EXCERPTS:
One in three children in London are missing out on a vital part of their childhood development, because the time they spend in green spaces is limited to just six visits to a natural place a year.
A new report claims that just 4 per cent of London's 1.1 million children under 12 are able to play in natural spaces, and argues that experience of the outdoor environment should be part of everyday life for the capital's children.
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The Sowing the Seeds report says that contact with nature should be part of 'a balanced diet' of childhood experiences, promoting healthy development and well-being, as well as developing a positive attitude to the environment.
The report makes 12 recommendations to address the issue and ensure that more of the capital's children can enjoy natural spaces.
Report author Tim Gill said, 'This report shows that in recent decades there has been a decline in the number of under-12s accessing natural spaces on a regular basis to play. The decline is steeper for children in poorer families and some Black and Minority Ethnic Groups.
'This is having a negative effect on an entire generation which is growing up severely disconnected from the natural world.
-reprinted from Nursery World