SafeNet's Big Back Yard Project
Domestic Violence: The Impact on Childrens’ Lives
Domestic violence is all too real and creates devastating, lasting effects on the victim and her children. In fact, kids often take the brunt of the physical abuse and can be injured or killed during a violent incident. Research shows that even those who haven’t been directly abused are traumatized seeing their mother beaten before their eyes, and children under the age of three suffer the same trauma in witnessing violence as they would if they had directly suffered the abuse.
Half of the residents of our shelters are children and most are under the age of twelve, that is nearly 300 children who reside with us each year. We help children find positive ways to work out their sadness and anger and gain self confidence through talking and doing. Learning to identify their emotions, safety planning, making healthy choices, building a support network—all are proven interventions in helping traumatized children to heal.
Nature’s Influence on Traumatized Children
Nature has a healing influence. Open, unstructured outdoor play has been shown to encourage creativity, reduce anxiety and even significantly reduce learning problems and hyperactivity disorder. Developing the Big Backyard Children’s Garden is the third phase of our $2 million Capital Campaign. In Phase 1, a new shelter annex was constructed and in Phase 2 the original shelter was completely renovated. This large piece of city property adjoining the shelters will be secure and will allow mothers to be assured of their children’s safety. The garden will be filled with an array of plants, trees and flowers that will allow children to connect to the textures, smells and beauty of nature.
Here are a few of our garden activity areas:
· Climbing/Crawling Area will help young children gain self-confidence and a sense of control over their environment. Secured logs and large stepping stones will help with balance.
· Messy Materials Area will encourage kids to use their imaginations, experiment with a variety of natural objects, practice carrying heavy objects and dig in the dirt and sand.
· Building Area will be equipped with boxes and blocks, giving children the chance to strengthen their visual, special, mathematical and abstract thinking abilities.
· Stage- an elevated area for improvisation and creativity.
· Fruit growing bushes- black berries and blue berries grown in a sunny spot, accessible to young hands.
· Tricycle Track will let young children enjoy the sunshine as they three-wheel around a paved course in a pretty corner of the garden.
· Babbling Brook - a shallow stone-filled brook with sandy beach to float a leaf boat or just listen.
Welcoming Our Neighbors
Because many children living in the city don’t get the chance to experience the wonders and benefits nature provides, SafeNet’s garden will welcome supervised children from other neighborhood programs, daycare centers and after-school programs.
Facts About Nature and Kids
· Children who spend time outside are refreshed and calmer, not to mention the benefit from vigorous physical activity.
· Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced fine motor skills, including coordination, balance and agility.
· Nature buffers the impact of life’s stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity.
· Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other.
· Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and wonder. Wonder is an important motivator for life-long learning.
Domestic violence is all too real and creates devastating, lasting effects on the victim and her children. In fact, kids often take the brunt of the physical abuse and can be injured or killed during a violent incident. Research shows that even those who haven’t been directly abused are traumatized seeing their mother beaten before their eyes, and children under the age of three suffer the same trauma in witnessing violence as they would if they had directly suffered the abuse.
Half of the residents of our shelters are children and most are under the age of twelve, that is nearly 300 children who reside with us each year. We help children find positive ways to work out their sadness and anger and gain self confidence through talking and doing. Learning to identify their emotions, safety planning, making healthy choices, building a support network—all are proven interventions in helping traumatized children to heal.
Nature’s Influence on Traumatized Children
Nature has a healing influence. Open, unstructured outdoor play has been shown to encourage creativity, reduce anxiety and even significantly reduce learning problems and hyperactivity disorder. Developing the Big Backyard Children’s Garden is the third phase of our $2 million Capital Campaign. In Phase 1, a new shelter annex was constructed and in Phase 2 the original shelter was completely renovated. This large piece of city property adjoining the shelters will be secure and will allow mothers to be assured of their children’s safety. The garden will be filled with an array of plants, trees and flowers that will allow children to connect to the textures, smells and beauty of nature.
Here are a few of our garden activity areas:
· Climbing/Crawling Area will help young children gain self-confidence and a sense of control over their environment. Secured logs and large stepping stones will help with balance.
· Messy Materials Area will encourage kids to use their imaginations, experiment with a variety of natural objects, practice carrying heavy objects and dig in the dirt and sand.
· Building Area will be equipped with boxes and blocks, giving children the chance to strengthen their visual, special, mathematical and abstract thinking abilities.
· Stage- an elevated area for improvisation and creativity.
· Fruit growing bushes- black berries and blue berries grown in a sunny spot, accessible to young hands.
· Tricycle Track will let young children enjoy the sunshine as they three-wheel around a paved course in a pretty corner of the garden.
· Babbling Brook - a shallow stone-filled brook with sandy beach to float a leaf boat or just listen.
Welcoming Our Neighbors
Because many children living in the city don’t get the chance to experience the wonders and benefits nature provides, SafeNet’s garden will welcome supervised children from other neighborhood programs, daycare centers and after-school programs.
Facts About Nature and Kids
· Children who spend time outside are refreshed and calmer, not to mention the benefit from vigorous physical activity.
· Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced fine motor skills, including coordination, balance and agility.
· Nature buffers the impact of life’s stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity.
· Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other.
· Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and wonder. Wonder is an important motivator for life-long learning.
