“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”
— Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)
I know it’s hard, parents, but we need to get our kids looking up from their phones to experience the awe of nature. Seeing nature through a smartphone or screen can be nice, but there’s no real substitute for the real thing.
It’s simple: just go for a walk, and both of you leave your phones at home.
A walk in the park, down the street, or on a local trail—almost every metropolitan area has trails nearby. You can use the AllTrails app or something similar to find one close to you.
Getting out in nature also encourages conversation. Really, putting the phone down in general facilitates connection, but this gives you a good excuse.
Your kids might complain about it—not so much the younger ones, but the older they get, the more attached they become to their devices (just like we are!). That’s okay. Try not to let their complaints derail the experience.
You can say something like, “I know this is different, but just look around. Tell me what you see.”
Over time, even those kids who complain will start to notice the awe of nature. They’ll begin to see the amazing things God has created around them.
And you’ll help them get outside of themselves, discovering things that delight their hearts and open their eyes to a world that’s much bigger than their phones—and certainly bigger than them.
