PW invited parents of Purushottam Bhagchandka Academic School, Kolkata to share their thoughts on how to help children connect with nature
“I am a nature lover and have nurtured my five-year-old son Aayam to love and respect nature. The park near our house is his favourite go-to place especially to run around barefeet and feel the soft grassy carpet beneath.
Since Aayam has a natural curiosity about flowers, plants and animals, I have bought him many picture books and with a little guidance, he has started learning names of common flowers, insects and birds. He has also learnt to differentiate between harmless and harmful vegetation. It is heartening to observe his gradual understanding of the value of life. Now Aayam never plucks flowers, harms insects or wastes water.” — Moumita Biswas, homemaker.
“The pandemic was the perfect time for my four-year-old daughter Tanushri to bond with nature. Thanks to her school’s extra-curricular activities, she was familiar with the process of germination. When we planted a seed together in our home garden the other day, she was delighted to watch it grow and tended to it with a great sense of responsibility until it transformed into a fully grown plant. Moreover, she has also made it a practice to keep a water bowl and a bowl of grains on our terrace for visiting birds and squirrels and has additionally started feeding leftover food to stray dogs and cats.” — Ratna Chowdhury, homemaker
“Out of school education has enabled my three and a half-year-old daughter Sherlyn to bond with nature. Off and on over the past pandemic year, we visited open green spaces near our home and went for short nature walks observing our natural surroundings. She loved jumping into puddles on the way and feeling the loose earth with her small hands even building shapes with it. Her favourite activity is to search for insects, bugs and leaves and collect them in a box. Under severe lockdown restrictions, my daughter learnt to water and care for some plants we grew together on our balcony. She has now taken to feeding birds.” — Jaymala Thakur, homemaker
“I believe Mother Nature is our best teacher. She moulds our finer instincts such as caring for the elderly and helping others in need through selfless activities. Therefore I try my best to draw my ten-year-old daughter Hiya’s attention to nature by encouraging her to observe various species of birds, help me to rearrange pots in the garden, till the soil and water the plants, and above all admire the beauty of dense forests, rough and calm seas, blue skies and snow-capped mountains. In my opinion, human beings can never achieve all-round development without these finer traits.” — Sanjukta Biswas, admin staff, Mount Litera Zee School, Kolkata.
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Nature Connect in SKEI: Family Bonding through Nature Walks
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