I wanted to shar a New book that helps parents embrace outside time to improve kids’ wellbeing called DIGGING INTO NATURE: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids. I hope you take the time to check out the new book.
“Overflowing with useful tips and insightful research.” —Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Hunt, Gather, Parent
“What a good and useful book this is!” —Nancy Pearl, librarian and author of George & Lizzie and the Book Lust series
CHICAGO: Children in the U.S. spend far too much time indoors on screens and would benefit from more time spent outside. In DIGGING INTO NATURE: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids (American Academy of Pediatrics, October 2024), Dr. Pooja Tandon and Dr. Danette Glassy, pediatricians and nature advocates, make the convincing, evidence-based case that both children and families will be happier, healthier, and more resilient when spending time outdoors.
Kids’ screen time rose significantly during the pandemic and has remained high, and experts agree that excessive screen time has a negative impact on children’s mental and physical health. Kids are missing out on the very real benefits of spending time outside, but many families feel stretched to the limit.
“One of the barriers we’re finding from families is they are juggling many roles and priorities,” said Dr. Tandon.
“But parents don’t need a planned, specific activity to get their children outdoors,” added Dr. Glassy. “Scientific research validates nature’s preventive care and healing effects, and engaging in free play outside can boost children’s health and well-being.”
DIGGING INTO NATURE also takes an inclusive approach, providing practical tips for parents of children with special health care needs, chronic health conditions, and cultural considerations to ensure that all children and families have access to safe outdoor spaces.
In addition, Dr. Tandon and Dr. Glassy offer a variety of ideas for age-appropriate, nature-based activities and suggestions for overcoming common challenges busy families face when trying to increase their outdoor time.
Addressing the importance of nature for kid’s health at every age from infancy through adolescence, DIGGING INTO NATURE empowers children and families to prioritize time spent outdoors.
POOJA SARIN TANDON, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a general pediatrician and researcher at the Seattle Children’s Hospital, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the director of health at the Trust for Public Land. She has published widely on the importance of physical activity, outdoor time, and nature contact for health. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband and two children.
DANETTE SWANSON GLASSY, MD, FAAP, is a primary care pediatrician and child advocate. She is the cofounder and board president of the nonprofit BestStart Washington and leads its Project Nature initiative—a program to support pediatric medical professionals as they encourage children to spend time in nature. She is the coeditor of Caring for Our Children. Dr. Glassy lives in the Seattle area and enjoys exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest with her two grandchildren.
“[A] balm and encouragement to anyone who takes children, and themselves, into the wonderment of nature.” —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods
“A practical and also inspirational trail guide to finding ways out into nature for all children.”
—Perri Klass, MD, FAAP, coauthor of Quirky Kids, and professor of journalism and pediatrics, New York University
“This book is a must-read for parents and pediatricians, especially as a vital alternative to the time children spend on digital media.”
—Barry Zuckerman, MD, professor and chair emeritus of the Department of Pediatrics at Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
“Needed now more than ever, this book is a prescription for a medicine of the
best kind—nature.”
—Stephen J. Pont, MD, MPH, FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics and population health at the University of Texas Dell Medical School and cochair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Special Interest Group on Nature and Child Health
Digging Into Nature: Outdoor Adventures for Happier and Healthier Kids by Pooja Sarin Tandon, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Danette Swanson Glassy, MD, FAAP will be published as a paperback and ebook by the American Academy of Pediatrics, on October 15, 2024.
(ISBN: 9781610027441 | 206 pages, interior images | $19.95 | distributed by IPG)
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
