when kids are younger and their brains are still open to awe and wonder in a big way.”
Involve them at every step.
“Let them pick out their hiking shoes and clothes,” suggests Sosienski Hodges. “Or set a goal to hike once per week and let them put stickers on a calendar to mark those days. Let them be part of the process.”
Ask provocative questions.
“You don’t have to know a lot about science to connect your kid to nature,” says Sampson. “Instead, ask questions: ‘Why is that bird so big? Why do you think it’s that color?’ Questions are way more powerful than answers in terms of sparking curiosity.”
Let your toddler set the pace.
“A kid hike looks different from an adult hike, especially when they’re little,” says Sosienksi Hodges. “It might be a paved walking path, and you might stop every five minutes to look at something in the dirt. That’s OK.”
Give your middle schooler a challenge.
“It could be hiking, skiing, birding—you name it,” says Sampson. “Give them an opportunity to demonstrate a skill they’ve accomplished outside, preferably with kids their own age.”
Let your teen embark on their own.
“Parents are often exactly the wrong people to connect their teens with nature,” says Sampson. “Teens want to be around other teens. That’s where programs like Outward Bound and Big City Mountaineers are great—they get young people into wild places and help them grow.”
Drop your expectations.
“Don’t get caught up in how your child is going to be this badass snowboarder or mountain biker with you,” says Sosienski Hodges. “Don’t push them. Instead, listen to their cues and let them guide you to what they like to do.”
Revel in the process.
“Being a nature mentor is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give a child,” says Sampson. “It’s a great honor. And it’s powerful. It increases the odds that they will grow up to be a human who treats nature in a reciprocal way. The world needs that right now.”
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