Our family recently returned from a week in the Appalachians. We climbed forest trails and played in rocky streams, enjoyed the summer sun and were cooled by pleasant mountain breezes. I love the outdoors and look forward to an expedition like this every summer, but I’m still surprised by the impact it has on all of us.

Nature is a powerful reminder of God’s sovereign rule, creative power, and complex design. The Psalmist praises God for his work: “You cause springs to bubble up in the valleys; they flow between the hills. … In them the birds of the sky make their home; they sing among the branches. From your lofty dwelling place you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your labor.” (Psalm 104:10, 12-13)

Experiencing nature also reminds us that we are a people destined to placedAn often neglected consequence of the global digital age is that we can be everywhere and nowhere at the same time – we are one people expelledBut as Christians, we know that our humanity is deeply connected to the earth for which we were created.

When we go outside and explore nature with our families, we have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in our surroundings by learning about the plants, animals, weather patterns, and landscape features of our home. And it helps us to know and delight in the God who created it all.

Why location is important

Our humanity is deeply connected to the earth for which we were created.

Craig Bartholomew writes that we are in the midst of a “crisis of place” that is having a devastating impact on the isolation of individuals and Christian care for cities and communities. The idea of Location does not just mean land features and geographical coordinates, but it at least includes such things. We must learn where we are placed in order to take care of it. Bartholomew reminds us,

The Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote of a world full of God amidst the rolling hills and valleys of Wales. In another poem he speaks of Christ as the one who “plays in ten thousand places”. The world is indeed full of the majesty of God, but it is in our place, one of those ten thousand places we are to find to play with Christ.

Finding and cooperating with Christ at His play in nature requires intentionality, whether for ourselves or in service to our children, but we will find it worth the effort.

George Washington Carver stated, “Those who do not yet know the secret of true happiness, the joy that comes from establishing a close relationship with the Creator and Sustainer of all things, should begin now by studying the little things on their doorstep, passing from the known to the nearest unknown, for each new truth brings one nearer to God.” Exploring nature begins when we step outside our doorstep, and there are countless ways to engage with our Creator and His world.

Help children find their place in nature

Some of us who are adults today have benefited from the example of our grandparents or parents who took us out into the great outdoors and pointed us to God with every trail exploration, bird song, or plant identification. But some don’t know where to begin—how to share nature’s gift with a generation increasingly fascinated by screens full of artificial images.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a wilderness guru to get your kids involved in nature—you just have to get outside.

Our family has appreciated several high-quality resources designed to help children learn about the natural world. Although these books are written from a secular worldview, Christian parents can use many of their ideas and activities as part of conversations about God as Creator. Books like Natural anatomy (and the accompanying diary, activity book and sticker book), Outdoor Activity LabAnd Encyclopedia of insects offer exciting information and activities for children of different ability levels. Art Box of Nature, Watercolor in natureAnd The lost words are helpful texts for children who are motivated by art and language rather than by building forts and making fires. Of course, for some young explorers, a simple sketch pad and a pencil or a large magnifying glass are enough of a catalyst.

You don’t have to be a wilderness guru to get your kids involved in nature – you just need to get outside.

We particularly liked the simple, creative approach of How to play in the forest by Robin Blankenship. This text touts “activities, survival skills, and games for all ages” – and it’s true to its word; families with children of various ages will find its content easy to relate to. I took this book on a recent walk with my husband and one of our sons in the hopes of “making string and rope from plant fibers” or “randomly breaking rocks to make a sharp-edged tool.” With Blankenship’s guidance, we were relatively successful in weaving a passable string out of tall grass on the side of the road, but (not surprisingly) it was the rock breaking that quickly captured my son’s attention.

Under Blankenship’s guidance, we scoured the ground for stones large enough to hurl at other rock surfaces to make sharp tools. What most farmers in southwest Missouri abhor became our treasure when we discovered the stone that produced the best results—chert, the same type of stone Native Americans used to make arrowheads and other sharp tools. This stone kept breaking into shards with edges sharp enough to scrape the bark off a stick or clean the hide of an animal—a testament to the god of order and design who had created it. And with each new stone we turned over, broke and examined, our relationship with our place grew a little more: the hills of southwest Missouri, a veritable treasure trove of stones.

Placed by our Creator

Regardless of what tools you use, getting your children—and yourself—outdoors offers the gift of connecting with nature. It also gives you the opportunity to learn about the Creator who intentionally put us in this world. As Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament above declares the work of his hands” (verse 1).

Nature is an untapped blessing for many Christians—and our children desperately need it in a digital world where we are increasingly isolated and homeless. Take them outside and experience the joy of encountering God, whose “invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, in everything that has been made since the beginning of the world” (Rom. 1:20).