At this day in age, it's not uncommon for children to own a mobile device, such as a tablet or cell phone. According to a 2024 census conducted by Common Sense Census looking at how many children own mobile technology by age group, they found that 47% of children aged 2-8 own tablets. Further, they recorded that by the age of eight, 23% of children own a cell phone. From 2017 to 2024, the screen time of children aged 0-8 have been found to be significantly higher (3:06 to 3:47 hours daily), and children aged 5-8 typically spend 4 hours and 26 minutes consuming electronic media. What this means is that children are spending more time watching videos, playing games, using AI, and being on their mobile devices than they are playing outside. While reports differ on exactly how much outdoor play has decreased in the U.S. (35% less time, 30% , 37%, 50%, etc.), it is an unavoidable truth that kids aren't playing outside as much as they used to. In order to try to raise the number of kids that have outdoor exposure as well as the amount of time that they spend outside and playing or learning, the Nature-Based Learning (NBL) Approach was developed. As of 2022, there are roughly 800 NBL programs in the U.S., and over 25,000 children are enrolled in these programs. Sheila Williams Ridge is the Director of the University of Minnesota Child Development Laboratory School, and has over 25 years of experience as an educator and administrator in nature-based early childhood education. She is passionate about encouraging nature-based play and the lasting developmental benefits of children's relationships with nature. Recently, Sheila was interviewed for a documentary, called the In Our Nature Documentary, which came out in 2025. As of 2026, it is screening across the United States. Today on Health 411, Sheila Williams Ridge joins our host Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur to discuss her role as the director of the laboratory school, why outdoor exposure and learning is important to child development, and her role in the new documentary, In Our Nature. She is also a co-author of the book, Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget, and has co-authored several other publications on nature-based learning.
