Rules of the Nature Trail

There are always safety concerns when providing immersive, hands-on experiences for children.  This is particularly true with nature education.  Nature can be unpredictable.  However, we can all take steps to ensure a more positive experience.  And it is extremely important for the experience to stay positive for children to get the most out of nature education.  The following are rules I’ve always used to ensure a positive experience for children.

1.     Anything with a mouth can bite.  That includes children too.  Even I can bite, if necessary.  But instead of biting, people (usually) use their words to convey uneasy feelings.  Animals, for the most part, do not have the ability to use words.  Some animals are able to use other forms of communication; but if we don’t understand it, the final behavior to ensure an animal’s safety, may be to bite.  And yes, some animals are more dangerous than others, which is very important for everyone to understand.

a.     Because anything with a mouth can bite, do not handle or corner animals you are unsure about or know to be dangerous.  Only touch animals you know to be harmless such as your own pet, an animal handled by a person with knowledge about that animal (and only after that person has said it is okay to touch), or animals that in general are harmless like ladybugs (Ladybugs’ mouth parts are too small to bite human skin.).

b.     If an animal is scared, its first instinct is usually to flee.  If it can’t flee, it often must stand its ground and may bite.

c.     Very rarely does an animal bite for no reason!  Understand the possible reasons and go out of your way to prevent encounters with wildlife that would be a negative experience for your child and the animals.

2.     Always make sure your child is calm when touching an animal.  Many animals sense uncertainty and perceive excitement, though they can’t necessarily tell the difference between happy excitement and nervous excitement.  If your son or daughter can’t focus enough to listen to instructions about touching an animal, then they aren’t ready to interact with that animal. 

3.     Never let a child wrap his or her hand around an animal.  Children don’t know their own strength and often feel they need to hold on tight to anything put in their hands.  When you go to a zoo, aquarium or nature center, you might encounter animals that can be touched.  A professional will tell you or you may read a sign that says, “Use two fingers only please.”  The objective here is to prevent animals from being grabbed or squeezed, which will cause harm to the animal and may be a reason for the animal to bite. 

4.     Not all harmless animals should be touched.  If you are introducing your child to a harmless insect, a two-finger touch isn’t suitable.  When first introducing insects, let the bug walk across your child’s arm or shirt before placing it in an open hand.  When you feel sure your child will remain calm, put the insect in the child’s hand (The back of the hand also works well for new encounters.).

5.     Always be prepared to separate the child from the animal if you feel the animal or child may be harmed.  You may be eager to step away and take a photo, but wait a moment to be sure that your child and the animal are comfortable before putting too much distance between yourself and your child. 

6.     Never force a child to do something he or she doesn’t want to do.  Ask once, if your son or daughter wants to touch an animal.  If the answer is no, don’t say any more.  Then touch the animal yourself, describing what you feel (be honest, but never negative), and show interest in the animal.  Try again with your child another day if they aren’t ready.  Keep the interaction positive whether or not your child wants to touch the animal.

a.     There are studies that show information is transferred to long-term memory at a greater rate when a child actually touches an animal than when a child just looks at an animal.  Take advantage of this, and teach values and ideas you want your child to remember, such as conservation, empathy, and more!

b.     However, animal observations are most important to having a deeper understanding of animals.  All interactions with animals should also include observations.  Remember, you can observe almost anything, ranging from color patterns and behaviors to anatomy and reproduction.

7.     Keep in mind that your interactions around animals are the most important for your child.  That is what your child will remember into adulthood.  If you have fears and show them around your child, he or she will learn to have those same fears.  So don’t let that life-long fear of spiders you have determine your son or daughter’s interactions with spiders for the rest of his or her life.

I’ve always used these rules when exposing children to animals.  And with every animal interaction, I’ve watched children walk away with smiles and telling stories of their experience.  I’m sure for most of them, it was the highlight of their day and one they will remember.  I love seeing those children feel at ease, inquisitive, and eager to learn about animals.  Hopefully, these rules will help you see the same in your child too.  Remember, every positive animal interaction your child has inspires empathy, conservation, and curiosity for nature, which is a goal we all share.