One in three children spends most of the day indoors, surrounded by walls and screens. Less time outdoors means fewer opportunities to run, explore, get their hands dirty, and learn in the most natural way possible: through direct experience of the world.
But what really happens when a child reconnects with nature? Science offers a surprisingly clear answer: greenery is not just a pleasant backdrop for play; it is one of the most effective ways to enhance attention, memory, creativity, and even emotional and social skills.
Science confirms it: greenery supports the brain
Non è solo una sensazione: la ricerca lo conferma sempre di più. Una revisione sistematica pubblicata su Educational Psychology Review ha messo insieme numerosi studi sul rapporto tra natura e infanzia, e il quadro che emerge è chiaro. I bambini che hanno un contatto regolare con ambienti naturali mostrano miglioramenti concreti in attenzione, memoria e capacità di concentrazione, con effetti che si vedono anche a scuola, nel modo in cui affrontano i compiti e restano coinvolti nell’apprendimento. I benefici cognitivi si registrano fin dai primi anni d’età.
In practice, greenery is not simply an added extra in a child’s day. It appears to help the brain function better, supporting key processes such as learning, memory, and concentration, while making these activities feel much more natural and spontaneous for children.
A natural antidote to sensory overload
Natural environments provide a restorative break from the constant sensory overload typical of indoor and digital spaces. Surrounded by greenery, children give their brains time to recharge and process information more effectively.
The results are clear in practice: children find it easier to stay focused during activities, are better able to remember what they have learned, maintain their attention for longer, and engage more genuinely in the learning process. There is also another equally valuable benefit: spending time in nature appears to reduce mental stress and make learning a more enjoyable, stimulating experience that leaves a more lasting impression on children.
A Connection That Nurtures Both Mind and Heart
The benefits of nature go beyond cognitive development. A study published in Environment and Behavior shows that spending time in natural environments helps children build a deeper connection with the world around them, fostering empathy, a sense of responsibility, and respect for other living beings. Children who grow up surrounded by greenery or regularly spend time outdoors also tend to be more curious and exploratory, while developing more environmentally conscious behaviors.
Children who live near green spaces seem to cope better with stressful situations than those who grow up with limited access to nature. And when children learn from an early age that even their everyday actions can help protect the environment, that sense of responsibility grows alongside an increasingly genuine connection with nature.
When Nature Isn’t Within Reach: Bringing It Indoors
Schools, nurseries, and homes cannot turn into forests, but they can still bring a truly authentic piece of nature within their walls.
Aura systems help recreate this connection with nature, making greenery accessible and close at hand, even for those living in urban areas and improving air quality and the indoor environment by combining real plants with technology.
In this way, the spaces where children live, play, and learn become healthier, more welcoming, and more stimulating environments, where they can grow up surrounded by living nature every day.
Discover Aura breathing green walls
Sphera
The stand-alone breathing green wall, available in Sphera and Sphera+ versions. Its installation is easy and does not require any structural intervention.
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Aura System srl
Via Riccardo Pitteri 10, 20134, Milan, Italy
info@aurasystem.it
P.IVA 11366560966