Free range animals are said to produce much better, healthier meat, poultry and dairy products. These animals are not constantly kept in cages or overcrowded conditions. They are allowed to run outdoors to exercise and play in the sunlight to build their muscles and lung capacity in an open environment. If free range is healthier for animals, it stands to reason that it is better for humans too. I grew up a free range child.

Water, dirt and nature. Those are the secret ingredients that create a happy, healthy childhood. They are the stuff that free range children thrive in. Adults too. My siblings and I grew up in the country where a creek fed into a small lake in front of our house. There was a lovely, inviting woods across the road that we played in for hours. Of course, you had to traverse the scary cattle chute (Portal to the Imagination) to get to it. We were feral children, running with the sun on our shoulders, the wind in our hair and a smile on our faces. It was childhood at its best.

What free range kids do with their time

We grew up in a home that my dad and grandpa built. It was a 1400 square foot, three-bedroom, one-bath log house and it sheltered six children from the bumps and bruises of life. By other people’s standards it was very small, but they did not know the joy behind those walls. While we did not have much interior space, my parents more than made up for it with love, security and their presence. And we had the space and freedom to roam the countryside free range style. We were blessed.

A few weeks ago, my wonderful sister gave me a small bag of pine nuts that she had gathered from the pinecones in her yard. She knew that it would ignite a delightful memory for me of when we were growing up. She and I would gather pine nuts out of cones that had dropped from the pine trees in our yard and then we would feast on them wholeheartedly. Little did we know that we were ahead of our time and that pine nuts would eventually be an expensive gourmet food. We also pulled the pitch off of sappy trees and chewed it like gum. That never became popular… understandably. It is a wonder we lived through our free-range eating experiences.

Growing up free range meant that my siblings and I could play outside for hours letting our imaginations lead us. We explored every inch of our property finding the best places to make forts or walking along the water’s edge pulling over rocks to catch crawdads. We had bullfrog races and made mud pies. Sometimes we would throw our fishing lines off of the dock and catch perch and sunfish that we would generously bring as offerings for my mom to fry up. She held firm though when we wanted her to cook the caviar eggs from the perch. We had to fry those ourselves. Another modern-day delicacy of sorts that I must admit I never liked.

My sister and I cannot see a wild Easter Lily without remembering the bouquets we would gather and bring to my mom on Mother’s Day and her birthday. What mother’s heart doesn’t melt when her child offers up a grubby little hand filled with flowers and says, “I picked these for you.”

Opening the gates for children now

It is more of a challenge to let kids run free range these days in our unpredictable world. Parents have to make a conscious effort to allow their kids opportunities to explore outside without an adult managing their time. It takes effort to pull them away from the T.V., Nintendo, and structured activities but it can be done. It was easier growing up in a tech-free world. The U.S. Forest Service has even declared a “National Get Outside Day” to encourage families to spend time together reconnecting with nature (Coast To Coast National GO Day Events Occurred In Support Of Let’s Move Outside | Home). While I applaud their efforts, there is also a part of me that is sad we needed to declare a day just to get kids out in nature. What ever happened to free range children?

Fortunately, they still exist. We just have to make the effort to get out there. Running around outside to explore is necessary for adults and children alike. Even in retirement, I need to spend time outdoors to free my soul. I see my grandkids frequently getting these very opportunities and it makes me smile. We had my 21-month-old granddaughter over the other day. When I asked her what she would like to do, the first thing she said was “outside.” I am grateful for another generation of free range kids. It will help build imaginative, healthy and holistic adults that will lead our world long after we are gone.

An addition to the free range flock

Speaking of the next generation, we have exciting news on the home front. Son #3 and his lovely wife had their second child last week! This precious little bundle is such a blessed addition to our free range flock.