Working+Bibliography


 * __Working Bibliography:__

Louv, R. (2008). //Last Child in the Woods// (2 ed.). New York: Algonquin Books.** //This book is essentially equivalent to the bible in terms of research for this project. It is what inspired me to continue researching "nature deficit disorder" (it also created that now widely used term) and it has led me to innumerable other sources to continue gathering data. It is a goldmine as far as statistical data as well as its psychological interpretations. Thankfully, its also a fun read!//

//This website has excellent resources as far as links to multiple published and peer-reviewed articles about the relationships between children and nature. It also has great ideas about how to encourage kids to go outside more.//
 * //Children & Nature Network (C&NN)//. Web. 04 Feb. 2010. .**

//I only read part of this journal, however that was useful for gathering statistical data about how the way children spend time inside and out has changed over the last few decades. It also had some medical statistics relating to the trends in obesity which were helpful.//
 * Hofferth, S.L. & Sandberg, J.F. (2001, May). How children spend their time. Journal of Marriage and Family, 473-279.**

//This is a relatively short article with some basic facts about "nature deficit disorder." Most of it isn't really useful since it is very general.//
 * "Child's play moves indoors - Nightly News- msnbc.com." //msnbc.com//. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .**

//This article emphasizes the importance of letting children play outdoors so that they can develop both cognitively and physically. It cites many other useful and professional sources and relates directly with the topic I am researching. It also provides possible solutions to getting kids to play outside more.I found it to very helpful, even though it isn't very long.//
 * Rivkin, Mary S. "Outdoor Experiences for Young Children." ERIC DIGEST Dec. 2000: n.p. //SIRS Government Reporter.// Web. 23 February 2010**

//This is one of the best and most informative articles I have read so far. It highlights the fact that children tend to be "over-scheduled" in today's culture as one of the main contributing factors for the decreased time kids spend playing on their own. It provides great statistics about how children's activities have changed over a period of almost two decades (1981-1997) and also talks about how the business of parents also plays a major part in the increased time kids spend watching tv or doing other indoor/sedentary activities. Again, this is a very useful source.//
 * Fishman, Charles. "The Smorgasbord Generation." American Demographics May 1999: 54-60. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 23 February 2010.**

//This article addresses another health risk that comes with spending less time playing outdoors which is vitamin D deficiency. The article highlights how the recent increase in vitamin-D deficiency related problems directly correlates with the decreased amount of time kids spend playing out in the sun. It also talks about how vitamin-D deficiency can increase the risk of obesity, further putting sedentary kids at risk. It is a pretty useful source.//
 * Stein, Rob. "Millions of Children in U.S. Found to Be Lacking Vitamin D." Washington Post (Washington, DC) 03 Aug 2009: A3. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 23 February 2010.**

//This article is mostly about the effects that popular culture (television, advertisements, logos, video games, etc) has on children and how some parents choose to limit their kids' exposure to such ideas. It compares the pros and cons of gating children from this media-oriented and materialist culture and has some interesting facts about the effects it has on development, social interactions, and family ties.//
 * Ferriss, Lloyd. "What the Kids Don't Know..." Maine Telegram (Portland, ME) Aug. 15 1999: G1+. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 23 February 2010.**

//This article makes a lot of good points relating to the importance of letting children play outside, as the title suggests. It relates very well with the topic I am researching and I found it to be an excellent source.//
 * Nixon, Will. "Letting Nature Shape Childhood." Amicus Journal Fall 1997: 31-34. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 23 February 2010.**

//This is a pretty general and short article, but it does provide some information about how much advances in technology have decreased the amount of time we spend outside and even just moving and what a drastic effect this has had on humanity. It argues that simply going back to doing things the "old-fashioned way" (ie walking, cooking, gardening,// standing etc.) would improve our lives tremendously and help to decrease obesity. It isn't the best article, but it's not the worst either.
 * Boyd, Tracy. "Technology Means Less Activity, More Health Risks, Many Say." Detroit News (Detroit, MI) Feb. 24 2000: n.p. //SIRS Researcher.// Web. 23 February 2010.**

//This website has useful ideas about activities that families can do outside and can also search for nearby parks/reserves based on your zipcode. Information-wise it does not have too much, but it does have some basic facts about why it is important for kids to spend time outside. It also has links to other useful sites.//
 * //Nature Rocks. Happier, Healthier, Smarter Children and Families.// Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .**

//This is not a very useful website at all. It has no information. The only good thing about it is that it has some links to other sites that are useful, however these can be found pretty easily without the help of this one...//
 * Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .**

//This site is more useful than the one above but it still doesn't have much information. It has some basic and general ideas for activities that people can do outside and a few bullet points about the benefits of being in nature but other than that there is not much else. Links section isn't of much use either.//
 * //Take a Child Outside " NC Museum of Natural Sciences//. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .**

//This is finally a good a site. It is a bit disorganized but it does have information and scientific evidence about why nature is good for children. It encourages the idea of having a "green hour" everyday when kids go out and play. It also has some links to good resources that relate to activities that can be done outside. This is one of the larger national campaigns I have found relating to this issue.//
 * "What is a Green Hour? - National Wildlife Federation." //National Wildlife Federation//. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .**

//This site has a lot of the same resources that the naturerocks.org website does only in a less interesting and user-friendly format.// Overall it's not that useful; its better to just go to the naturerocks website.
 * "Let’s Go Outside, Fish and Wildlife Service." //U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home//. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .**

//This website takes FOREVER to load...but it does have some good info once it does. Its mostly the same as what is in the Last Child in the Woods book and on the Children and Nature Network website but it is presented in a more concise manner with clear headings and facts.// It also has a TON of links and book suggestions as well as a blog with some interesting insights.
 * //Happy Trails Family Nature Club//. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .**

//This book is very blatantly against the idea of children using technology and watching TV. It has some good studies and statistics but the writing comes across as being pretty biased. There is no mention of nature as an alternative to electronics.//
 * Singer, D. G., & Singer, J. L. (2005). //Imagination and Play in the Electronic Age//. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.**

//This book isn't exactly related to children and nature, however it does give some great information about how the television/electronic boom has gotten out of hand, especially in relation to very young children. It emphasizes how electronics are not bad, but their use does need to be taken in moderation. It has a focus on infants and toddlers and the role that industries have played in increasing this issue.//
 * Hayes, D. (2008). //Anytime Playdate: Inside the Preschool Entertainment Boom, or, How Television Became My Baby's Best Friend// (1 ed.). New York City: Free Press.**

//This book is similar to Richard Louv's __Last Child in the Woods__//, only better...at least in my opinion. It has a lot of great studies and explains the psychology behind the statistics really well.
 * Mercogliano, C. (2007). //In Defense of Childhood: Protecting Kids' Inner Wildness//. Boston: Beacon Press.**

//This book is somewhat outdated (even though its only from 1994) but its still a good reference. There isn't much information based off of studies or direct research in it, but it has some interesting observations.//
 * Nabhan, G. P., & Trimble, S. (1994). //The Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places//. Boston: Beacon Press.**


 * Pellegrini, A. D. (2005). //Recess: Its Role in Education and Development (Developing Mind)// (1 ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.**