by Jay Watson, Co-Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Being in nature is beneficial to everyone, but it’s especially important for kids.
They may prefer to stay on their screens but getting children to spend time outdoors matters. According to the Child Mind Institute, most studies agree that kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than kids who spend more time indoors. For children, the natural world builds confidence, provides different types of stimulation, reduces stress and fatigue, and gets the blood flowing.
In June 2024, the University of Glasgow found that children who spent just 60 minutes daily in nature had a 50% lower risk of mental health issues. Notably, the benefits were greatest for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly in terms of improved behavior and social skills.
Chantel Zimmerman, a classroom teacher for almost two decades, recognized this during the COVID-19 pandemic, as her twin girls were experiencing developmental and cognitive improvements from spending more time outdoors. “I started to realize that maybe they developed so quickly because they were on trails and always outside,” says Zimmerman.
Zimmerman then started a small nature learning opportunity, hoping for a handful of kids to participate. To her surprise, 14 children showed up. This was the beginning of Sensory Garden and Play, a nature-based learning program located in Norvin Green State Forest in West Milford, New Jersey. For the past three years, Sensory Garden and Play has been providing children between the ages of 3 and 11 a chance to explore and learn about all the wonders that nature provides.
Sensory Garden and Play helps children learn and develop a deeper connection with the natural environment through outdoor activities, nature walks, and experiential learning. In the fall, they have “Literacy in the Leaves,” teaching phonics outside under the brilliant foliage. In the winter, children find and trace animal tracks in the snow and learn how to make a fire.
Erica Nagel’s daughter has been in the “Sprout” program at Sensory Garden and Play since age three. Nagel and her husband decided to keep their daughter in the program instead of placing her in traditional daycare/pre-kindergarten. “On paper, it looked like a hard choice. In our hearts, we knew it was an easy one. She is thriving in the forest,” says Nagel. “Since joining the program, our daughter has consistently grown in her confidence, empathy, physical strength, critical thinking, and creativity. She views the natural world as something to respect, revere, and explore.”
Zimmerman recognizes that there is a time and a place for technology, but that it should not be the focal point of learning. “It is so hard on a little body to sit under those fluorescent lights all day and look at screens. And then kids come home from school and they crash. The only problem we have with all the kids in our programs – including mine – is that when they get home, they want to go right back outside.”
The organization is also focused on bridging the urban-nature gap with its newly formed nonprofit division. For many inner-city children, nature and green spaces are not easily accessible. Part of this program also provides the proper gear to make sure that kids are safe and comfortable in the woods, including footwear, clothing, and equipment.
“Sensory Garden and Play is an educational gem for all ages,” says Dan Richardson, teacher and environmental educator for Newark Public Schools. “Chantel Zimmerman and her team are so knowledgeable, and they adapt their instruction to all levels. Whether it is a child’s first time in the woods or hundredth time, students will leave Sensory Garden and Play with a lifelong memory of educational wonder.”
By fostering relationships with the outdoors, children have more positive experiences in nature, and hopefully are more inclined to advocate for and protect the environment as adults. “We found a spotted salamander, and you would have thought it was Christmas morning for these kids,” says Zimmerman.
There are so many places to explore in this state we’re in. Let’s get our children and ourselves into these beautiful natural spaces.
Sensory Garden and Play offers seasonal sessions for children throughout the year. Winter registration opens Friday, Nov. 15 and spring registration opens Dec. 1. To learn more about and sign up for programs at Sensory Garden and Play, please visit https://www.sensorygardenandplay.com/.
To learn more about preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website at https://www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
