You may have fond childhood memories of playing outside for hours each day – climbing trees, riding bikes and playing with the kids on your street. Your parents didn’t worry about where you were, as long as you were home in time for dinner.
Nowadays, being a child in Australia is very different. With increased screen time, more structure in children’s days and concerns about child safety, children are spending much less time outdoors.
Unfortunately, this is having negative consequences for children’s wellbeing. Increased time indoors has been linked to attention and coordination difficulties and poor mental health in children.
Studies have shown that children who spend more time outdoors are generally less anxious than children who spend more time indoors. Today, there is an increased concern about child safety, given media coverage of child-related incidents, as well as safety fears stemming from Covid-19. However this has turned into what some call a “culture of fear”. Children are often taught to be scared of playing outside and to avoid taking risks, to avoid the possibility of hurting themselves. However, healthy risk taking during play can help children develop their self-confidence, resilience and problem solving skills. Experts argue that most children are more capable than we think of making decisions about the play that feels safe or unsafe for them. Allowing children to play independently and take risks (depending on age) allows them to reduce feelings of anxiety and grow into mentally healthy adults.
According to studies, sensory issues in children are on the rise. This has been associated with a range of factors, with a decrease in outdoor time being one of them. TV, phones, iPads and artificial lighting can be over-stimulating for many children. Being outside in nature is a chance to escape that overstimulation and engage a child’s senses in a calming and regulating way. In nature, there are many different things to see, hear, touch, smell, etc. which provides healthy sensory exposure. This may help children to regulate their sensory systems and ease the symptoms of sensory processing issues.
Spending time outdoors can also help with focus and attention. More and more evidence is coming out that nature play is linked to improved academic performance in children. Studies have also found that spending time outdoors can help with the symptoms of ADHD. Outdoor play can help children develop their executive functioning skills, inhibitory control and working memory, which are things children with ADHD may struggle with.
Outdoor play can also help children develop their social emotional skills. The outdoors provide a calming and stimulating environment for children to play with others. Most outdoor games and activities require taking turns, negotiating rules and conflict resolution, which indoor activities do not always provide.
You and your child can experience the benefits of outdoor play today! If you are lucky enough to have a backyard, encourage your child to play some outdoor games. You can do these activities with them if they need some extra encouragement. Bringing normal aspects of their routine outside, for example eating breakfast outside, can be a way to ease into it. You could also try introducing a set time for outdoor play (weather permitting of course) as part of you and your child’s daily routine. You can also make use of local parks, playgrounds and friends and family’s backyards.
We hope this could provide some insight on the importance of outdoor play for your child. Getting a reluctant child to play outside can be a challenge, but the immense long term benefits it can have for their wellbeing and development are worth it.
Sources and further reading:
Outdoor Learning Really Does Boost Children’s Academic Performance and Development. The London Economic. https://www.thelondoneconomic.
Why Kids Need Fear and Excitement in Play. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/
From Obesity to Allergies- Outdoor Play is the Best Medicine for Children. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/
The Influence of Outdoor Play on Social and Cognitive Development. Child Encyclopaedia. http://www.child-encyclopedia.
The Decline of Play in Preschoolers – and the Rise in Sensory Issues. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.