The Princess of Wales has said time outdoors has never been more important in this “digital age” as she commissioned research into how nature can support the social and emotional development of youngsters.
Kate hopes the study by her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood will enable society to “build supportive environments” that make the natural world more “accessible” to babies and young children.
The princess has long championed the benefits of experiencing nature, especially during her cancer journey, and wrote in a recent essay: “By spending time in nature or being creative, we can nurture the very skills and emotions that cannot be digitised: awareness, empathy, humility, and above all, love.”
The centre is working with William’s Duchy of Cornwall estate on the project, and on Thursday the prince and princess made a private visit to the duchy’s Nansledan site, a sustainable urban extension of Newquay.
William is taking a keen interest in the project and the couple visited the area to learn more about the potential of nature-based learning during the earliest years of life.
In a video message recorded in Cornwall to mark the announcement, Kate said: “New scientific research increasingly shows just how important nature is for our psychological and physiological wellbeing.
“Nature is such an extraordinary environment for us all and, in this tech-driven, digital age, spending quality time outdoors has never been more important.
“This project is about exploring how nature, creativity and relationships can best support the healthy development of babies and young children.
“We believe that taking a whole-child approach is important, and nature becomes a wonderful place to explore how we can successfully nurture the social and emotional skills that underpin lifelong health and wellbeing.
“My hope is that through this practical, nature-based research, we can build supportive environments that help make nature more accessible, benefiting babies, young children and their families across the UK.”
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