Last Child in the Woods
by Richard Louv
Algonquin Books 2008
"Leave no child inside"
Richard Louv details in this book how today's children are cut off from experiencing the natural world. As a child I relished my childhood private explorations of the abandoned lot on the corner of my street. It was a place I could follow worn paths in the brush and watch ants building a hill grain of sand by grain of sand, or wonder why the grass was so tall and dusty compared to the neat trim lawns of the surrounding suburbia. I would peer into burrows wondering what animal lived inside.
Today many parents are afraid to let their children wander unsupervised in abandoned places or undeveloped woodlands in the way I did as a child. It is a different world I am afraid. Children are literally being scared out of the woods because of dangerous strangers or given only very controlled experiences under the guidance of watchful adult eyes. Other children have become so tied to the TV screen or the computer that they don't "have time" to explore nature. And if they are dragged outside, they are wearing headphones or talking on the cell phone!
Yet, exploring nature is balm for the soul and exercise for the body. It can calm a child and improve physical health. Parents need to make time for their children to be in nature, not just organized trips, but just spending a day in a beautiful place. Schools need to get children outside, and bring nature inside through the lessons they teach. The outdoor education movement which was popular in the 70s and 80s needs to be revived and made a regular part of the school curriculum. School districts for example could run camps, or work with existing camps so that every grade levels gets to spend time in the woods interacting with plants and wildlife. To address the safety issues of the world we live in parents and communities might initiate children's parks - as tiny as an abandoned lot in a city - where children can explore on their own in a place that is safe.
Louv writes well and supports his ideas with carefully selected research and examples. Reading Last Child in the Woods will inspire you to celebrate the importance of nature and make sure our children celebrate it too. Reviewed by Joan Koster 2010