The benefits of nature for children include the promotion of resilience in dealing with stress. Many children look to nature as a place where they can relax.

Young children find time in nature relaxing

Children’s accounts of how they experience relaxation indicate that place, play, and sensory-rich factors influence how and where they relax. Children in this study identified nature and home as common places for experiencing relaxation. They referred to watching, touching and feeling nature, and noted how these experiences triggered positive feelings and emotional responses, including relaxation.
Cooke et al. 2020. “Lie in the grass, the soft grass”: Relaxation accounts of young children attending childcare. Access study.

Nearby nature helps children cope with adversity

This study, involving 172 participants, found that children with more access to natural areas as well as more perceived nature in the home and school environment had lower stress levels than would be expected if nature was not acting as a protective factor. The results of this study suggest that nearby nature bolsters children´s resilience in dealing with stress.
Corraliza, Collado, & Bethelmy, 2012. Nature as a moderator of stress in urban children. Access study.

Even a short nature experience can reduce stress for urban residents

The aim of this study was to identify how much time in nature is needed to reduce stress. Salivary biomarkers were used to measure stress levels. The study was conducted over a period of eight weeks and was based on salivary readings and nature engagement logs provided by 36 urban residents. Results showed that nature engagement was most effective when the experience lasted 20 – 30 minutes.
Hunter, Gillespie, & Chen, 2019. Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. Access study.

Rural Canadian children are aware of the mental health benefits of nature engagement and are pro-active in turning to nature to experience these benefits

Eighty-four rural Canadian children (age 9-14) participated in small group interviews focusing on nature and its benefits. While children were aware of such nature-related physical health benefits as exercise, they were also aware of the emotional or mental health benefits associated with nature. They shared ideas on how they actively used nature to promote positive feelings.
Tillman et al. 2019. ‘Nature makes people happy, that’s what it sort of means:’ Children’s definitions and perceptions of nature in rural Northwestern Ontario. Access study.

Nearby nature can reduce stress in children

To examine whether vegetation near the residential environment might buffer or moderate the impact of stressful life events on children’s psychological well-being, data were collected from 337 rural children in Grades 3 through 5.  Results showed that the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.
Wells & Evans, 2003. Nearby nature: A buffer of life stress among rural children. Access study.

Park prescriptions may be effective in addressing pediatric stress and resilience

Every increase in weekly park visits by low income families led to a significant increase in resilience as reported by the children. As resilience scores increased, child stress decreased, regardless of level of adverse childhood events (ACEs). Resilience – a balanced response to stress – may over the course of a lifetime explain why nature impacts multiple pathways and has multiple health benefits.
Razani, et al. (2019). Clinic and park partnerships for childhood resilience: A prospective study of park prescriptions. Access study.

Children and adults can experience the mental health benefits of nearby nature through both direct and indirect engagement. Such benefits include increased happiness and enhanced social and emotional well-being.

The therapeutic benefits of urban natural area parks include enhanced opportunities for relaxation, deep connection, and reflection

Thirty-three adults participated in interviews focusing on the perceived health and well-being aspects of natural area parks near their homes. Benefits noted by the participants included opportunities for physical activity, reduced stress, induced relaxation, enhanced emotional and spiritual health, nature connectedness, and enhanced connections to their children and grandchildren.
Cheesbrough, Garvin & Nykiforuk, 2019. Everyday wild: Urban natural areas, health, and well-being. Access study.

Access to nature can promote the mental well-being of children

This systematic review of the current literature included 15 studies examining possible links between access to green space and the mental well-being of children. Overall findings indicate benefits associated with children’s access to green environments include improvements in confidence, social interactions, cognitive development, academic achievement, and emotional well-being.
McCormick, 2017. Does access to green space impact the mental well-being of children: A systematic review. Access study.

Children can experience the health and well-being benefits of nature through both active nature engagement and passive nature exposure

This report presents findings of two related reviews: (1) a narrative review focusing on the beneficial outcomes of both active nature engagement and passive nature exposure; and (2) a literature review of studies focusing on just passive nature exposure. Findings show that even passive nature exposure may contribute to children’s behavioral, cognitive and emotional development.
Norwood et al. 2019. A narrative and systematic review of the behavioural, cognitive and emotional effects of passive nature exposure on young people: Evidence for prescribing change. Access study.

Interactions with nature may positively influence the mental health of children and teenagers

This literature review included only quantitative studies examining external factors (e.g., nearby nature) influencing the mental health of children and youth. Emotional well-being and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were the most studied areas. Approximately half of the studies reported statistically significant positive relationships between nature and mental health outcomes.
Tillman et al. 2018. Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: A systematic review. Access study.

Spending time outdoors increases children’s chances of experiencing moments of happiness

Over 10,000 children used body-worn sensors to record their “happy moments” over the period of a week during their visits to Points of Interest. The odds of experiencing happy moments were 2.4 times larger in public open spaces such as plazas or open fields than in commercial areas like malls.
Benita, Bansal & Tunçer, 2019. Public spaces and happiness: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment. Access study.

Awe in nature heals

Findings from one study within this multi-study paper indicated that for young adults, the more nature they experienced over a 14-day period, the more daily awe they experienced and the greater daily life satisfaction they reported, which in turn was related to greater improvements in well-being at follow-up.  Awe, more than the effects of other positive emotions, was related to daily life satisfaction.
Anderson, Monroy, & Keltner. (2018). Awe in nature heals: Evidence from military veterans, at-risk youth, and college students. Access study.

Family-based nature activities can promote positive family functioning. The natural setting and affordances within the setting support cohesiveness and bonding. 

Hiking together in nature cultivates family cohesion

Hiking in nature is an important part of the Norwegian culture and is based on the strong belief in nature’s health-providing benefits. Findings from a study focusing on Norwegian families as they hike together suggest that they experience nature as a peaceful background which supports and enhances the mental health and cohesiveness of the family.
Baklien, Ytterhus & Bongaardt, 2016. When everyday life becomes a storm on the horizon: Families’ experiences of good mental health while hiking in nature. Access study.

Family leisure in a park provides opportunity for strengthening family bonds and enhancing well-being

This case study explored the experiences of both children and parents within a children’s park in China. Sources of data included on-site observations, photographs, semi-structured interviews, and parents’ online postings about their experiences at the park. The parents’ presence gave children a sense of being emotionally supported while playing.
Chen, Yuan & Zhu, 2019. Playing, parenting and family leisure in parks: Exploring emotional geographies of families in Guangzhou Children’s Park, China. Access study.

Exposure to nature restored mothers’ individual attention and contributed to mother-daughter cohesion

Twenty-seven mother-daughter dyads participated in a 20-minute walk together at an arboretum and a 20-minute walk together in a mall. Pre-post assessment results showed that exposure to nature restored attentional functioning and fostered mother-daughter cohesiveness. Both mothers and daughters perceived the natural environment as more fun, relaxing, and interesting than the indoor environment.
Izenstark & Ebata, 2017. The effects of the natural environment on attention and family cohesion: An experimental study. Access study.

Nature affords well-being benefits for families and young people in Finland

This study is based on thematic writings of Finnish youth (age 15-21), the researcher’s field notes from camping with her family, observations from visiting young scouts camping, and a focus group discussion with four camping mothers. Overall results indicated that as youth and families spent more time in nature, they became more skilled in perceiving affordances that enhance their well-being.
Rantala &  Puhakka, 2019. Engaging with nature: Nature affords well-being for families and young people in Finland. Access study.