The importance of outdoor play
Children need to remain active throughout the day; promoting outdoor play allows them to get fresh air and explore their environment more. Hands-on learning, the natural environment and loose parts in the outdoors stimulate children’s senses through what they hear, touch, see and feel.
Outdoor play is an important part of childhood
It’s exciting to see children in their natural environment – exploring their surroundings, being curious about what’s around them and finding joy in seeing new things.
Studies have shown that children can learn a lot from playing outdoors – from improved spatial recognition to simply understanding environmental tendencies.
Simple activities such as seeing leaves change, running and jumping in rain puddles, or watching the flowers sprout during the spring, can make such a great difference.
When children play outside, they are developing skills in all areas of development: cognitive, physical, sensory, language and communication, social and emotional.
Outdoor play promotes healthy habits by actively engaging children in the world around them, helps children to improve their executive functioning, language, early math skill (numerosity and spatial concepts), social developmental, peer relations, physical development and health.
Outdoor environments are a perfect place for children to explore, gather information, and experiment
Young children love to investigate the natural world. They love using their senses to learn about plants, animals, and insects. Outdoor play is wonderful because people are born to move—running, skipping, hopping, swinging are all movements that support children’s learning. When the outdoor environment is safe and free from hazards, parents don’t need to constantly worry about injuries. Children are free to enjoy the outdoors.
Outdoor play encourages better physical and mental health
Children’s immunity, more regular sleeping patterns, and a greater sense of well-being can be attributed to outdoor play.
