It’s vital we help our children develop a love of the outdoors, says psychologist Emma Kenny
“We need our children to climb more trees – and ideally fall out of them,” says Emma Kenny, a psychologist who lends her skills to The One Show (ekenny.co.uk)
“You’ll often find that the cleverest people in any workplace are the ones who fell out of trees as kids. The ones who found out what fear was by reaching for a slightly higher branch, or walking along a precarious clifftop, or turning over logs to find spiders and woodlice. They’re the ones who know how to manage fear, embrace risk and try what they haven’t done before. In today’s climate these are the commodities that really matter.
“The childhood playground translates directly to the adult one: being active in the countryside forges resilience and robustness – it makes you better at coping with life.
“It also makes families work properly. If you take the time to have family experiences outdoors, children understand so much better what it’s like to be part of a team, and to be valued. Technology has its place – I love a computer game as much as anyone – but if you balance it with real outdoor adventures, that’s the dream ticket.”
