Children living in greener neighborhoods performed better on attention and achievement assessments.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 12,000 children across the United States.
Better air quality may help explain why access to green spaces is associated with stronger cognitive performance.
Between schoolwork, screen time, and everyday distractions, children have plenty of things competing for their attention. But new research suggests that something as simple as having more trees and parks nearby could make a difference.
A study from Washington University in St. Louis found that children living in neighborhoods with greater access to green spaces tended to perform better on attention assessments and tests measuring academic-related skills.
The findings support what's known as attention restoration theory. This idea suggests that spending time in natural environments can help restore our ability to concentrate after it's been worn down by everyday demands.
While previous research has explored the relationship between nature and attention, findings haven't always been consistent. Researchers wanted to take a closer look at that connection and better understand what might be driving it.
How researchers studied children's access to nature
For the study, researchers used information from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, a large, ongoing research project that follows approximately 12,000 American children as they grow.
The team analyzed data from 11,868 children, who were around 10 years old on average. Participants completed assessments measuring directed attention, or their ability to deliberately focus, as well as crystallized intelligence, which researchers used as an indicator of achievement-related skills.
Researchers also developed a way to measure how much green space was available in each child's neighborhood. They looked at the percentage of land covered by tree canopies and parks within the census tract where each child lived.
To make their findings more reliable, the team accounted for several other factors that could influence children's performance. These included household and neighborhood disadvantages, ADHD diagnoses, sleep problems, social media use, physical activity, and exposure to air pollution.
What the findings could mean for families
The results showed a positive relationship between neighborhood green space and both attention performance and crystallized intelligence. In other words, children living in greener areas generally performed better on these assessments.
Researchers also found that air quality could help explain part of this relationship. Specifically, lower exposure to fine particle air pollution was associated with some of the benefits seen in greener neighborhoods. Physical activity, however, did not appear to explain the connection.
For families, the findings offer another reason to make room for nature in children's everyday routines. Visiting a local park, spending time around trees, or simply having access to greener outdoor spaces could have benefits beyond getting some fresh air.
However, researchers caution that this study identified associations rather than proving that green spaces directly improve children's attention or academic abilities. More research is needed to understand exactly how nature influences the brain.
Still, the findings suggest that access to parks and trees may be worth considering when thinking about the environments where children live, play, and learn.