'GREEN TIME' GOOD FOR KIDS

EXPLORING the great outdoors is not only good for the body - it can improve the mind.

Regular 'green time' can help boost children's grades and confidence, while reducing stress, obesity, depression, and even the severity of ADHD, a new report says.

Heading outside can recharge children's circuitry, helping them pay better attention in class, the report commissioned by Planet Ark found.

But most parents are unaware that just half an hour a day immersed in nature can pay academic dividends for their children.

The research, commissioned ahead of National Tree Day, surveyed Australian parents and carers, and reviewed international findings on nature's health benefits.

It found one in four Aussie kids had never bushwalked or climbed a tree, and 11 per cent had never been to a zoo.

While most parents agreed that contact with nature was beneficial, 86 per cent did not believe children spent enough time outdoors.

Seventy-six per cent of parents said children could not identify common Australian trees like the wattle and bottlebrush, and nearly half felt children preferred indoor activities.

But Deakin University School of Health and Social Development Associate Professor Mardie Townsend said trees and shrubs could improve capacity to learn in the classroom, called 'attention restoration theory'.

"Even 30 minutes of green time can level the playing field for children who aren't naturally good at book learning by having a positive impact on their higher order cognitive skills,'' Dr Townsend said. 

"Doing nature-related activities can boost self-esteem for kids who struggle to learn the traditional way and natural settings reduce stress by providing a soothing atmosphere.''

The report says Australians are at risk of "generational environmental amnesia'' - where younger generations view the degradation of the environment as "normal'' and "acceptable''.

"Over time, our society's baseline by which we view the health of the environment declines,'' it says.

Planet Ark spokeswoman Rebecca Gilling rued the loss of basic adventures in nature.

"These things were absolutely standard in my childhood and ring alarm bells for me,'' she said.

National Tree Day is on Sunday 29 July.

(source)