American Magazine, July 2015

wonk
Q. Why is equitable, close-to-home access to the outdoors
important for children?
A. More than 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, with limited
access to the natural world. Most children don’t live within walking
distance of a park or playground, and this lack of close-to-home access to
outdoor spaces is contributing to the obesity epidemic. In the last 20 years,
childhood obesity has doubled and adolescent obesity has tripled.
I grew up in the suburbs and I didn’t have a particularly outdoorsy
family. My parents weren’t into camping. But they gave me the freedom to
roam. Most people my age and older recall playing outdoors as a standard
part of growing up. Today, kids are in front of screens more than 7 hours
a day—outside of school time. When you add that up, it’s nearly 53 hours a
week, which is more than a full-time job.
Research indicates that kids who have parks nearby are more likely to be
physically fit, and they’re also likelier to be happier. Time in nature reduces
stress and anxiety, and outdoor learning has been shown to improve
academic performance.
There’s also something humbling, and harder to measure, about being
outdoors. Children think they are the center of the world. As they grow
up, they start to realize that they’re not. Nature helps you understand that
there’s an entire world out there beyond your family, your friends, your
school, and your video games. I think that’s really freeing for kids.
Recently, President Obama launched the Every Kid in
a Park initiative, which allows fourth graders and their
families to visit national parks and public lands for free.
Some people wonder, why just fourth graders? I think
they’re trying to measure impact. By focusing on fourth
grade, the administration will be able to reach kids at a time when
they still have one teacher, making it easier to plan field trips.
If the initiative is successful over the next 10 years, today’s fourth
graders will have graduated from high school and millions of kids in
America will have had this experience. It will create an important rite
of passage for all children.
“Less than 50 percent of American kids
live within walking distance of a park
or a recreation center. That’s a problem
for their health, and it’s a problem for
the future of conservation.”
JACKIE OSTFELD
SIS/MA ’06
Director, Sierra Club’s Nearby Nature Initiative
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