Operation Santa Claus: charity helps Hong Kong children climb, jump and explore nature
‘We found that when we took kids outdoors for activities, the results were very good,’ Gaia Education chief officer says
Hong Kong children whose schools and parents prioritise academic success over outdoor activities have few chances to experience nature, a charity has said.
Gaia Education Limited said the severity of the “nature deficit in children” in the city was reflected in a study that found many primary and secondary students spent only 4.43 hours learning in natural areas each school year.
The 2023-24 study by the Outdoor Wildlife Learning Hong Kong charity found that nearly 30 per cent of schools did not organise any nature-based outdoor learning programmes.
More than 40 per cent of child participants reported visiting nature with their family only once every six months or less, while nearly 10 per cent said they had no such experience, according to the study.
Gaia said that this lack of exposure affected children’s physical, mental and social development.
“We found that when we took kids outdoors for activities, the results were very good,” said Gaia chief officer Yip Chung-sing, a rural teacher who founded the charity with other educators in 2007 to provide children with a holistic, nature-focused education.