How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature

by Scott D. Sampson

Book Overview

By the beloved and wildly popular host of the PBS Kids show Dinosaur Train, here is the book every parent needs: a rousing call to connect our kids to the natural world, filled with tips and advice.

The average North American child now spends about seven hours a day staring at screens and mere minutes engaged in unstructured play outdoors. Yet recent research indicates that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth.

Regular exposure to nature can help relieve stress, depression, and attention deficits. It can reduce bullying, combat obesity, and boost academic scores. Most critical of all, abundant time in natural settings seems to yield long-term benefits in kids' cognitive, emotional, and social development.

How to Raise a Wild Child is a timely and engaging antidote, offering teachers, parents, and other caregivers the necessary tools to engender a meaningful, lasting connection between children and the natural world.

Distilling the latest research in multiple disciplines, Sampson reveals how adults can help kids fall in love with nature--enlisting technology as an ally, taking advantage of urban nature, and instilling a sense of place along the way.

"In a time when the connection between humans and the rest of nature is most vulnerable, Scott offers parents and teachers a book of encouragement and knowledge, and to children, the priceless gift of wonder."--Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0544705297
• ISBN13: 9780544705296
• Release Date: June 2016
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Does a really great job at inspiring a love for nature in kids and adults

Very informative introduction to exposing kids to nature. A lot of the topics can be applied to adults as well. It was so convincing that I actually took a long time to finish reading it because I would read while my kids played outside; I ended up watching the birds outside and I would forget to read. I used to see taking my kids outside as a daily chore and now it’s my favorite part of the day. We have also named an anhinga that live in our pond, his name is Robirdo.