In today's education landscape, children are not limited to textbook learning—their holistic development is gaining growing importance. We hope parents can enjoy learning in nature together with their kids in daily life, thereby promoting their well-being comprehensively. Nature offers a diverse learning platform, and also serves as an excellent space for enhancing children's emotional resonance and social interaction. We encourage parents to approach this from the perspective of strengthening their child’s social emotional learning, exploring nature together while learning how to observe, interact with, and appreciate the environment. Whether it is playing in a park or exploring the countryside, these activities provide children with opportunities to build self-awareness, self-management and social skills, while also deepening the bonding between parents and children. Let’s take a look at how we can integrate the five core competencies of social emotional learning into nature education.

Self-awareness

The natural environment offers a dynamic and enriching setting where parents and children can learn self-perception through the changes in the environment. As children wander through nature and observe the changing seasons, their inner world will be connected and they will become aware of their own emotional responses to these natural shifts. Parents can further guide children to listen to their own heartbeat and breath through simple breathing exercises, so that children can be more aware of their physical state. These are valuable practices in developing self-awareness.

Self-management

Children need to learn how to manage their behaviours to adapt to different environments and situations when exploring the nature. For example, during hands-on harvesting activities, children have to control their excitement, listen to others' instructions or opinions, and collaborate to complete tasks. This is not only an opportunity to learn from nature, but also a practical exercise in regulating emotions and behaviors within a team setting.

Social Awareness

Activities in nature often require teamwork, providing children with opportunities to observe and understand the emotions and behaviors of others. Take hiking as an example, when children notice their peers showing signs of exhaustion, they have the opportunity to learn how to offer encouragement and support. These experiences help children develop empathy and respect for others' feelings in natural interactions, thereby strengthening their social awareness.

Relationship Skills

Participating in group tasks within natural environments, like planting or garden maintenance, serves as a meaningful way to nurture children’s interpersonal abilities and foster teamwork. Through these experiences, children learn how to communicate effectively, resolve minor conflicts, and share in the joy of accomplishments. These interactions help children develop the ability to build and maintain positive relationships.

Responsible Decision Making

Parents and children make various decisions together during nature exploration, such as which plants to grow at home or which routes to take on a hike. These decision-making processes strengthen parent-child collaboration, at the same time provide real-life opportunities for children to learn how to take the consequences of their choices into consideration, and how to weigh pros and cons when making a decision.

Learning and playing in natural environments enhances children's physical and mental well-being, also leaving behind unforgettable memories and cherished milestones while they are growing up. This serves as a solid foundation for their future relationships and career growth.

By reconnecting with nature, we can explore and embrace more meaningful ways of learning—nurturing a brighter tomorrow for generations to come.

Boris Ma

Service Director (Social Services) of HKSPC

Boris is a registered social worker, and a holder of the Master degree in Social Work (Mental Health) from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is dedicated to developing people-oriented social services, mobilising community resources, and enhancing family functioning.