Högskolan i Skövde

Inledning: En stillasittande livsstil blir allt vanligare bland barn, och aktiva utelekar har fått konkurrens från TV- och dataspel. Många familjer bor i städer, med begränsad tillgång till naturkontakt. Naturen erbjuder spontan fysisk aktivitet, likaså ro och mental återhämtning. Barn som har en tidig relation med naturen blir ofta intresserade av naturen som vuxna. Denna studie undersöker möjligheten till naturkontakt för svenska barn i åldrarna 5-12 år.Metod: Tio mödrar intervjuades angående sina barns samspel med naturen. Grupp 1 bestod av fem mammor med barn som hade regelbunden naturkontakt, och grupp 2 bestod av fem mammor med barn som inte hade regelbunden naturkontakt.Resultat: Mödrar som bodde på landet och mödrar som var engagerade i en friluftsorganisation hade barn med regelbunden naturkontakt, medan mödrar som bodde i stadsmiljö gav färre möjligheter till naturkontakt till sina barn. Mödrar som hade regelbunden naturkontakt som barn var mer benägna att ha ett naturintresse som vuxna. Naturkontakt var mest vanlig under sommarhalvåret.Diskussion: Bostadssammanhang och föräldrarnas engagemang var viktiga när det kom till frågan om barnen hade regelbunden naturkontakt eller inte.

Introduction: A sedentary lifestyle is getting more common among children, and outdoor play today is challenged by television and computer games. Many families live in cities with limited access to nature. Nature provides spontaneous physical activities as well as it offers mental recovery. Children who experience early exposure to nature often demonstrate an interested in nature as adults. This study examines the possibilities of access to nature for Swedish children aged 5-12 years.Methods: Ten mothers were interviewed about their children’s interaction with nature. Group 1 included five mothers with children who had regular contact with nature, and group 2 included five mothers with children who didn’t have regular contact with nature.Results: The children of mothers who lived in the countryside and mothers who were involved with nature related associations had regular access to nature, while mothers who lived in urban areas ended up giving their children less opportunities to access to nature. Mothers who had regular access to nature as children were more likely to enjoy nature as adults. Contact with nature was more frequent during the summer months.Discussion: Residential context and parents commitment were important in relation to the aspect of whether children had regular nature contact or not.