Childhood has moved indoors, but why does this matter? Patrick Barkham discusses the impact of a disconnect between children and nature, why this is important, and how we can rewild childhood.
When my dad was seven, he disappeared for hours into the countryside around his home, alone, searching for bird nests and caterpillars, or burrowing tunnels in haystacks. When I was nine, I roamed the wooded common beside our home with only my eight-year-old neighbour for company.