Children in Nature Fact Sheet

• Today’s children have little free time. Their lives are structured, organized, and timed nearly to the minute.

• By the age of 8, children can identify 25% more Pokemon characters than wildlife species.

• Children can identify up to 1,000 corporate logos, but fewer than 10 plants or animals native to their backyard.

• Childhood obesity has increased from 4% in the 1960s to 20% today.

• For the first time in recent history, children today have a lower average life expectancy than their parents. This is due to the high rates of obesity and other health complications.

• Children are spending 40 to 65 hours a week attached to electronic media.

• Research has shown that nature play stimulates creativity and improves problem solving. Children do better in school.

• Nature experience has been linked to better school performance.

• Positive experience outdoors and being taken outdoors by someone close to the child are the two factors that most contribute to individuals choosing to take action to benefit the environment as adults.

Most of these facts were taken from “Children and Nature 2008: a report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World”. Published by the Children & Nature Network.