Environmental enrichment, the placement of stimulating objects in an environment, encourages brain development. Research shows that children raised in stimulating environments have larger, more developed brains than those raised in deprivation. Environmental enrichment is essential for brain development and recovery from brain injuries.
Environmental enrichment is the placement of stimulating objects in someone’s environment to encourage broader brain development. Research on this topic dates back to the 1940s, when people began to notice that the environment in which mice were raised impacted their ability to solve mazes and puzzles. The researchers also looked at humans and noted similar phenomena, with people raised in stimulating environments having larger, more developed brains than those raised in relative deprivation. These findings are important for understanding brain development and finding ways to treat people recovering from brain injuries.
Environmental enrichment starts very young. In one example, a child needs visual stimulation to develop visual acuity and learn to distinguish between different types of objects. Something as simple as a cell phone hanging from a crib can have a profound impact on brain development. Providing children with toys to manipulate as well as enriching them such as songs and simply talking to the child helps the brain develop neurons. More complex connections within the brain will emerge, and the brain will grow more rapidly and extensively than in a child with minimal environmental enrichment.
Children raised in deprived conditions, such as very austere orphanage environments or poor homes where people cannot afford toys and other sources of stimulation, may experience slower cognitive development. This can become a hindrance later in life, as things like problem solving skills, quick thinking, and the ability to interact with other people at a high level of sophistication are necessary for success in most contexts. Lack of environmental enrichment can close many opportunities to a child.
Children aren’t the only people who benefit from environmental enrichment. Studies of people with degenerative brain diseases, brain injuries and similar problems show that they can recover more fully and more quickly if they are provided with an enriched environment. Providing stimulation triggers recovery, can contribute to neuron growth, and will help the brain remap itself and make new connections to compensate for the damage. Activities such as puzzles not only provide entertainment but also facilitate recovery.
Environmental enrichment studies illustrate the importance of stimulation in the early years of life, as well as after brain injury. Stimulation must begin before children go to school, as young brains develop rapidly and are highly resilient. They also benefit immensely from receiving lots of sensory input from different stimuli, such as textures to teach the nervous system how to distinguish between subtle surface variations and sounds so people can identify and learn to understand speech.
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