Based on research originally published as: Ruckert, J. H., Moreno, C., Postigo, M., & Thurston, M. J. (2024). Encountering animals cultivates meaningful shared experiences between children and parents. Anthrozoös, 37(4), 705–726.
Over decades of research, children’s experiences in nature – particularly those shared with caregivers – have consistently been linked to children’s healthy development (including physical, psychological, and social development), as well as their developing environmental commitments. Interactions with animals have played a key role in children’s psychological well-being and their developing concerns about conservation.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
In a world where many spaces and places to experience these kinds of interactions are in danger of disappearing (referred to as extinction of experience), it is important to understand the range of nature experiences and the meaning and value they offer children and their families.
Often, children explore the natural world with help from their caregivers. This may involve finding roly-polies in the dirt on a family camping trip, and being fascinated by their squirming legs and ability to roll into a tight little ball when they are accidentally flipped over. It may involve hearing the hoots of owls and the chirping of insects as the children go to bed, which creates an unusual but somehow comforting symphony.
In a study we conducted, we gathered heartwarming stories from parents of young children to explore the types of nature experiences they shared and what made these moments meaningful.
While many studies have outlined the benefits of children’s nature experiences, few have explored parents’ perspectives on the meaning and quality of these experiences. In our study, we asked two overarching questions: 1) What do parents do outside with their children? And 2) What makes these experiences valuable to the parents?
Forty-nine parents (82% mothers, 18% fathers) of young children (seven and 10 years old) completed a written survey in which they provided a short narrative response to the prompt, “Please describe a meaningful nature experience that you have shared with your child.” Most parents in our study were White (74%), nearly all were college educated (92%), and all lived in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
To understand the range and significance of parent-child outdoor experiences, we analyzed the stories to identify patterns, categorize key ideas, and accurately represent parents’ perspectives. Combining insights from previous research with a careful review of the narratives in our study, we identified themes that highlight the types of outdoor experiences parents find most meaningful, their impact on children’s emotional growth, and how they strengthen family bonds and connections to nature.
We identified three key findings:
Based on the work of Stephen Kellert, a professor of social ecology who explored ties between people and nature, we organized parents’ descriptions of nature experiences into three categories: direct, indirect, and vicarious.
Direct experiences are those that can be seen as wild (e.g., encountering a wild animal in nature). For example, when a parent shared, “When visiting Grammy in Montana, we have seen many wild animals in her yard: deer, rabbits, birds, chipmunks, squirrels,” we coded this under Kellert’s direct category since these wild animals moved spontaneously through the grandparent’s yard.
Photo by Jenny Uhling on Pexels
Indirect experiences are domesticated and controlled by people (e.g., encountering a starfish at the aquarium, or as a parent reported, “We visited the bear sanctuary outside Bozeman”).
Vicarious experiences are mediated by technological and other sources (e.g., reading a book on sharks, watching an episode of Wild Kratts, interacting with a robotic toy dog). For example, a parent told us, “We have a cousin who moved to Australia but they did have some animals she had never heard of. We went online to look them up and learn all about the ‘unknown’ animals of Australia.”
In our study, parents mentioned all three types of nature encounters, demonstrating the diversity of experiences parents find meaningful. However, most of the encounters parents described in their spontaneous storytelling were direct and wild, involving exposure to animals in their natural habitat. When parents discussed vicarious experiences, they often framed them as enhancements of a direct experience (e.g., “he frequently wrote about the trip and shared photos he had taken.”).
Building on the work of Gail F. Melson, a noted authority on children’s relationships with animals, nature, and emerging technologies, we identified various psychological responses parents observed in their children during the outdoor adventures.
These activities often sparked curiosity (e.g., “She asked lots of questions about where live, how old we thought they were, what they eat, etc.”).
Nearly half the stories highlighted children’s sustained focus and fascination with nature. For instance, one parent told us, “ can spend hours searching tidal pools for creatures, or under rocks/logs in the woods searching for bugs.” Reported another: “The water had receded quite a distance and we could get right up to the rocks to look at the starfish, urchins, anemones, and other tidal pool creatures.”
Parents’ stories revealed how their children demonstrated perspective taking by considering the unique needs of animals. For example, one parent shared, “We gathered tadpoles from a neighbor’s pond and raised them up into frogs. It was fascinating to watch the excitement when changes were discovered. Also, the ever-changing food needs as they grew bigger gave lots of opportunities to research tadpole, froglet, and frog dietary needs.”
Relational bonding is about building and strengthening connections – between parents and children, and between children and the natural world. When children share outdoor experiences with their caregivers, these moments not only promote psychological and physical health but also nurture a lifelong commitment to caring for the environment.
Research by Louise Chawla on children and nature highlights four key ways parents influence their children’s connection to nature:
Key takeaways for caregivers
- In our work, parents reported that a variety of nature experiences (e.g., reading nature books, watching nature documentaries, playing in the backyard or at a park) are meaningful and valuable.
- When asked to share a story about a meaningful time they had outside with their children, parents most often recalled encounters with wild animals, particularly in their natural habitats.
- Parents remarked on their children’s psychological experiences of sustained attention, curiosity, and perspective taking. Outdoor adventures sparked children’s desire to learn, as evident in their questions about animals and ecosystems. Children showed empathy and understanding by considering the needs of animals (e.g., when raising tadpoles and learning about their changing diets).
- In nature, parents can model what is meaningful and valuable through their interactions with nature. They can also serve as guides, encouraging their children to observe the natural world, ask questions, and develop a sense of caring and connection with animals and ecosystems. These shared adventures not only deepen children’s appreciation for nature but also strengthen the bond between parents and their children.
Children and nature
Over decades of research, children’s experiences in nature – particularly those shared with caregivers – have consistently been linked to children’s healthy development (including physical, psychological, and social development), as well as their developing environmental commitments. Interactions with animals have played a key role in children’s psychological well-being and their developing concerns about conservation.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels
In a world where many spaces and places to experience these kinds of interactions are in danger of disappearing (referred to as extinction of experience), it is important to understand the range of nature experiences and the meaning and value they offer children and their families.
Often, children explore the natural world with help from their caregivers. This may involve finding roly-polies in the dirt on a family camping trip, and being fascinated by their squirming legs and ability to roll into a tight little ball when they are accidentally flipped over. It may involve hearing the hoots of owls and the chirping of insects as the children go to bed, which creates an unusual but somehow comforting symphony.
In a study we conducted, we gathered heartwarming stories from parents of young children to explore the types of nature experiences they shared and what made these moments meaningful.
How we uncovered the meaning of shared nature moments
While many studies have outlined the benefits of children’s nature experiences, few have explored parents’ perspectives on the meaning and quality of these experiences. In our study, we asked two overarching questions: 1) What do parents do outside with their children? And 2) What makes these experiences valuable to the parents?
Forty-nine parents (82% mothers, 18% fathers) of young children (seven and 10 years old) completed a written survey in which they provided a short narrative response to the prompt, “Please describe a meaningful nature experience that you have shared with your child.” Most parents in our study were White (74%), nearly all were college educated (92%), and all lived in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
To understand the range and significance of parent-child outdoor experiences, we analyzed the stories to identify patterns, categorize key ideas, and accurately represent parents’ perspectives. Combining insights from previous research with a careful review of the narratives in our study, we identified themes that highlight the types of outdoor experiences parents find most meaningful, their impact on children’s emotional growth, and how they strengthen family bonds and connections to nature.
We identified three key findings:
- A diverse typology of nature experiences matters to parents,
- Parents reported that their children demonstrated curiosity and perspective-taking skills during these outdoor adventures, and
- Parents valued the natural experiences for the relational bonding their children experienced with nature, their parents, and families.
Typology of nature experiences
Based on the work of Stephen Kellert, a professor of social ecology who explored ties between people and nature, we organized parents’ descriptions of nature experiences into three categories: direct, indirect, and vicarious.
Direct experiences are those that can be seen as wild (e.g., encountering a wild animal in nature). For example, when a parent shared, “When visiting Grammy in Montana, we have seen many wild animals in her yard: deer, rabbits, birds, chipmunks, squirrels,” we coded this under Kellert’s direct category since these wild animals moved spontaneously through the grandparent’s yard.
Photo by Jenny Uhling on Pexels
Indirect experiences are domesticated and controlled by people (e.g., encountering a starfish at the aquarium, or as a parent reported, “We visited the bear sanctuary outside Bozeman”).
Vicarious experiences are mediated by technological and other sources (e.g., reading a book on sharks, watching an episode of Wild Kratts, interacting with a robotic toy dog). For example, a parent told us, “We have a cousin who moved to Australia but they did have some animals she had never heard of. We went online to look them up and learn all about the ‘unknown’ animals of Australia.”
In our study, parents mentioned all three types of nature encounters, demonstrating the diversity of experiences parents find meaningful. However, most of the encounters parents described in their spontaneous storytelling were direct and wild, involving exposure to animals in their natural habitat. When parents discussed vicarious experiences, they often framed them as enhancements of a direct experience (e.g., “he frequently wrote about the trip and shared photos he had taken.”).
Exploring nature, strengthening social-emotional skills
Building on the work of Gail F. Melson, a noted authority on children’s relationships with animals, nature, and emerging technologies, we identified various psychological responses parents observed in their children during the outdoor adventures.
These activities often sparked curiosity (e.g., “She asked lots of questions about where live, how old we thought they were, what they eat, etc.”).
Nearly half the stories highlighted children’s sustained focus and fascination with nature. For instance, one parent told us, “ can spend hours searching tidal pools for creatures, or under rocks/logs in the woods searching for bugs.” Reported another: “The water had receded quite a distance and we could get right up to the rocks to look at the starfish, urchins, anemones, and other tidal pool creatures.”
Parents’ stories revealed how their children demonstrated perspective taking by considering the unique needs of animals. For example, one parent shared, “We gathered tadpoles from a neighbor’s pond and raised them up into frogs. It was fascinating to watch the excitement when changes were discovered. Also, the ever-changing food needs as they grew bigger gave lots of opportunities to research tadpole, froglet, and frog dietary needs.”
Relational bonding
Relational bonding is about building and strengthening connections – between parents and children, and between children and the natural world. When children share outdoor experiences with their caregivers, these moments not only promote psychological and physical health but also nurture a lifelong commitment to caring for the environment.
Research by Louise Chawla on children and nature highlights four key ways parents influence their children’s connection to nature:
- Emphasizing that caring for the land is an important part of the family’s identity and well-being
- Disapproving of harmful or destructive practices in nature
- Expressing joy and pleasure when spending time outdoors
- Showing...