Norway Knows Best

Want to raise kids who love the outdoors? Try a little friluftsliv. (A Norwegian word, pronounced “Free-Loofs-Leaf,” and can be literally translated as “open-air life.")

Article by Gordy Megroz in Outside Magazine.

Norway Knows Best - Outside Magazine

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A few excerpts:

"Such expereinces - attending a forest school, sleeping outdoors in winter - are part of Norwegians' national identity, whish in part is rooted in wilderness capability and resilience. Axel Rosenberg, a lecturer at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, told me that this trait is captured by the word friluftsliv. The term dates back to the late 19th century and was popularized by Roald Amundsen who in 1911 became the first explorer to reach the South Pole. "

"'The interplay between children and the local environment, which could be playgrounds in an urban environment or the forest or mountains in a more rural area, is what creates resilience,' said the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences' Kristin Vindhol Evensen."

"The Norwegian approach has a definite advantage over the competition - crazed American one, McGarth told me. De-emphasizing results in preadolescent kids allows children whose bodies are still developing to thrive."

It's never too late to try a little friluftsliv!