Free Play in the Woods Before Age 11

[Mark Schaefer]

jjmcgo, I agree with you. All of my experience with the boy scouts were entirely positive with regard to wilderness education. Just to be clear I was only quoting from the original linked reference. It is always healthy to be suspicious of bias in studies. It seems that this study came to the same conclusions with regard to environmental education programs and all "mandatory" activities.

Free playing in nature is no doubt required, but it can only take you so far IMHO. At some point every child's wilderness education needs more guidance. The scouting and other youth groups provide that for many. Other parents will prefer and select other means. All children are different and even siblings may need different experiences.

 

[brianW]

In my childhood neighborhood we (as in all the kids) were always out playing out in the woods, playing in the backyards, riding bikes, looking for then selling golfballs (lived by a course) and in winter sledding and making snowforts only coming in to change into a dry set of handy down snowsuits.

We had day long "army" battles where we all managed to survive or had a bunch of sand in our pants from playing with Tonka trucks. We road our bikes without helmets, road around in the back of pick-ups or station wagons. And visited the Mrs Sullivan because she gave us candy. We had no cable tv, video games and the remote control was me when Mom or Dad asked us to change the chanel. Some how I survived.

I do have to say though that the Boy Scouts did give me a chance to hike and camp. Two activities we did not do as a family.