'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast · The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Mind the Kids - Rewilding Childhood: Why Nature Matters in Mental Health

·35 min·2 clips

Nature connectedness may influence behaviours for learning through polyvagal theory and nervous-system regulation.

1. ACAM Learn’s Mind the Kids podcast episode focuses on nature connectedness, child development, and mental health. 2. Mark Tebbs hosts and Nicole Harris appears as the lead author of a recent systematic literature review, an educational psychologist at Portsmouth City Council, and a visiting academic at the University of Southampton. 3. The episode asks whether nature connectedness can support learning, behaviour, and wellbeing in schools. 4. Harris defines nature connectedness as a felt relationship with nature, separate from simply spending time in green space. 5. She places the field alongside attention restoration theory, Ulrich’s stress reduction theory, and Wilson’s biophilia hypothesis. 6. Harris says she and Bea Hartwell are exploring neuroception and Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory as a better fit for school-based learning effects. 7. She explains that fight-flight states are not a good state for learning and links nature to nervous-system down-regulation. 8. Harris says the systematic literature review was a way to test whether connecting children with nature affects behaviours for learning. 9. She reports that 68% of the papers found the activities increased nature connectedness. 10. She reports that 77% of studies saw an impact on behaviours for learning. 11. Harris says the main changes were in social skills and self-regulation rather than only attention. 12. She notes that many of the studies were qualitative, so they captured broader feedback instead of only pre-set measures. 13. She says the activities included playing in nature, getting hands dirty, sunlight photography, songwriting in nature, and using cameras to photograph nature. 14. Harris says some schools worked with raised beds, ponds, woodland edges, allotments, churchyards, and other accessible local spaces. 15. She says the review aimed to show that deep wilderness is not required for nature-connectedness work. 16. Harris discusses Amy Patchen’s findings on barriers such as curriculum pressure, time, health and safety, and timetabling across a whole school. 17. She says deprived areas have 9% less access to green spaces, which strengthens the case for curriculum-based provision. 18. The conversation also covers a reported pivot point around age 11, when nature connectedness and wellbeing begin to decline into secondary school. 19. The tone is practical and research-led, with Mark Tebbs asking for clear explanations and Harris giving detailed examples from school settings. 20. People interested in school wellbeing, educational psychology, and outdoor learning will likely value it, while listeners wanting light entertainment may skip it.

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