While Victory Ranch is renowned for its well-appointed mountain homes and matchless amenities, the community’s true beauty lies in its inspiring setting. Here, amongst 6,700 pristine acres along four miles of the Upper Provo River, families and individuals come to seek a life lived in harmony with nature. And, now more than ever, parents are pining for an environment in which their children can both experience and connect with nature’s untouched beauty.
Recent studies have shown that the average American child spends roughly 4 to 7 minutes a day outdoors in unstructured play and over 7 hours in front of a screen. As these numbers grow increasingly worse, with the introduction of new and easily-accessible technology, it becomes ever more important to submerse children in the natural world that distinctly shaped our very own childhoods. At Victory Ranch, we needn’t strive to challenge the status quo; we naturally do. Here, kids of all ages reap the endless benefits of a life lived amongst the great outdoors. We have science to prove it.
Health Benefits
Exposure to the natural world at a young age isn’t just beneficial to a child’s well-being; it is crucial. While the obvious advantage of playing outdoors is the physical activity that kids engage in, particularly with childhood obesity on the rise, there are countless other science-backed benefits. For example, it is proven that kids who play outside have stronger immune systems, better eyesight, increased levels of vitamin D, less stress and improved memory performance. In fact, children with ADHD experience fewer symptoms while outside.
Self-Reliance
There is a distinction between structured and unstructured play that some parents may not recognize. While engaging in sports is undoubtedly valuable, it is the unregulated activity that provokes curiosity, imagination and self-reliance among children. When kids are able to devise their own games and exploration outdoors, they experience meaningful interactions with the environment and thus approach future endeavors with a sense of self-sufficiency and a more creative outlook.
Appreciation for Nature
Children who grow up in regular contact with nature are likely to develop an abiding appreciation and awareness for the environment, which is particularly beneficial in today’s day and age. Those exposed to the outdoors at a young age often cultivate a lifelong love for its unrestrained beauty and boundless opportunity for adventure, resulting in an unending desire to preserve it. This, of course, is vital in an age in which conservation will determine their future. At Victory Ranch, kids are able to roam freely and safely amongst the untrammeled outdoors, exposing them to a world far more vibrant than what’s seen on a screen. These real interactions, consequently, prompt a more sincere connection with both the natural world and others.
