Give the Green Light to Kids

The benefits of "green" time.

A new follow-up study in the Journal of Public Health confirms that a little "green time" every day may reduce your child's ADHD symptoms. "Even 20 minutes in a green setting, such as a walk down a tree-lined street, has a real, observable benefit," says Frances E. Kuo, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Nature settings have been shown to help kids and adults without ADHD recover from "attention fatigue," which occurs after long periods spent concentrating, inhibiting impulses, and being patient. Dr. Kuo believes that children with ADHD are even more prone to attention fatigue.

In her survey of 500 parents, it was reported that their children with ADHD experienced substantial benefits, whatever the activity, if it occurred in a green, outdoor setting: a park, a farm, or a backyard.

The benefit was found in boys and girls, ages 5 to 18, in rural and inner-city locales.