Research & References
This page brings together our research foundations: key references, short extracts, and evidence that help frame both the problems of the current situation and the directions for action, renewal, and implementation.
This collection is not exhaustive and is regularly expanded with new research projects.
Declining free play
Children's opportunities to play outdoors are declining as free time is taken over by formal schooling and structured activities, while adults increasingly prioritise academic performance over play.
[Pereira et al., 2024, Health and Place — Systematic review of 45 primary studies]
Sedentary living
People in urban settings now spend more than 90% of their lives indoors; sedentary indoor living is described as a serious public health concern, and the situation is especially alarming among children.
[Haahtela et al., 2019, Clinical and Translational Allergy — Peer-reviewed institutional paper]
Microbiome‑linked health risks
Urbanisation and modern lifestyles impoverish human microbiota, disrupt immune regulation, and are driving increases in non-communicable diseases including asthma, allergies, obesity, depression, and anxiety in children and adults.
[Chong-Neto et al., 2022; Haahtela et al., 2019 — Peer-reviewed studies]
Physical activity shortfall
More than three-quarters of boys (77.6%) and nearly nine in ten girls (84.7%) aged 11–17 worldwide fail to meet physical activity guidelines, with outdoor play having declined substantially over recent decades.
[Larouche et al., 2023, IJERPH — Systematic review of longitudinal and intervention studies]
Shrinking freedom outdoors
Children's unsupervised roaming range has shrunk by approximately 90% since the 1970s, dramatically reducing their independent access to nature, risk, and unstructuredexploration.
[DEN Research Report, 2023, citing Moss, 2012 — Research synthesis report]
Constrained self‑determination
In conventional schooling, self-determination is often suppressed or reduced to a minimum; coercive practices that reduce agency and internal motivation are detrimental to children's wellbeing.
[DESC Research Report; Ryan & Deci, Self-Determination Theory —Research synthesis + peer-reviewed literature]
Eye health decline
Myopia, as one of the most common public health problem in the world, is a major eye disease leading to visual impairment in children and adolescents.The heavy educational burden and the prevalence of smart electronic products have led to a sharp increase in the need for long-term short-distance use of eyes, thus resulting in a significant increase in the probability of myopia, with a notable increase in the number of cases diagnosed at an early age and with a high degree of severity.
[Mei et al., 2024, Frontiers in Public Health — Systematic review and meta-analysis (randomized controlled trials)]
Lost nature connection
The language of common nature words is being lost, and children's access to natural environments is declining and unequal, weakening both physical contact with and symbolic representation of the natural world.
[DEN Research Report, 2023, citing Natural England 2009; Macfarlane & Morris 2017 — Research synthesis]
Focus on surface content
Traditional schooling focuses on surface coverage of content, not deep investigation of issues that matter to students, leaving children with limited real say in shaping their own learning and daily life.
[Wadham, Christensen & Leary, 2024, Journal of Educational Researchand Practice — Peer-reviewed integrative literature review]
Screen‑based childhoods
Screens and smartphones have replaced play-based childhood: Jonathan Haidt's widely cited The Anxious Generation (2024) argues this shift has triggered a mental health crisis among young people, already reflected in legislative action across the United States.
[Haidt, 2024 — Book]
Adult‑led childhoods
Free play time has been declining as it competes with formal education and other structured activities, even as the United Nations recognises play as a right under Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
[Pereira et al., 2024, Health and Place —Systematic review]
Nature Benefits
Exposure to nature improves concentration, memory, language skills, and creativity, restores self-directed attention, and reduces anxiety, mental rumination, and the inflammatory stress response in children's central nervous systems.
[DEN Research Report, 2023, drawing on peer-reviewed studies — Research synthesis]
Outdoor Myopia Prevention
Outdoor interventions effectively contribute to the prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents, positively impacting spherical equivalent refraction, axial length, and myopia incidence.
[Front. Public Health, 2024, systematic review and meta-analysis of Randomized controlled trials]
Nature and Cooperation
Nature exposure reduces hostility, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in children, reduces impulsivity and social tension, and fosters cooperation, communication, and the affective state and sense of belonging needed for democratic decision-making to flourish.
[DEN Research Report, 2023 — Research synthesis based on peer-reviewed literature]
Nature Benefits
Spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing across a nationally representative cohort of 20,000 people in England, making nature contact a measurable, actionable health intervention.
[White et al., 2019, Scientific
Reports, cited in Haahtela et al., 2019 — Peer-reviewed study]
Free Play Outdoors
Free child-led play in appropriately designed outdoor spaces — with loose parts, natural elements, and varied terrain — supports spontaneity, enjoyment, self-regulation, agency, and initiative in ways that differ fundamentally from adult-directed instruction.
[Pereira et al., 2024, Health and Place; Veraksa et al., 2025, Frontiers in Psychology — Systematic reviews]
The "Nature Step" approach
The "Nature Step" approach — combining soil contact, fresh food, outdoor activity, and animal contact — supports a richer and more diverse microbiota and healthier immune
regulation, reducing risk for asthma, allergies, and other non-communicable diseases, as demonstrated by the Finnish Allergy Programme.
[Haahtela et al., 2019, Clinical and Translational Allergy — Peer-reviewed institutional paper]
Studies on green schoolyard interventions
Green schoolyard interventions lead children to spend significantly more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, engage in more prosocial interactions, and exhibit reduced sedentary behaviour — benefits sustained up to 16 months after renovation.
[Raney et al., 2019, 2021, cited in Pereira et al., 2024 — Systematic review]
Self-Directed Learners
Children who control more of their learning stay curious, more motivated, and often go deeper into topics that genuinely interest them; follow-up studies show self-directed learners and democratic school graduates can enter higher education and find varied
careers.
[Peter Gray, 2013, Free to Learn — Book / practitioner source, supported by observational studies]
Emotional regulation and resilience
Komisar also shows why emotional regulation is foundational to healthy development. Children do not build resilience by avoiding stress, but by learning to face manageable challenges with the support of emotionally informed adults. Strengthening emotional development, setting clear and loving boundaries, protecting time for rest and real relationships, and reducing overload from constant pressure and screens all help children become more regulated and resilient.
[Komisar 2021, Chicken Little the Sky Isn't Falling: Raising Resilient Adolescents in the New Age of Anxiety —Book / clinical practitioner source]
Democratic education and wellbeing
Democratic education — based on self-determination and democratic community processes — is associated with higher internal motivation, better mental and emotional wellbeing, and the development of personal and social skills that support children in living
happy and meaningful lives.
[DESC Research Report; Ryan & Deci, 2017 — Research synthesis + peer-reviewed theory]
Parents’ presence
Erica Komisar’s work highlights how important it is for parents to be emotionally and physically present in children’s lives, especially in the early years and during adolescence. She argues that children build secure attachment and emotional security through consistent adult availability, warmth, and responsiveness. When parents stay close, listen, validate feelings, and offer steady support, children are better able to feel safe, regulate distress, and develop the resilience they need for healthy growth. This is why we value parent workshops, support circles, and a learning community that actively includes families in the child’s development.
[Komisar, 2024, Being There: Raising Resilient Children. ARC Research Paper]