Exploring the Mental Benefits of Nature Interactions for Girl Scouts: A New Study

Recent research from the University of Washington, published in the Journal of Environmental Education, sheds light on how children’s interactions with nature can influence their mental experience and feelings of connectedness. The study focused on Girl Scouts aged 8 to 11, analyzing how embodied interactions—activities that involve engaging multiple senses and bodily movements—impact a child's sense of presence and mental well-being in natural settings.

The researchers examined responses from 127 girl scouts describing recent meaningful nature experiences. A key focus was differentiating between visual interactions, like simply observing birds or leaves, and embodied interactions involving actions like hiking, building snowmen, or talking to animals. These embodied interactions encompass more active participation, engaging senses such as smell, touch, and sound.

Findings revealed that girls who engaged in embodied interactions with nature experienced a stronger sense of presence—being fully in the moment—and a deeper connection to their environment compared to those who only observed visual stimuli. Carly Gray, a doctoral student and co-author of the study, explained that presence refers to an awareness and meaningful engagement with one’s surroundings that extend beyond mere observation, fostering a sense of connection and mindfulness.

To quantify these experiences, the researchers developed a coding framework to analyze written narratives from the girls, categorizing responses based on interaction patterns. The analysis showed that participants describing embodied activities consistently reported higher levels of presence. Examples of embodied interactions ranged from “talking to chickens” and “jumping in puddles” to “hiking on trails,” whereas visual interactions involved descriptions like “looking at a tree.”

This research opens pathways to practical applications in environmental education. Encouraging children to actively engage with nature—beyond just viewing—can foster greater emotional and cognitive connections to the environment. Activities like scent-based exploration or listening and writing about natural sounds can be integrated into teaching strategies. Gray emphasizes that these findings are relevant not only for young children but for educators and families at all ages, promoting fully embodied engagement with the outdoors as a means to cultivate mindfulness, environmental awareness, and well-being.

Ultimately, this study suggests that fostering embodied interactions with nature can enhance mental presence and emotional resilience, offering promising implications for educational practices and outdoor activities aimed at nurturing a deeper human-nature relationship.