Heart to Heart with Nature: Why Parents Matter

At Big Scrub Nature Play, we often say that children don’t just learn how to love nature — they inherit it.

Research, and our lived experience working with families in the outdoors, tells us that a child’s relationship with the natural world is deeply shaped by the adults who walk beside them. They imitate not only what we do, but how we are in the world. Our pace, our curiosity, our reverence — these are quietly absorbed, heart to heart.

When parents pause to notice the curve of a leaf, the rhythm of waves, or the smell of damp earth after rain, children feel it. When we kneel down, get our hands dirty, and meet nature with wonder rather than urgency, we give our children permission to do the same. This is not about knowing all the names of plants or having the perfect outdoor routine. It’s about presence, commitment, and a willingness to keep returning.

At Big Scrub, we see nature connection as relational — between child and place, child and adult, and adult and Earth. When parents commit to nurturing their own connection with nature, they are not adding another task to an already full life; they are tending the roots of wellbeing for the whole family. The healing forces of the natural world work on us too, often gently, often unnoticed, but always profoundly.

Our invitation is simple: slow down, step outside together, and let the land be your teacher. Join us in the Big Scrub — or begin right where you are — and allow nature to work on you both. By choosing to step outside together, again and again, we pass on more than experiences. We pass on a way of belonging. And in doing so, we help raise children who feel at home on this Earth — and who will one day care for it with love.

Inspired by the writing of Sharifa Oppenheimer, “Parents Pass Nature Connection to Their Children Heart to Heart.”

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About the author

I’m Lidia, founder of Big Scrub Nature Play and author of Growing with Nature.

I’m currently undertaking a Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders, exploring how Forest School and nature play practices can support children’s emotional wellbeing, especially those with additional needs or challenges. These are my reflections and insights emerging from this journey — exploring how children can grow, learn and heal with nature 🌿