Sir David Attenborough On The 1 Thing We Can Do To Help Kids Learn About Our Planet

The naturalist stars in a new series of Planet Earth, which will show at an earlier time so children can tune in.
Sir David Attenborough attends the Global Launch of BBC Studios' "Planet Earth III" at Frameless on October 12, 2023 in London, England.
Dave Benett via Getty Images
Sir David Attenborough attends the Global Launch of BBC Studios' "Planet Earth III" at Frameless on October 12, 2023 in London, England.

As adults we often think we know it all, but Sir David Attenborough wants us to take a step back and notice what we can learn from our children, too.

The 97-year-old will return to TV screens this Sunday with a new series of Planet Earth.

Instead of its previous time slot of 8pm, the naturalist said the show will air at 6.15pm to give children a chance to tune in.

Discussing why this is important, he said: “The reality is that there are worlds outside the playground and outside human society. There is another world out there which operates under a whole different set of rules and at a different pace.”

The broadcaster added that children have an “instinctive understanding” about the way the world operates – and gave the example of a five- or six-year-old watching how insects behave, or how bees collect pollen.

It’s something we could all learn from. Kids pay great attention to certain things and the 97-year-old called on parents to “give children that opportunity to find those particular moments in which they understand the natural world”.

The father-of-two continued: “By and large, children are better at understanding the natural world and as adults we should be making more opportunities for them to do that.”

The new eight-part series will follow some of the world’s most amazing species and aims to “look at the world through a new lens”.

The BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt highlighted how the major theme of the show is about the resilience of the natural world – yet the great threat it faces is from humanity.

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