When we see the footprints of a bird or a squirrel in the snow, we hop like a gazelle and follow them. If the sense of discovery within us has not dulled, we make every effort to see the owner of that footprint. No movie or documentary can make us feel the pleasure we experience when we look at it eye to eye. In fact, no matter what creature we encounter in nature, a swing made of green branches is set up in a corner of our hearts and birds that whisper peace land there. [1] Whenever the sound of birds in our hearts fades, we go out into nature and look for green branches in our hearts to refresh ourselves. In this article, we will look for green branches “First of all, so that birds land in children’s hearts…” In other words, we will look for ways to make children love nature.
Green Branch: Sample Model
Ways to Make Children Love Nature 1
Children absorb the behaviors and actions of adults like a sponge. If we want children to love nature, we adults should be the first to love nature. The fresher and more enthusiastic our connection with nature is, the more this feeling will be transmitted to the child. This enthusiastic feeling should be equipped with the astonishment of a child who sees snow for the first time. In addition, a writer who says that there is no such thing as a grown-up person gives the good news that adults will revive their desire to discover again [2] and the dried branches inside them will turn green again. Activities that will increase our role model:
- We can read books in nature/garden.
- We can take a photo of a plant we don’t know and learn its name and characteristics from applications.
- We can collect different stones, leaves and bird feathers on trips or camps and make a collection of them or record them in nature diaries.
Green Branch: A Sense of Wonder and Discovery
Ways to Make Children Love Nature 2
As parents, our goal is not to provide information directly to children, but to awaken and keep their existing curiosity and sense of discovery fresh. In fact, Montessori said the following based on this: “ Every child is a little scientist. ” We, parents, should be aware of this and prepare an environment suitable for their age and development, brainstorm on the subject, and guide them to taste the information on their own. Activities that will increase this curiosity and discovery:
We can help children discover the hidden havens of the universe. For example, let’s find an old piece of wood and place it on the ground. Let’s come back a few days later and remove the wood. We can find out how many species inhabit this place. [2]
- We can invent our own nature games: -especially to keep children’s attention during long walks- Ten animal finding games, finding the animal from its sounds or footprints, arranging the leaves according to color, size, shape, etc.’…
- To draw children’s attention to the lives of ants, we can put something sweet on the edge of the balcony and encourage them to come. Then, we can talk about how and why these ants came here.
Green Branch: Contemplation
Ways to Make Children Love Nature 3
We should instill in our children that nothing created in the world is ordinary or in vain [3] , that there is flawless art in the universe and that there is a creator who creates these beauties. In fact, the easiest way to tell our children about Allah is to introduce them to the universe. When we can read the universe correctly, children’s admiration for Allah will increase and they will establish a strong bond with Allah. According to a study conducted in this direction, it has been determined that children who grow up in touch with nature have a stronger belief in Allah. [4] Being aware of all this, we should take our childish wonder and our contemplation glasses in our bags and become one with nature. Activities that will increase contemplation:
- Since the apple tree drinks water through its roots, it must be drinking from the soil. So, why doesn’t this apple taste like mud since it drinks muddy water from the soil? [5]
- Some animals have short tails, some have long tails. Why might this be?
- If bees were fed hot peppers instead of flowers, would their honey still be sweet?
Green Branch: Environment
Ways to Make Children Love Nature 4
The writer says that as a person moves away from nature, their heart will harden [2] . In fact, we can see this more clearly in the current education system. Our lessons have become so industrialized that there is no room left for nature in the curriculum. [2] Schoolyards made of concrete, students who cannot release their energy during recess, children who cannot leave their homes because of endless homework, etc., problems that are listed one after another… We should not forget that as long as we keep children away from nature, they will continue to think that banana milk comes from cows and peanuts with sauce grow on trees. Activities that will make our environments more beautiful in order to prevent this:
All family members can set aside a certain amount of time for nature each day and organize a ‘Green Hour Tradition’ . According to this tradition, the first encounter with nature can be planned in the garden of the house, then in the parks in the neighborhood, then in the forested areas in the neighborhood, so that new environments can be seen, growing in rings from near to far.
- Every child/class should have a treeto strengthen their bond with trees , and they should learn the seasons from their trees before the calendar. [6] Acting with this principle, children can take care of their own trees, whisper words of love to them, caress them with affection, take photos in front of them in every season and hang them in their homes/classrooms.
- The child can set up a nature museum in his/her own room and display the materials he/she collects from nature.
Green Branch: Value
5 Ways to Make Children Love Nature
While nature offers many healings to adults, it does not deprive children, especially hyperactive children with attention deficit, of this healing. Research shows that contact with nature reduces ADHD symptoms and increases resistance to depression. [2] In short, why shouldn’t we take care of our nature and care for it when nature has so many benefits that we can’t even begin to count? We can start with the garbage we scatter around. In fact, they don’t only make the surroundings look bad and smell bad, they can also harm other living things. We can tell our children that gum thrown on the ground can get stuck in a bird’s beak and choke, glass waste increases forest fires, and oil spilled in sinks makes seafood sick. To prevent this, we should tell them that waste will be thrown in appropriate recycling bins, and food waste will either be given to animals or composted so that it doesn’t go to waste. Activities that will increase the value of nature:
- We can set up a flower shelter in a corner of our classroom or home, take care of all kinds of plants, and issue an identity card to make children feel that they belong to this institution. [7]
- We can set up a small hospital with cardboard boxes all around the school/neighborhood for living things like flowers, insects, and birds. We can design bird houses/bathtubs and ensure that each classroom/house has a bird house. [7]
- I pray that we always have a childlike wonder and a pair of contemplation glasses in our bag.
Resources
- Native American proverb: “If you hide a green branch in your heart, a singing bird will surely come.”
2.Louv, R. The last child in nature(2018). 198
3.Merve Gülcemal, Religious Values in a Child’s Heart Workshop
4.Gülcemal, M. Contemplation walks (2020), 34
5.Öze, Özkan. Those strange trees (2020). 16
- School with ticklish walls(2020). 90