When trillions of gnat-like aphids are trying to fly up the noses of anyone who ventures outside, this might not be the best time to argue in favor of spending more time communing with nature.

But we're going to try.

This community is fortunate to have several state parks within about an hour's drive. Add to that places such as McLean County's Comlara Park and the Sugar Grove Nature Center at Funks Grove and there are many opportunities to relax in nature.

Even the sewage treatment plant - err, water reclamation plant - near Randolph has a nature trail through wooded areas and around ponds that attract a variety of birds and other wildlife.

There are several places that don't even involve leaving town. Consider Constitution Trail through the Twin Cities, Tipton Trails and Ewing Park's Hedgeapple Woods in Bloomington and Hidden Creek nature area in Normal.

These are good places for both adults and children to explore - especially children.

At a time when childhood obesity is growing problem, children also are spending an increasing amount of "screen time."

A Kaiser Foundation study in 2005 found that the average 8- to 18-year-old spends nearly six hours a day using a computer, playing videogames or watching television, including DVDs and other pre-recorded program.

The increases in obesity and "screen time" are more than a coincidence. It also relates to the decreasing amount of unstructured, outdoor play time children have today.

Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," called the diminishing contact with the outdoor world, "nature deficit disorder."

He argues that spending more time in nature has not only physical but psychological, social and spiritual implications.

Studies have shown time spent outdoors has a positive impact on students with attention deficit disorder or depression and helps children be more focused.

It's good to see schools such as Olympia High School, incorporating nature into their studies - in effect, making nature part of the classroom. The involvement of students, Boys Scouts, community organizations and others in refurbishing the nature trail at the school will give them an even greater connection.

Not only is such hands-on education a good way to engage children, it's also a good way to spark their curiosity and create lifelong learners who recognize that not all learning takes place inside a classroom.

So take a kid fishing, walk through your neighborhood to watch the leaves turn, give children time to explore without worrying about getting dirty, encourage your schools to incorporate hands-on nature experiences into the curriculum.

And don't let kids have all the fun, get out there yourself - once the aphids stop flying.