Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder Paperback – March 17, 2006

My "wake up call" came when my friend from the city brought her toddler to my home and the little girl cried in terror when her mother tried to get her to put her bare feet on the lawn, a lawn that was free of anything dangerous. We don't have a dog so there weren't even any "droppings" to worry about.A baby who was scared to touch ground? Her mother admitted that her offspring had never felt grass because her mother feared it might be too full of "germs". I urged her to at least let her daughter smell a handful of freshly picked clover but she looked at me as though I were crazy.I then told her of summers spent barefoot, of exploring creeks and finding crayfish and even some snakes, of coming across a newborn fawn in the woods, etc.That's when I realized that there could be a whole generation of children losing touch with the natural world around them and I started paying attention to the kids and teens in our neighborhood. Sure enough, very few of them were climbing trees, exploring creeks, walking through the nearby woods. Very few of them built forts or learned the joy of wading in a cold stream or simply lying on the grass and looking up at the clouds, listening to the birds or trying to identify the different types of trees in the neighborhood. All of these things were common activities for me as a child (admittedly, during a time when tv channels were limited to 3 or 4 and there weren't video games or cellphones).If there is ONE POINT this book makes, it is that parents need to make an effort to help their children discover nature. Whether it is because parents are too busy or too fearful to let their children discover nature or whether kids have too many electronic devices to distract them and which prevent them from automatically turning to the pleasures of the outside world, the result is that children spend more and more time indoors and less time being active.Is it any wonder that there is an epidemic of childhood obesity? I'm not naive enough to suggest that spending time outside will cure obesity but I DO believe that it might encourage children to at least contemplate the idea of running through a grassy field, climbing a tree (carefully and respectfully) or simply chasing a butterfly through a meadow, trying to see where it goes.Most of all, this book might help both parents and children realize that nature can be as mysterious, powerful and awesome as any video game or television show (I'd say even MORE so). If our children, our future generations, are going to learn to care about the environment and preserving the wonders that are out there, it is up to parents, teachers and other role models in their lives to foster that appreciation...and, hopefully, that passion...early on.

This book engages one to think about the subject of how to bring a child up in this world without preaching. It presents facts, and it presents the shortcomings of the information it has available, but asks the question what would be wrong with trying to change.I have never read a book before that made me think as much as this book did. It rekindled old memories of childhood that were almost forgotten, it encourage me to strike up conversations with strangers who asked what I was reading about, and it converted me into an almost preacher for this book.The book is not a non stop page turner, but it was fun to read; made my eyes well up with emotion several times; and most of all encouraged me to think about a subject that I did not realize had so much meaning to me.

I am teaching a class "Science for Elementary Teachers" and this book is required reading. The book is not a ground breaking treatise, but it does say what needs to be said on the topic. It backs up those comments and ideas when nice analogies and some research based studies.

Today's children are stuck to cell phones and computers and don't even know, or care about the natural world around us. Those few children that love nature find themselves with limited ability to really enjoy (play) in it as more and more areas are controlled by home owner organizations and insurance liabilities. Remember when we could make treehouses in our backyards without needing an engineer or building permit? This book covers how children need nature and what we can do to help them. I would highly recommend this book to parents, teachers and park rangers!

Although I personally believe this book covers a very important subject, I found the book to be a bit academic & dry. Does contain many sources of further readings, ideas to improve upon city & suburbian planning for increased green spaces & resources for additional information.This book highlights the very important fact that kids are spending more time indoors and experiencing minimal outdoor life. Because of this, there is little connection to the natural world. The author proposes that eventually this nature-deficit will lead to a lessened concern for the environment. This in turn will "disconnect" them from nature and effect future political & societal envirnonmental movements, as the majority of people will have spent minimal or almost no time outdoors in their youth.The book also cites very compelling evidence through numerous studies that strongly suggests that many kids' physical and mental illnesses are connected to lack of exposure to nature. Additionally, the author discusses reasons parents are reluctant to allow their children to play outdoors.I can't quite imagine parents that do not enjoy the outdoors purchasing this book-for they probably don't acknowledge that they & their children need to spend time outdoors- but there are suggestions on activities to introduce one's kids to outdoor activities.

The author writes an interesting point of view on how children benefit from spending time in nature, how nature teaches, heals, stirs the childs curiosity and renews the mind. Computers are a good source of learning and a good tool for business, but they can't take the place of being outside in the fresh air and sunshine,the real dirt, smells, sounds,and colors of the woods or desert, the wholeness of our environment and how we fit into it. The author has hit on a legitament cause that parents and teachers need to address.

Every parent should read this book. Explains why children should have the opportunity to experience life outdoors in nature.