Ainhoa Callejo, Abril González, Erika Ruiz y Xinrou Zhu (Cristina)

We live surrounded by nature and yet we don't include it in such an important activity as
education, one that's going to always, as well, be around us, helping us grow and develop in
every new field we are exposed to.
If we were to ask my classmates in college if they frequently went to the playground outside
of school they will probably say yes, but, if you asked that to a today child? Would that
answer be the same? Probably no in most of the cases, especially if you asked a kid that lives
on the city, where nature is disappearing, being substituted by buildings and roads.
These kids tend to spend more time with electronic devices than playing with real life kids,
finding it more amusing and entertaining the games they can find online, like Roblox or
League of Legends.
No matter how you look at this, it is sad to watch kids being locked up in their houses playing
with the Play Station than out developing their cognitive and physical aptitudes.
Now, us, being future teachers, must change this no matter what. Why is that? Nature is the
core of life, of our own planet. It is not called planet Earth, the blue planet, for no reason. We
were meant to live among nature, creating memory in it as we intellectually and emotionally
grow alongside it.
Some of the activities we can implement in the classrooms to increase the interaction between
the kids and nature could be to change the environment is exposed in schools. In some
countries, like Germany, preschool education is deeply cared about, which leads them to
create spaces dedicated to the child in nature, so they can break out of the city environment
they are used to, learning things they won't learn in the busy streets of cities, showing them
wonders only nature can offer, no matter how hard society tries to hide them away.
These techniques, the ones that are most focused on the kid and nature, can be implemented
as well with trips to the countryside, at least once a month, so the kid can breathe clean air
and discover new places every time, expanding their view of the world and themselves.

If the parents were to question these decisions we would know exactly how and what to
answer.
Nature is the core of creativity. The kids' minds and imagination run free whenever they are
in touch with nature, new stories to write and items to add. In the city they would never find
some types of trees, animals, sounds, colours, flowers, etc., our world is filled with beautiful
beings, both alive and still, that will give the kids the opportunity to wish for more, to look up
to more than just an office job locked up in a grey building where the sun won't even reach.
Also, nature can be a gateway for those who are going through a hard time. We never know
what's going on in someone's head, breaking the routine and adding new, let's say, adventures
might help them find a new reason to continue, to find the strength they were lacking off.
That's why vacations exist, and kids, who are exposed to so many new things on a daily basis
need it too, even if they play with others in the park. Kids also get tired and exhausted for
reasons they don't even understand, we must always have in mind their mental health,
looking for ways to maintain it healthy and positive as much as we can. Being in touch with
nature is one of the activities that can help them reach that goal.
Another reason we could add to that response would be the increase of their problem solving
aptitudes. If you always follow the same routine, with the same issues and same results, how
are you going to act when you encounter something you've never seen, something you didn't
even know existed. Being in touch with nature can help with that, at least try. Creating
scenarios related to different issues, from easy to more complicated ones, always
accompanying the child through it so they don't feel lost or anxious.
No matter how important it is to introduce the child to nature and its benefits, we shall not
forget they are still kids. They should play carelessly as much as they learn through it.

We believe that nature can help children learn better some qualities such as empathy and
teamwork through gardening or cleaning green areas. In this way they are contributing to a
clean and caring environment, benefiting the earth and themselves.

By taking care of the environment, we favor a more gradual global warming, just as if we
take care of the ecosystem of animals, we can observe how they live and cooperate between
us to give them a better life, in this way encouraging curiosity and empathy.

Nature also gives us the opportunity to feel calm and well being when we are in connection
with it.
Nature provides us with a lot of information and very diverse activities. A very good one
would be to go hiking, a route through a natural space, this would help them physically, keep
their bodies active and at the same time explore the environment.
Another option would be to give them a list of objects that they can find in nature and that the
children have to collect. With this we get them to pay more attention than usual to the
environment and to correctly identify and classify the different objects such as leaves, sticks
and insects. Also at the same time they exercise by bending down, jumping, etc.

Joining this activity with the previous one, as a result of collecting natural materials, they can
make a construction with them. They can make both simple and complex constructions and it
would also be with biodegradable materials and would not be harmful to the environment.
Here they work mainly on creativity and teamwork.

Also children are in a crucial phase of development, during which they need to stay active.
This developmental stage is considered one of the most important for a child's well-being.
By playing in nature and engaging with the outside world, children develop physically
through movement, sports, coordination, and balance. They also receive significant sensory
stimulation, which is essential for proper cognitive development.

However, the benefits are not just physical; they extend to mental and emotional well-being.
Nature helps reduce stress, improves concentration, and fosters creativity.

Social development is also key. A child who has been exposed to nature learns teamwork and
demonstrates empathy and responsibility.

On the other hand, a child who has only been exposed to screens or electronic devices may
face physical issues such as a sedentary lifestyle, sleep disturbances, poor posture, or obesity.
Electronic devices can overstimulate us, sending an overload of information that can lead to
anxiety, depression, or concentration problems.
Children addicted to mobile devices may also struggle with socialization, often becoming
isolated and having difficulty managing their emotions.

In conclusion, we believe that exposing children to electronic devices from an early age and
preventing them going outside in nature can affects children cognitive and physical
development. Children should go outside, explore nature, see the world they live in and learn
the importance of taking care of the environment.

As the children in the documentary said: “We come from the earth, not the earth from us”