Why Getting Outside Might Be the Best Therapy for Your Kids
What if the answer to your child’s stress, anxiety, or restlessness isn’t a therapy session, but a walk outside?
In a recent podcast episode, we explored something deeply moving. It came from Israel, where a group called the Society for the Protection of Nature is helping teenagers heal from trauma through a simple, powerful idea: take them into nature.
They call it Resilience Journeys. And the idea is as beautiful as it is biblical: remove hurting kids from their stress-filled surroundings and lead them into God’s creation. It’s not flashy. It’s not high-tech. But it’s transformational.
Let’s unpack why this works and why your child might need the same kind of journey.
Nature Makes Room for Healing
When our kids are overwhelmed, the natural world slows everything down. The distractions fade. The noise quiets. In nature, a child can breathe. They can think. They can feel.
Whether it's a forest, a prairie path, or your neighborhood park, natural settings create space for children to process what’s going on inside. The beauty they see awakens hope. The rhythm of creation calms the chaos of their world.
One Israeli mother explained that during rocket attacks, her children found surprising peace while exploring a grove of olive trees near their home. Nature didn’t erase their fear—but it gave them room to be curious again, to ask questions, to hope.
Adventure Sparks Growth
Have you ever seen your child light up while climbing a rock, spotting a bird, or splashing through a stream? That spark—that’s growth in motion.
In outdoor settings, children discover more than leaves and bugs. They discover themselves. With every trail they follow, every obstacle they overcome, they’re learning how to solve problems, work as a team, and keep going when something is hard.
One of the most powerful parts of the Resilience Journeys program is that it invites kids to challenge themselves physically and mentally. Hiking, camping, and exploring don’t just get kids moving—they get them thinking differently about who they are and what they’re capable of.
Shared Experiences Build Security
Trauma isolates. But nature has a quiet way of bringing people back together.
The Israeli teens on these nature journeys weren’t just finding healing in the land—they were also finding it in each other. Shared meals under the stars. Laughter while crossing a stream. Honest conversations without phones in the way.
And here’s what’s beautiful: even kids who struggle to open up in a classroom or therapy session often find it easier to talk on a walk. Nature builds trust. It invites connection. And that connection creates one of the core needs all kids have: security.
Not Every Child Is Naturally “Outdoor-Smart” — And That’s Okay
We know not every child is drawn to the outdoors. Some are more cautious. Others love the indoors. But that doesn’t mean nature has nothing to offer them.
The key is this: start small, and stay curious together.
Visit a botanical garden. Watch the clouds and draw what you see. Listen to the birds during breakfast on the patio. You don’t need a national park—you need presence, curiosity, and a little time.
Over time, even reluctant kids begin to appreciate the sights, sounds, smells, and textures around them. Nature is patient. And it will wait for them to notice.
Resilience Is Grown, Not Given
Here’s what we believe at Celebrate Kids: kids are made to bounce back—and grow stronger. But they need the right space and support.
Nature is one of the most powerful environments to awaken a child’s strengths and smarts. It builds self-awareness, fosters problem-solving, and helps kids feel both brave and safe.
If your child is struggling—emotionally, spiritually, socially—consider starting a journey toward healing that begins with something as simple as stepping outside. It may not fix everything. But it will grow something important inside them.
Want to Start Today?
Use your child’s natural smart to awaken nature smarts:
Word Smart
Read books or poems about nature
Encourage journaling or writing stories about outdoor experiences
Use nature-themed vocabulary games or storytelling on walks
Picture Smart
Draw or paint what they see outside (plants, animals, landscapes)
Take photos on hikes and create nature scrapbooks
Observe patterns in leaves, clouds, or tree bark and recreate them in art
Logic Smart
Explore patterns in nature (e.g., weather, animal tracks, plant growth)
Ask “why” questions about ecosystems and research answers together
Track data like temperature, bird sightings, or growth of a garden
Body Smart
Go hiking, climbing, or play active games in nature
Build forts with sticks or dig in the dirt
Act out animal movements or create obstacle courses with natural materials
Music Smart
Listen to nature sounds and identify rhythms (birds, rain, wind)
Make simple instruments from nature (seed shakers, stick drums)
Write or sing songs about things they observe outdoors
People Smart
Go on nature walks with friends or family and talk about what they see
Join group hikes, clean-ups, or nature clubs
Have them teach others about a nature discovery they made
Self Smart
Encourage quiet reflection time outdoors
Let them set personal nature goals (e.g., watch a sunset, identify 5 trees)
Journal thoughts and feelings after time in nature
Nature Smart
This is the smart you're awakening! Use the other smarts above to help your child observe, enjoy, and connect with the natural world
Celebrate any spark of interest they show—feeding birds, watering plants, collecting rocks
Reinforce wonder by slowing down and noticing nature together
One Last Thought
Whether you’re parenting through peace or walking with your child through pain, nature can help. Not by fixing everything, but by creating space—space to breathe, to bond, and to believe again.
You’re not alone in helping your child grow. And you don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to take the next step—and sometimes, that step is best taken outside.