OutGrown Blog

This blog was written in partnership with our friends at Turtle Fur. Every May in the U.S. we celebrate Mother’s Day—at OutGrown we aim to celebrate and support those mamas all year long! Our Turn the Blues Green program focuses on combating the perinatal depression and baby blues that new parents often face. We provide the resources new parents need to feel safe, comfortable and able to get outside with their babies and find a supportive community. The benefits of spending time outdoors for new mamas and babies The outdoors provides elements we need to regulate hormones, ease stress and improve our sleep/wake cycles. Spending time in nature helps to: Increase serotonin Reduce cortisol Improve cognition Ease depression Boost immune function Improve sleep When new moms reap the benefits of spending time outdoors, so do their babies—and by going out together begin to bridge the ever-growing baby-nature gap recent generations have experienced. How to support yourself or other new mamas to combat the baby blues The “baby blues”—which can affect up to 85% of new parents—is difficult to go through and can be hard to distinguish from perinatal depression (formerly known as post-partum depression), which is a condition that often requires medical treatment and intervention. A trusted healthcare provider should always be in the loop when you or a loved one is experiencing the symptoms of depression after the birth of a child. There are also resources like the free, confidential National Maternal Mental Health hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). What else can you do to help yourself when experiencing depression after birth? Find simple ways to spend time outdoors every day, like taking extra time when checking the mailbox, stopping to feel the sun on your face as you walk into the store, or choosing to meet friends/family/colleagues at a park instead of inside. Look up other supportive communities (like Hike it Baby) in your area and commit to joining at least once per week. Research and ask other parents about their experiences and what gear or resources helped them the most in their post-birth journey. Reward and treat yourself when you accomplish goals. Get inspired. Be inspiring. Sometimes it helps to simply know that you aren’t alone in your experience with depression and the baby blues. By sharing our stories, we can help decrease the stigma associated with mental health and help others get through difficult times. Stories like Dawn’s and Angela’s can help others know there are ways to overcome difficulties after giving birth. Looking for new gear to get outside with your little ones this summer? Check out Turtle Fur’s new summer collection for adults and kids! Photo credit: Laura Castro _ Burg Life Photography Here's a little more about OutGrown: We're a national, 501c3 nonprofit with over a decade of experience helping families get outside with their babies and young children. We believe it is critical to include and center families from birth because it is a crucial developmental time for both the infant and the parent, where we can create a life-long, multi-generational impact. We know that we protect what we love and we're helping families build a loving connection with the outdoors so they can value and protect it for generations to come. As a community-driven organization, we have been working with indigenous, Latine, BIPOC, immigrant & refugee, and rural families to co-design multilingual and culturally relevant solutions in our programming. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteers. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.  

This blog was written in partnership with our friends at Turtle Fur. Every season has its challenges when it comes to finding the motivation to get outdoors. It could be too hot or too cold; too wet or too dry; too dark, windy, smoggy or muddy. We feel stuck indoors and our physical, mental and emotional well-being can take a hit because of it. “Spending time in nature is linked to both cognitive benefits and improvements in mood, mental health and emotional well-being.” American Psychological Association. That’s why it’s so important to try to spend at least 10 meaningful minutes outside each day. The health benefits of spending time outside Getting a breath of fresh air can do more than improve our lungs—there are many proven benefits for the whole family to spending time outside. Benefit: Increased serotonin Exposing the body to sunshine naturally increases serotonin levels—those "happy" boosters we produce that impact things like our memory, stress, digestion and sleep.   Benefit: Increased Vitamin D Sun exposure is also a great way to naturally absorb vitamin D. We need vitamin D for healthy bone growth but also to help control cancer cell development, infections and inflammation in our bodies.   Benefit: Reduced cortisol levels
 Cortisol is the hormone that helps give us the energy we produce to wake up in the morning and also helps us fall asleep and rest as levels lower in our body. When we have high levels of cortisol we can suffer from things like anxiety, weight gain and heart disease.   Benefit: Burned calories
 Exercise outdoors has the added benefits of natural inclines, wind resistance and varying terrain—all of which add to more calories being burnt from something as simple as a stroll around the block.   Benefit: Improved memory, focus and attention Studies show that nature directly contributes to enhanced brain development in children who spend quality time outdoors. Nature itself helps to decrease the heart rate and blood pressure, regulate body temperature and helps with cognitive skills, memory and attention.   Benefit: Decreased risk of heart disease The combination of increased vitamin D, reduced cortisol and easing physical tension in our bodies from time spent outdoors contributes to a decreased risk of developing heart disease.   Benefit: Improved sleep Falling asleep can be difficult when your body isn't in the right rhythm or is too wound up to get restful sleep. Spending time outdoors helps our brains sync with a sleep/wake cycle and fall into a more healthy pattern of day/night energy.   Benefit: Eased depression symptoms
 Spending more time outdoors increases the likelihood of feeling connected to nature—and can therefore lead to feeling less isolated and depressed.   Benefit: Boosted immune function
 It's not just a breath of fresh air that helps us feel better as we escape from indoor germs and bacteria—sunlight may activate T cells in our immune system to fight infections and some plants release immune-boosting phytoncides into the air.   Benefit: Increased happiness and peacefulness When we soak up natural sunlight, breathe fresh air and appreciate the beauty of nature on a consistent basis, we increase our ability to feel true happiness and peace. We feel more connected, less confined and at ease from all the benefits of spending meaningful time outdoors regularly. Make it a habit to get outdoors every day Try to make it a habit to spend time in nature every day by starting small and finding others to motivate you and your family. Take a little extra time as you do your daily activities outside—like when you are walking into work, school or running errands. Find accountability buddies or communities with like-minded goals and inspire others while you achieve yours! Soon, it will become "natural" to spend more time in nature and you will reap the benefits of improved mental, physical and emotional well-being. Want to view more studies and learn more? We think this article is a great resource. Looking for a fun way to support our Hike it Baby program? Check out the Totally Tubular Comfort Shell from our partner, Turtle Fur! ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

Downloadable PDF with resources for promoting and joining the Spring Sensory Celebration.

While wandering through nature, we take in our surroundings using our senses. We smell flowers, touch tree bark, listen to bird calls, see details (like an ant trail on a tree), and even taste some of the natural objects we come across (think berries or edible flowers). And, while investigating nature in this way comes naturally to most children, sometimes we forget to allow children the time and space they need to do it. We are sharing five different ways to explore each of the five senses with children. So get outside as a family, slow down, and explore nature with your senses together! Photo Credit: Michelle Pearl Gee Exploring Nature by Touch Humans inevitably explore the world through touch. Pretty much every single moment of the day is filled with some variation of the touch sense. Though we take almost all of our touch sensations for granted and do not think much about them, one minute outside can feel like this: You touch the doorknob to let yourself outside and immediately feel the warm air and a slight breeze on your skin. You take a step outside and your bare feet feel the warm cement ground. You walk toward your front yard and brush your arm up against a bush. You reach out to touch some flowers right before your feet touch the cooler grass. You take a moment to relish the feeling of the grass before you sit down and feel the soft ground under your body, and maybe a slight itchy feeling on your legs. The sensory experience of touch literally happens all the time, so much so we tend to block out much of what we are feeling. But, if we slow down outside, practice a little mindfulness, and think about each feeling as it touches our body, it can shift any outdoor experiences greatly. Five ways to slow down and experience the sense of touch in nature: Create a touch box. Children love guessing games and creating this simple activity will not only provide a delightful family gaming experience but will also create an opportunity to really explore nature through touch. All you do is gather some simple nature items and put them inside a box. Don’t let your children see what is in the box and have them guess what nature item it is based on touch alone. You can put one item in at a time (good for younger children) or all at once to make it more challenging.   Walk barefoot in nature. The human foot is incredibly sensitive and experiencing a variety of ground cover feels different on our feet and provides different sensory input. When you intentionally think about each sensation your feet are feeling, the whole experience of walking barefoot shifts just a bit.   Find different textures in nature. Create a simple scavenger hunt and set your kids loose to find a variety of textures outside. You can also just have the ideas in your head and have the kids search for one at a time while you meander your favorite trail. Some examples of easy-to-find nature textures are rough, smooth, cold, warm, wet, dry, hard, soft, etc.   Hug a tree. Literally. Not only will it feel really nice to do it, but you will also be able to feel different sensations. Are you able to wrap your hands all the way around? Is the bark rough or smooth?   Count the skin sensations. Sit down for 1 to 5 minutes depending on the ages of your children and their ability to focus and count how many sensations you can feel on your skin. The wind on your skin, the warmth of the sun, the feeling of the ground under your body, the fly that landed on your leg, and so much more. It is hard to focus on only the feeling of touch, but it is amazing how many different things our skin can feel in just one minute. Want to learn more about exploring nature with your senses? Check out our other posts on using your senses of hearing, taste, smell, and sight!   ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.