I was so determined to hit Jimmy Miller in the shins with my toboggan that I didn't notice the pond.

Maybe I'd better explain.

Winter is upon us. When the snow falls, there's only one place a kid should be: out in the elements, riding sleds down slippery slopes.

Too few children do that anymore.

That's why they're suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by journalist Richard Louv in his book "Last Child in the Woods."

Louv spent 10 years traveling around America interviewing parents, kids, teachers, researchers, and others to learn about children's experiences with nature.

His findings?

By withdrawing from nature, children lose their sense of being rooted in the world. They're more likely to experience stress, hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder, and other modern maladies.

But immersing them in nature produces the opposite........

© Townhall