why time in nature matters.
Children today are growing up indoors — behind screens, inside walls, cut off from the wild places that once raised us.
Nature Deficit – A Silent Crisis
"Children today spend less than 1 hour a day outdoors."
(UNICEF)
Over 70% of UK children rarely play outside in nature.
90% of adults spend their lives indoors, behind walls, beneath ceilings, breathing filtered air.
Nature play has declined by over 70% in just one generation.
3 in 4 UK children now spend less time outdoors than prison inmates.
Mental health is suffering — less time in nature is linked to increased anxiety, depression and stress in children and adults
Children miss out on benefits to cognitive development, creativity, and attention
Screen Time for UK Children (2024 data):
Children aged 5–16 in the UK spend an average of over 6.3 hours a day on screens.
Teenagers (13–16) can average 8+ hours per day – mostly on phones, gaming, and TV.
Children aged 3–7 average around 4 hours a day, even before starting school.
That’s over 44 hours a week – more than a full-time job – spent indoors and mostly inactive.
At what cost?
A generation is growing up not just nature-deficient, but nature-blind.
And we’re seeing the consequences — rising mental health issues, shorter attention spans, higher stress, less empathy, and a fading sense of belonging.
Mental Health:
Time in nature has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Without it, we see a sharp rise in mental health struggles, especially in young people.
Over 500 children are referred to NHS mental health services every day for anxiety alone.
Child Development:
Free play in wild spaces helps children develop confidence, creativity, risk awareness, and social skills.
Outdoor play is essential for developing strength, coordination, and overall health
Nature-deficit leads to a rise in behavioral issues, attention difficulties, and emotional disconnection.
Environmental Apathy:
People protect what they love – and you cannot love what you do not know.
When nature becomes distant or irrelevant, we lose the collective will to protect it.
Children who spend time in wild places are more likely to grow into adults who care for the planet.
Nature isn’t a luxury — it’s a lifeline.
The natural world heals. It soothes anxious minds, nurtures curiosity, sparks joy.
It teaches us patience, interconnection, and resilience.
Studies show time in nature reduces anxiety, boosts confidence, improves concentration, and even strengthens the immune system.
Children who spend time in wild places are more likely to grow into adults who care for the planet.
And yet, access to nature is not equal.
For many children — especially those in deprived communities — nature feels out of reach. Parks are far away. Time outside is limited. The wild feels distant, or even unsafe.
Rewilding is not just about landscapes. It’s about lives.
We are restoring ecosystems — not just out there in the woods, but inside hearts, families, communities.
We are creating a movement — of young people who feel rooted and wild and brave.
We are growing a future where nature is not a luxury for the few, but a birthright for all.
Time in Nature Heals
What if every child felt at home in the wild?
Imagine a world where every child knows the joy of mud between their fingers.
Where they learn confidence by lighting their first campfire.
Where they feel calm because they know how to find stillness in a forest.
At Project Rewild, we believe this isn’t just possible — it’s essential.
We work to reconnect children (and adults) with nature in real, lasting ways — especially those who need it most.
“If children lose their connection to nature, they won’t fight for it when it’s gone”
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
Our impact is real. And growing.
Since 2018 Project Rewild has:
Offered 4,550 free outdoor spaces to local children on our groups. See more
600 free adult wellbeing spaces on our groups including Take Action Man and Earth Weavers
Fed 1,600 children free healthy lunches during our sessions
Delivered Outdoor learning groups to 42 schools in East Sussex. See more
Trained to over 300 school staff and outdoor practitioners. See more
Offered 300 alternative education spaces to children not in mainstream education - See more
Taught over 700 people how to grow healthy food sustainably in schools and the wider community
Created 6 community permaculture allotments
Taught over 100 local children how to fish. See more
Trained 12 new young mentors, providing qualifications and work experience - planting seeds for future changemakers
Offered over 100 volunteer placements
Planted over 500 tress
And we’re just getting started.
Project Rewild is a non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) — which means every penny we receive goes directly into our work with children, families, and communities. We rely on grants, donations, and the generosity of people like you to keep our programmes free and accessible to those who need them most. Your support helps us run wild play sessions, train youth mentors, grow food, and create safe, healing spaces in nature. If you believe in what we do, we’d love your help — every donation, big or small, makes a real difference.
