The fairechild™ Blog

Nature Deficit Disorder is a term that was coined by Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods to describe how increasingly distant we as a society have become from nature. Technology has caused many of us to prefer spending time indoors watching Netflix rather than going outside and exploring our natural world. Children are especially vulnerable to this phenomenon. Physical play is starting to disappear and digital devices are largely to blame.

Although digital devices might seem harmless, they can actually have a big impact on your child’s development.  Many children end up spending more than 7 hours a day on electronic devices. According to Dr. Victoria Dunckley, M.D. she has seen children who spends large amounts of time on these devices suffer from “lack of restorative sleep” and a “hyperaroused nervous system”. This results in children who are “impulsive, moody, and unable to pay attention” says Dr. Dunckley.

In addition, the incidence of mental disorders like depression and anxiety has risen steadily with at least five to eight times as many high school and university students fitting the criteria for one or both of the disorders than in decades past to Psychology Today. Researchers’ think that this is a result of a shift in values and goals. Rather than aspiring for personal success or growth, many young people have goals that are more materialistic like having a high income. Dr. Peter Gray, Ph.D, believes this shift has been caused by the decline of play. Gray states that children who are deprived of play miss out on the sense of self control they get from unstructured play, causing them to be more likely to develop depression or anxiety.

While there are consequences for children who do not play enough, there are many benefits for those who do. According to the Child Mind Institute, many studies have found that children who play outside are happier, smarter and less anxious. Specifically, playing outside builds confidence and promotes creativity as the unstructured nature of outdoor play means children have to use their imagination. From a physical standpoint, it’s gets kids moving helping to promote overall health. It has also been shown to reduce stress and fatigue.

Ultimately, children need to play outside and they need the unstructured environment that being outside provides. If you’re looking for some ways to motivate your child to play outside or want some ideas for activities, check out some of our other blog posts on the issue!

Plastic is one of the most commonly used materials in the world. It’s virtually inescapable given its heavy use in food and consumer goods packaging, cosmetics, electronics, and medical supplies. Unfortunately, plastic is also one of the most environmentally destructive materials due to the fact that it takes decades and even centuries to decompose. As a result, a lot of plastic waste makes its way into our oceans where it wreaks havoc on aquatic life.

Given the issue of plastic pollution, many organizations have been quick to try and tackle the issue. Starbucks announced last year that it would eliminate the use of plastic straws in their restaurants by 2020. More recently, the European Union went even further and banned all single use plastic. The ban is meant to target products for which non-disposable alternatives are available. This means plastic cutlery and plates, straws, drink stirrers and sticks for balloons are all banned as reported by DW News. In addition, the ban dictates that countries involved need to take measures to reduce the use of plastic cups and containers and collect 90% of plastic single drink bottles by 2025. DW News also reports that the legislation mandates that plastic producers will have to help cover the cost of cleaning up plastic waste.

Given the devastating effect of plastic on the environment, the ban is a much needed step in the right direction. According to Surfers Against Sewage, over 320 million tons of plastic waste was produced in 2016, a number that is set to double by 2034. Further, approximately 8 million pieces of plastic enters the ocean every day. All this plastic has a fatal effect on aquatic life and each year 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million birds die as a result of plastic pollution as reported by Surfers Against Sewage. The rising plastic levels in the ocean are only aided by the low recycling rate. According to National Geographic, less than a fifth of all plastic is recycled.

The new legislation enacted by the EU will help reduce plastic waste in our oceans but ultimately, we all have a responsibility to keep our world clean. You can help do your part by using reusable straws and bottles and avoiding disposable cutlery. Further, when you go grocery shopping, bring your own reusable bags. Everyday changes can make a big difference, especially if everybody takes part.

We have touched on ethical fashion in past blog posts and the importance of buying clothing that is both kind to our earth and to those who are involved with all aspects of the production process. We believe that ethical fashion should be taught to kids as well since they are the consumers of tomorrow. Instilling upon them the importance of buying ethically produced clothing is one of the best ways we can as a society can start being more conscious towards the natural world and the treatment of our fellow humans.

One school that is tackling the issue of sustainability in the classroom is the Haggerston School in London, UK. Through the design and technology class, students are taught about recycling and the life cycle of materials to help get students thinking about their own choices regarding fashion.  The school offer workshops such as upcycling as well as lecture based workshops to help teach students about the textile industry and to be more aware of their choices affect the world around them.

Another organization that hopes to educate young people about ethical fashion is TRAID. TRAID is an acronym and it stands for “Textile Reuse and International Development”. They have three main goals; to encourage the reuse of clothing, to advocate for the improvement of working conditions and production processes within the textile industry; and to educate. TRAID is based in the UK and operates workshops in classrooms all over the country. They offer workshops aimed at all ages with some workshops being centered on reusing clothes and sewing lessons to more information dense lectures.

While not every school will be able to host workshops from organizations like TRAID, you can still incorporate elements of their workshops. Teaching your child how to sew or finding ways to turn old clothes into something new is a great way to introduce them to the concept of ethical fashion. If you are looking for more information on ethical fashion, TRAID and Fashion Revolution are both great resources.

Many people are familiar with the term “playground” but the presence of the word “adventure” in front might result in some confusion. Essentially, an adventure playground is a more unstructured, interactive version of a regular playground. The purpose is to help promote creativity and to encourage children to use their imagination.

The concept of adventure playgrounds dates back to the 1940’s. One of the first to be built was the Emdrup Junk Playground, in Denmark opened in 1943, during World War II. The architect, Dan Fink imagined ‘A junk playground in which children could create and shape, dream and imagine a reality.” Adventure playgrounds incorporate natural elements such as hills, trees and plants, piles of junk, and loose parts to build play forts. Fink wanted to give children living in the city the same opportunities for play as in country.

In England, Landscape Architect, Lady Allen of Hurtwood began to set up playgrounds in bombed out sections of post-war London. The playgrounds allowed children of all abilities to play in them. Today, the London Adventure Playground Association describes these play areas as ‘a place where children are free to do many things that they cannot easily do elsewhere in our crowded urban society… The atmosphere is permissive and free, and this is especially attractive to children whose lives are otherwise much limited and restricted by lack of space and opportunity.’

Warsaw saw the same ‘exuberant reappearance of children in public urban spaces after the wartime experience of confinement or evacuation’ as depicted by Ben Shahn’s gouache painting ‘Liberation’ of three girls swinging around a pole, in 1945. Indeed, the appropriation of

urban spaces by children in the years after the war would disrupt and reconfigure the shattered landscapes of Europe (O’Connor, Kinchin, pg 163, 2012)

In Canada, we have very few Adventure Playgrounds. In fact, in North America, there are only 11 adventure playgrounds with three being located in Canada. Unfortunately, these low numbers coupled with the declining rate of active play means children of the future may lose out on the benefits of unstructured play and Adventure Playgrounds.

Given this knowledge, the best thing you can do as a parent for your child is to encourage outdoor play as much as possible. Take advantage of play structures in your community and encourage your child to be creative and imaginative. Psychiatrist Shimi Kang, author of The Dolphin Parent, says parents need to become a bit less risk-averse when it comes to children’s play saying, ‘The more we protect our children, the more we’re putting them at risk of danger.’

We previously did a blog post about how to get outside this winter season which also included some fun activities for you and your child. If you haven’t seen that already, you can check it out here! This blog post is a follow up and it’s about the importance of getting outside and breathing some fresh air during the winter season.

Here are 7 reasons why you should try to get outside as much as possible this winter.

1. Vitamin D – lower levels of Vitamin D, from not enough time outdoors, can make you more tired and negatively affect your mood. Getting outside as much as possible is a great way to combat this and ensure you get enough Vitamin D.
2. Avoiding germs – colds and flus aren’t because the weather is cold but rather because we are cooped up indoors. Get outside and get some fresh air to help strengthen you and your child’s immune systems.
3. Children see their surroundings change. They learn and observe their environment and see the life cycles of plants allowing them to become more connected with nature.
4. Overcome and identify new challenges. Winter often results in slippery snow and ice. Allowing your child to experience and figure out have to navigate in such conditions is a great way to develop their problem solving skills.
5. In addition to Vitamin D, sunlight exposure helps boost serotonin levels which can help us feel more positive and even help with depression.
6. Getting outside is a great way for you and your child to get some all-important exercise.
7. Stress relief. Venturing outside provides a way to escape stress and give your mind a break.