Mental Health: Green Space and Nature Connection Enhances Children’s Mental Health

Parks and gardens do more than beautify neighborhoods—they boost children’s brains, emotions and social skills. Research increasingly shows that green spaces like parks, gardens and tree-lined streets play a crucial role in children’s mental health. These natural settings help reduce stress, improve mood, boost attention, and strengthen social connections. The positive effects often begin early, with children aged 2 to 5 who have access to nearby greenery showing fewer signs of anxiety and depression, making early childhood a key time for these benefits. However, today’s kids spend more time indoors and on screens, limiting outdoor play and increasing risks of both physical and mental health problems. For pediatricians, this growing evidence opens a valuable opportunity to explore children’s exposure to nature during clinical visits, helping to gently support mental and emotional health through preventive care.

Beyond mental health, time spent in nature supports better developmental outcomes, cognitive growth, attention restoration, memory, and academic achievement. Green spaces provide unique sensory experiences that refresh the mind, encourage physical activity, and foster exploration, curiosity, and social play—all essential for emotional and social development.

Green space exposure provides multiple benefits:

• Stress reduction: Time in natural settings lowers physiological markers of stress such as heart rate and cortisol.
• Improved attention: Children with regular time outdoors demonstrate stronger concentration and executive functioning, especially those with attention-deficit disorders.
• Emotional resilience: Contact with nature helps children regulate emotions and cope more effectively with challenges.
• Physical activity and social connection: Outdoor environments naturally encourage active play and cooperative interaction, both essential for healthy development.
• Health equity impact: Access to green space can mitigate some social determinants of health by providing safe spaces for movement, community interaction, and restorative experiences, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Encouraging Families to Engage with Green Spaces

Pediatricians are trusted voices, and even a short conversation can shape families’ priorities. Here are a few strategies to encourage more outdoor time:

1. Make a “green prescription”: Recommend specific, achievable actions such as 20 minutes of outdoor play after school or a family walk in a local park twice a week.
2. Highlight benefits beyond physical activity: Parents may be more motivated when they understand that time outdoors supports mood, reduces stress, and improves concentration—not just fitness.
3. Suggest alternatives to screen time: Encourage families to set tech-free hours, such as before bedtime or during meals, and replace them with outdoor play or neighborhood exploration.
4. Provide community resources: Share information about local parks, nature centers or family-friendly trails. Many municipalities also have free or low-cost outdoor programs.
5. Normalize small steps: Not every family has access to large green areas, but time spent on a balcony with plants, walking around the block, or visiting a nearby playground can still be beneficial.

Incorporating green space education is a small but powerful shift in pediatric practice—one that recognizes the essential role of nature in helping children thrive.

References:

1. Towe-Goodman N, McArthur KL, Willoughby M, et al. Green space and internalizing or externalizing symptoms among children. JAMA Open. 2024;7(4). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.5742
2. Vanaken GJ, Danckaerts M. Impact of green space exposure on children’s and adolescents’ mental health: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(12):2668. doi:10.3390/ijerph15122668
3. Green space may improve young children’s mental health. NIH Research Matters. April 20, 2024. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/green-space-may-improve-young-childrens-mental-health
4. de la Osa N, Navarro JB, Penelo E, Valentí A, Ezpeleta L, Dadvand P. Long-term exposure to greenspace and anxiety from preschool and primary school children. J Environ Psychol. 2023;93(12). doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102207