Why Play Outside?!

Children’s time outside is diminishing as our society moves towards a more sedentary lifestyle. This is causing a disconnection with the natural world and as a result children are losing out on the numerous play opportunities that exist outside. In nature children are exposed to an ever changing environment that cannot be replicated indoors. In an outdoor environment they have the opportunity to explore, be creative and discover what their bodies are capable of. The benefits of outdoor play can be seen in every area of a child’s early development such as physical and mental well-being as well as cognitive and social development.

 Harvard Medical school has outlined six reasons on why it’s important that children play outside:

1)      Sunshine: Our bodies need sunlight to make vitamin D which is required in several processes within our bodies.  This vitamin plays a role in healthy bone development, our immune system as well as healthy sleep.

2)      Exercise: It is important that children are engaged in physical activity for at least one hour every day. Outside children can engage in active play which is one of the best ways for them to get in their needed daily exercise.

3)      Executive function: These skills are crucial for our success because they help us with tasks such as planning, flexible thinking, self-monitoring, self-control, working memory, time management, organization, creativity, and our ability to solve problems. In order to learn and practice these skills children need to have unstructured time where they are encouraged to make up their own games and solve problems without adult assistance. The outdoors is a great place for children to practice these essential skills.

4)      Taking risks: It’s important that children learn to take risks. This is an idea that makes many parents nervous because we always want our children to be safe. However, if we never let them take risks, they will never have the opportunity to discover what they are capable of.

5)      Socialization: Children need to learn how to cooperate with others, share and make friends on their own. These are skills that are difficult to develop in structured environments. However, as children play together outside, they have numerous opportunities to develop these skills as they learn how to interact with those around them.

6)      Appreciation of nature: If children never experience the joys of nature they will struggle to understand the reasons for protecting it.

 Sources:

Bento, G., & Dias, G. (2017). The importance of outdoor play for young children's healthy development. Porto biomedical journal, 2(5), 157-160.

Claire McCarthy, M. D. (2018, May 22). 6 reasons children need to play outside. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880. 

Outdoor play: Introduction. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. (n.d.). https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/outdoor-play/introduction.

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