Andrea Koehle Jones's Blog, page 12

Children’s Book Review: The Wisdom of Trees

How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom. Book review by Andrea Koehle Jones, author, children’s environmental education advocate and founder of The ChariTree Foundation. (March 3, 2021) The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom by Lita Judge “I am a single beech, ... Read more

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Puppy Plants a Tree in 50 Words

Writing a 50 word children’s picture book is a lot more challenging than it seems. I am entering Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words Contest  for the first time. As usual, it’s an environmentally themed manuscript. Let’s dig in… PUPPY PLANTS A TREE By Andrea Koehle Jones (50 words)   Who can ... Read more

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OUTDOOR PARENT: How to get kids and teens outdoors and play it safe during the pandemic

Top 5 tips to get kids and teens off screens and plugged into the wonders of nature. 
By Andrea Koehle Jones, OUTDOOR PARENT NEWS, 1 MARCH, 2021

“Since the start of the pandemic, children have less time and fewer opportunities to get outdoors connect with nature,” said Andrea Koehle Jones, executive director of The ChariTree Foundation. “This is a real loss because research shows that contact with nature makes kids and teens feel less stressed.”

Children and nature

Exposure to nature can reduce children’s stress levels by as much as 28 percent according to The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Kids today enjoy 50 percent less unstructured outdoor activity than their peers in recent decades, and that was before the pandemic.

The Upside-down

Photo: Shutterstock

Their lives have been turned upside-down as schools and camps have shut down. “Many children have been hunkered down in front of screens, learning about the rest of the world from the confines of four walls,” said Jacob Rodenburg, co-author of The Big Book of Nature Activities (2016). “If we want kids to know, care and protect the environment, they need to be in the environment, encountering and experiencing the very life systems that nurture us all.  With every breath of air we take in near a tree, we boost our immune systems, we improve our mood and we increase our energy levels.  So go outside today and absorb some Vitamin “N” (nature).  You’ll feel better!

1.) Unplug from stress

[caption id="attachment_1358" align="alignleft" width="200"] Photo: The ChariTree Foundation[/caption]

We have to make an effort to get kids and teens outdoors more during the pandemic. “There is substantive science behind what many intuitively understand, spending time in nature makes us feel better,” said Sarah Milligan Toffler, executive director of the Children and Nature Network.

As parents, we may want to protect our kids but keeping them ‘safe’ inside. This approach may be doing more harm than good. While getting them de-screened takes courage, Toffler says its worth it because “time in nature offers kids and teens so much more. Firstly, a sense of calm, restoration, and a measurable reduction in stress. Secondly, enhanced mood, reduced anxiety and depression. Thirdly, improved resilience and ability to cope with adversity.”

Uprooting your kids and teens from their addictive screens can be a bigger challenge than the great outdoor adventure you’re attempting to launch which leads to tip #1.

2.) Lead by example

It’s really pretty simple, log out, power down, turn off the news and give your kids your full attention. Tell them about amazing adventures you had in the outdoors. When you set a good example, they follow suit. They will never remember the time they spent on their screens but they will for sure remember the highlights of their days outdoors.

3.) Plan ahead

Research ahead of time to identify hazards and reduce stress. That includes being up on the latest covid-19 updates and government recommendations. Pack, prepare and plan accordingly. Very important — bring yummy snacks! Have backup emergency plans too. Check weather reports and communicate your plans ahead so kids can be prepared and sometimes offer suggestions. I know from experience that kids and teens can be very frustrated by poor planning and lack of communication. Instill confidence in your teens that they are safe – and above all, KEEP THEM SAFE.

4.) Play it safe

Photo: Community Play Things

As a parent it’s up to you to teach them to play safely. Be fun but vigilant about social distancing. Pack masks in case they are required and demonstrate how to stay six feet apart. Skip playgrounds and look for big spaces to play outdoors. The virus might be able to live on playground surfaces for a few days. If you don’t have a big backyard, check out local parks, school fields, nature trails and forests. If you see a crowd, choose another less busy location or time like earlier in the morning. Keep your eyes on younger children.

5.) Have fun!

Kids on a bike ride found a wand. Photo: FACEBOOK/ Melissa Fauteux + Brie Welton

Anonymous Scavenger Hunts: A Kamloops, BC mom and her eight year-old daughter, came up with Westsyde Wands, an inspiring idea to pread joy during the pandemic. “My daughter always brings home sticks, and I’ve made her wands in the past,” she said. “I just thought hey, ‘why don’t I make a few of these.’ And it actually kind of exploded into something I didn’t think it would.”

They painted wands and hid them around the community. Their efforts to spread a little magic has gained a lot of attention. Many kids have found adorable painted wands with the words: ‘CONGRATULATIONS YOU FOUND ME! Please take me home and take care of me. I promise to bring a little magic into your life, even if it’s just the magic of a smile.  :  ) Take care and be safe.’

Hand-crafted wands made by Westsyde Wands in Kamloops, BC. Photo: FACEBOOK/ Westsyde Wands + Brie Welton

 

Play laser tag, using flashlights to tag each other without touching. Tell them to maintain a laser force field of 6 feet around them at all times.
Go for a hike and notice all the signs of nature returning since the start of the lockdowns.
Create a teen hangout. Place lawn chairs 6 feet apart in your yard and invite one or two of your child’s best pals to hang out and catch up or let two of them go for a walk together around a local trail as long as they socially distance. If you have a few tents you can even do a teen sleepover with individual tents properly spaced out.

PRESS RELEASE: Media requests? Contact andrea@charitree-foundation.org

Andrea Koehle Jones is the environmental education advocate and founder of The ChariTree Foundation. She’s a children’s book author, formerly a CBCNews journalist, a producer for cbc4kids and a Greenpeace communications strategist during the campaign to Save The Great Bear Rainforest.

The ChariTree Foundation creates and supports national and international children’s environmental education programs.

Children’s Book Review: The Wisdom of Trees

How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom. Review by Andrea Koehle Jones, children’s environmental education advocate and founder of The ChariTree Foundation. (February 20, 2021) The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom by Lita Judge “I am a single beech, but I ... Read more

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GREEN BOOKS: #IReadCanadian children’s environmental book suggestions

Let’s unearth some Canadian children’s books that encourage kids to discover the wonders of nature. These books get kids thinking about the power we each have to initiate positive changes in the world. Wherever possible, I have suggested #IReadCanadian Kindle books over paperback to save more trees and so they are ... Read more

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OUTDOOR PARENT: COVID-19 is wiping out children’s environmental education programs around the world

The pandemic is threatening the survival of outdoor learning programs just when kids and teens need them most. BY Andrea Koehle Jones OUTDOOR PARENT NEWS, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 As the covid-19 pandemic continues to unfold, many environmental education organizations around the world are facing a growing risk of collapse. An alarming ... Read more

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GREEN BOOKS: 3 inspiring books to teach children environmental leadership

You are never to young or too small to help make the world a better place. I’ve dug-up three amazing books that teach children about environmental activism and how they can help take care of the planet. Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by LIZ GARTON SCANLON and LEE WHITE “The ... Read more

The post GREEN BOOKS: 3 inspiring books to teach children environmental leadership first appeared on Andrea Koehle Jones, children's author, book blogger & environmentalist.

3 inspiring books to teach children environmental leadership

You are never to young or too small to help make the world a better place. I’ve dug-up three amazing books that teach children about environmental activism and how they can help take care of the planet. Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by LIZ GARTON SCANLON and Lee White LEE ... Read more

The post 3 inspiring books to teach children environmental leadership first appeared on Andrea Koehle Jones, children's author, book blogger & environmentalist.

COVID-19 is wiping out children’s environmental education programs around the world

The pandemic is threatening the survival of outdoor learning programs just when kids and teens need them most.   As the covid-19 pandemic continues to unfold, many environmental education organizations around the world are facing a growing risk of collapse. An alarming 63% of US organizations that provide outdoor environmental ... Read more

The post COVID-19 is wiping out children’s environmental education programs around the world first appeared on Andrea Koehle Jones author and environmentalist.

OUTDOOR PARENT: How to get kids and teens outdoors and play it safe during the pandemic

Top 5 tips to get kids and teens off screens and plugged into the wonders of nature.  By Andrea Koehle Jones, OUTDOOR PARENT NEWS, 5 FEBRUARY, 2021 “Since the start of the pandemic, children have less time and fewer opportunities to get outdoors connect with nature,” said Andrea Koehle Jones, executive ... Read more

The post OUTDOOR PARENT: How to get kids and teens outdoors and play it safe during the pandemic first appeared on Andrea Koehle Jones, children's author, environmental journalist, book blogger & environmentalist.