Children and Nature
From “Kazenoko Letter” No.460 - May 2016
| There is a poem: “Fresh green everywhere, mountain cuckoo warbles, first
bonitos come to market”, and now is the season for this. Our corporation
owns outdoor experience facilities called Tanba-no-Ie and Tanba Kaze-no-Ie
in the Tanba Sasayama area, which are used as retreats by individuals with
intellectual disabilities. These individuals reported that the greenery of the mountains is vibrant, and they sometimes hear the singing of cuckoos. The cold water in the stream is clear and clean, and drinkable. More than anything, it’s exciting to pick wild vegetables and cook them. These months of April and May are the best time of year, but in the other seasons, nature shows us a different side and entertains us. However, the joy of living in nature like this is a distant ideal for those of us who live in the city. People who grew up without contact with nature are not drawn to nature, even when they become an adult. It’s a form of prejudice. A famous French philosopher of modern education, Rousseau, advocated that nature is ideal for education and that playing in nature was the most fulfilling time for children. Within his Naturalism theories, he advocated strict discipline with the experiences of thirst, hunger, fatigue and danger. An American biologist Rachel Carson also said in her book “The Sense of Wonder” that children discover various things in nature and increase their intelligence whilst marveling at nature. Nature might be the best educational environment. One of our institutions, Kazenoko Jidokan (After School Care Service), organized a program called “Nature School” for elementary school children to go hiking to Tanba five times a year. Some adults join the hiking, so almost 20 people go every time. Children who joined the program when they were in their early elementary school years have continued until their graduation. They seem to become more and more interested in nature after experiencing the joy of it. I’d like to encourage you to go to a mountain, river or somewhere green with your children during the holidays. |
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Social Welfare Corporation SUISEN FUKUSHIKAI
| Kazenoko Hoikuen | 1-11-8 Komatsu, Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka 533-0004 TEL.06-6328-4019  050-3385-0072 FAX.06-6328-4030 |