Outdoor play is an important part of early childhood. Through participating in outdoor activities, children are able to develop social skills as well as an understanding of the important role nature plays within our everyday lives.
In this blog post, Robyn Taylor Child Development Centre will highlight 5 key benefits of outdoor play for children.
1. Room to Explore and Grow
In an increasingly busy and technologically dominated world, the importance of outdoor play is often neglected. It is all too easy for children to occupy themselves with television, computer games and electronic devices – but too much of this can be detrimental to their growth. When children play outdoors, they are given the freedom to play, learn and grow at their own pace. Whether it’s playing ball games with their peers, building mudpies or climbing play equipment; spending time outdoors helps to stimulate the minds of children and expose them to new situations within a safe and nurturing environment. This benefits every aspect of their development – from physical to cognitive, social and emotional.
2. Social Benefits
Through participating in outdoor play, children form strong social bonds with their peers as they solve problems and work towards a common goal. Many children find the outdoors to be a less intimidating environment, and as a consequence they are often more willing to join in on games and converse with their peers. Outdoor play helps children develop their social skills and learn how to interact with other children whilst away from adult supervision.
3. Health and Wellbeing Benefits
Interacting with nature greatly benefits the learning ability of children; helping to improve mood, concentration and enthusiasm to learn. Whilst playing outdoors, children also absorb Vitamin D from the sun which is important for:
- Maintaining healthy bones and teeth
- Regulating immune system function
- Improving resistance against disease
Research has also shown that outdoor play can reduce the likelihood of a child developing myopia (near-sightedness).
4. Environmental Stewardship
When children step outside, they are exposed to a new world – one characterised by the sound of birds, bees, plants, changing weather and the need to take care of the environment for future generations. At Robyn Taylor Child Development Centre, we are fortunate to have a beautifully landscaped garden, vegetable patch, solar panels and water tanks. Children are encouraged to plant their own herbs and vegetables and enjoy the process from planting to harvest. Not only do children learn to understand the role of mother nature, they are also more likely to develop a healthy attitude towards food and nutrition.
5. Improved Risk Assessment
When playing outdoors, there is always an element of risk involved – but this has a positive benefit on children’s development as it improves their risk assessment skills. Children learn from minor injuries such as falling over in the playground, helping them to develop resilience and make sensible future decisions. Exposure to risky and challenging play within a safe and nurturing environment assists in the development of skills such as:
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Measured Risk Taking
- Independence
- Compassion for Others
Robyn Taylor Early Learning Centre – Quality Care for Your Child
At Robyn Taylor Early Learning Centre Croydon, we are committed to providing quality care and education for every child. With a strong focus on evidence-based strategies and a balance between indoor and outdoor learning, we aim to help children develop their cognitive abilities, emotional resilience, sense of stability and motivation within a safe and nurturing environment.
Our childcare centre is enrolling now – please call 9705 8309 or click here to enrol your child.