The Green Hour Program
While organized sports and other adult directed activities are beneficial to a child's development, a connection with nature through unstructured time to play and explore is equally important. In addition to the natural curative powers of nature which include stress reduction and increased perspective, a nature connection has been identified by current educational research as essential for children to develop to their full social/emotional, cognitive, and physical potential. Direct experience of natural spaces nurtures "Nature Smart", now labeled as the eighth intelligence. It promotes the development of a child's creativity and critical thinking skills; their powers of observation, discernment and perspective.
Today, children have more experience with electronic entertainment than the outdoors and it can be hard for them to "unplug". Delaware Greenways has developed The Green Hour program to make the experience fun and rewarding. The program can be designed for children in preschool as well as in grades K-6. It can be a part of a child's informal education at home, used in playgroups, or with children enrolled in out-of-school time programs.
Get started today:
- Make a commitment to spending time outdoors daily in undirected play and exploration.
- Adopt an attitude that "getting dirty is OK".
- Find a natural space that can be acted upon by children who are curious.
- Be an active participant when you can. Children love to share their "discoveries" with an adult.
At-Home Parents: Contact Delaware Greenways for support in starting a neighborhood Green Hour playgroup.
Out-of-school time organizations and camps: Delaware Greenways' The Green Hour is a weekly walking program designed to introduce natural science concepts and skills, encourage independent inquiry, enhance language skills through broadening the experience base and vocabulary of its participants, build physical endurance, and promote a love of being active outdoors. Generally an 8-10 week program, it can be adapted to different age groups and settings. A detailed program description with specific goals is available upon request.
Resources:
Give a gift of time . . . in the green
Plant the seed by buying a supporting membership to Delaware Greenways.
Germinate: Unplug for a bit of outdoor time daily.
Feed the senses through direct experience of a natural space.
Nurture: Nature Smart, called the eighth intelligence, which includes powers of observation, discernment and perspective.
Blossom: Values derived from inner knowledge including self reliance, creativity, empathy, and stewardship.
Harvest: Feelings of connection, calm, and joy.