Little Hikers Long Island

Childhood nearsightedness has been increasing around the world, so researchers in Taiwan wanted to see if something as simple as spending more time outdoors could make a difference.

Nearly 2,000 elementary school children participated in the study. One group spent an extra 80 minutes outside each school day, while the other group continued their normal routine.

The children weren't given special equipment, eye exercises, or treatments. The main change was simply more time outdoors.

After one year, the children who spent more time outside were less likely to become nearsighted.

The only thing researchers changed was giving children more time outdoors.

Studies like this are one of the reasons I am so passionate about nature-based learning. Nature gives children opportunities to move their bodies, explore, observe, ask questions, and experience the world with all of their senses.

At our Long Island nature program, children learn through hands-on exploration, outdoor play, and real-world experiences. Sometimes the simplest experiences can have a lasting impact.

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Ticks are a part of life on Long Island now, but they aren't a reason to keep our kids inside.

I take my kids hiking almost every day, and this is the simple routine we follow after spending time outdoors:

• Stay on the trail and avoid tall grass and brush.

• Before getting in the car, use a lint roller on clothes, especially socks and shoes.

• When we get home, clothes go straight into the washer and dryer, and we take a shower.

• Do a full-body tick check, especially legs, behind the knees, armpits, groin area, neck, scalp, and behind the ears.

• I also like to wash my hair with tea tree shampoo.

The reality is that ticks can be found in many places on Long Island, including parks, backyards, school yards, sports fields, and hiking trails. The most important thing we can do is stay aware, learn how to protect ourselves, and make tick checks part of our routine.

Research shows that spending time outdoors supports children's physical health, balance, coordination, attention, and overall well-being. Children learn best by doing, and nature gives them endless opportunities to explore, move, observe, and discover.

The most important thing we can do is stay aware, take a few simple precautions, and keep making outdoor memories with our kids...because they won't be little forever.

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Ever wonder why young children ask "What's that?" so many times a day?

Every question is an opportunity to connect a new word to an object, experience, or idea.

Researchers studying preschool vocabulary followed 249 children and found that young children learn new words best when those words are connected to meaningful experiences and play.

This is one of the reasons I love nature based learning.

When a child learns the word antennae while looking at an insect, bark while touching a tree, or nest while discovering one on a trail, they are connecting language to something real and memorable.

At ages 3 and 4, children learn hundreds of new words each year. The words that stick are often the ones they can see, touch, explore, and talk about.

This is why hands-on experiences are so important for toddlers and preschool children. When children understand what a word means through direct experience, they are more likely to remember it and use it again.

In our fully outdoor nature program, Long Island kids have opportunities to build vocabulary while exploring the natural world. They learn words like roots, petals, pollen, habitat, bark, and antennae while seeing the real thing in front of them.

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Want to help your 3-year-old build attention skills?

Start by helping them notice things.

A worm crossing the trail.

An ant carrying food.

A bird singing in a tree.

Two leaves that look almost the same.

When young children stop to watch, compare, listen, and ask questions, they're learning how to focus and pay attention to details.

What looks like simple play is actually helping them make sense of the world around them.

At Little Hikers, we practice this every week. We look closely at insects, compare leaves and flowers, listen for birds, search for animal tracks, and encourage children to ask questions about what they discover on the trail.

This is one of the reasons I love nature-based learning. Instead of only hearing about insects, birds, plants, and animals from a book, children get to observe them, explore them, and learn about them through direct experience outdoors.

For toddlers and preschoolers, learning often begins with noticing.

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Ever notice how a 3-year-old can spend several minutes watching a worm, following an ant, or searching for a bird they hear but can't see?

That isn't wasted time.

That's learning.

One of the biggest jobs of a young child's brain is learning how to notice details, compare things, ask questions, and make sense of the world around them.

When children compare two leaves, watch an insect move, search for animal tracks, or listen carefully for a bird call, they are building attention, observation, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

At Little Hikers, we create opportunities for toddlers and preschoolers to do exactly that. We look closely at insects, compare flowers and leaves, listen for birds, observe seasonal changes, and encourage children to ask questions about what they see on the trail.

These hands-on experiences are a big part of nature-based learning. Instead of simply being told information, children learn by observing, exploring, and interacting with the natural world.

For young children, learning starts with noticing.

Follow Little Hikers LI | Kids Outdoor Classes for more information about nature-based learning, outdoor education, nature programs for toddlers and preschoolers, and outdoor programs for Long Island kids.

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Want to teach a child resilience?

Stop trying to make everything go according to plan.

Nature doesn't.

The trail gets muddy.

It rains.

The animal you hoped to see never shows up.

A branch blocks the path.

And you figure it out.

That's one of the reasons I love being outdoors.

Nature teaches patience.

Nature teaches flexibility.

Nature teaches problem-solving.

Nature teaches you how to stay calm when things don't go the way you expected.

Children learn these same skills when they climb over roots, explore trails, search for insects, and experience the outdoors in all kinds of conditions.

Nature isn't just where children play.

It's where they practice life skills.

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Scientists turned a daycare playground into a mini forest and tracked what happened to the children.

In a 2020 Finnish study, 75 preschool children were followed for 28 days.

Some children played on regular daycare playgrounds with gravel and hard surfaces.

Others played in daycare yards enriched with forest soil, moss, grass, and plants.

The children spent about 1.5 hours outside each day.

Researchers collected skin, stool, and blood samples before and after the study.

What did they find?

The children who played in the nature-enriched playgrounds developed more diverse skin and gut microbes.

Researchers also found changes in immune-system markers associated with immune regulation.

After just four weeks, daily play in a more biodiverse environment led to measurable changes in the children's microbiota and immune markers.

Sometimes the biggest changes come from something as simple as changing the ground beneath a child's feet.

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Most indoor floors are flat and predictable.

But when children walk on uneven terrain like roots, rocks, hills, mud, and trails, their brains and bodies constantly have to adjust and respond to changes in height, texture, slope, and stability.

Research shows these natural movement challenges help support balance, coordination, body awareness, muscle control, and motor development in young children.

These early movement experiences help build the foundation for future physical skills like running, climbing, sports, posture, coordination, and confidently moving through different environments as children grow.

What looks like “just hiking” is actually important developmental work.

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