When you think of the outdoors, you might think of sunny days, rainy days, big cuddles or wet socks. Fighting with your little ones to put on their coat or breathing in that fresh air! But did you know that there are many other benefits to being outside and getting involved in outdoor play? Not only for physical and mental health but also for learning opportunities?
Children learn so much from being outside, as they walk, run, jump, climb, look, listen, talk, play and explore. There are so many ways that we can get outside without having to spend a penny; let me share with you the benefits of the outdoors, as well as some ideas for activities to do out and about.
Sometimes the biggest hurdle to outdoor play is simply getting outside! When you can, include getting ready together as part of going out.
No! It really doesn’t matter what you do or where you go, you can find opportunities in everything and there’s learning opportunities all around us. For example, can you spot the numbers on the doors or the letters on the street signs? And how big is that bus? Can you hear the birds singing? Should we count the dogs together? The opportunities are endless. If you’re walking to school, going to the shops or just off to the end of the road to post a letter, it can still be an adventure. For lots of ideas and information on the different places you can go and the benefits of outdoor play - try visiting the Play England website.
Being outside opens up a whole world of learning. Whatever the weather, exploring nature and playing outside offers wonderful opportunities to support your child’s learning and development. Outdoor play can:
There are some great resources online with ideas for outdoor play. Try looking at The Woodland Trust website for more ideas!
There is lots of scientific research that shows children who are physically active have lower health risks. This is in part because outdoor play uses many different types of muscles. Running, jumping, catching, balancing - all these types of movement support children to build their motor skills. It also lowers their blood pressure, improves their eyesight and strengthens their immune system (Blair and Brodney, 1999; Fjortoft, 2001). Being outside also has mental benefits for children; it promotes higher levels of concentration and attention (Wells and Evans, 2003).
Outdoor environments are not only beneficial for children, but for adults too. Getting outdoors has been shown to significantly reduce levels of stress and positively impact mood (Thompson et al, 2012). Natural light has also been found to increase the production of Vitamin D. This helps to regulate emotions and improve mood in both children and adults. Studies have found that just 5 minutes of outdoor time per day can improve mood and self-esteem. This article in The Conversation talks more about the mental and physical health benefits of outdoor play.
Being outside with nature can have a magical effect on us and children; it allows us to feel free, experience adventures and make lasting memories!
If you have found this helpful and want to find out more about supporting your child’s learning, please check out Peeple’s Facebook page. If you’re a practitioner, you can find out about the Peep Learning Together Programme and training on the Peeple website, or email Charlotte on info@peeple.org.uk.
If you’d like to watch and listen to Helen talking about this subject don’t forget you can check out her guest appearance on Dad Chats Live. Our weekly parenting chat hosted on our Instagram Account.
And if you are interested in writing a guest post for us on a subject you feel qualified to talk on please do get in touch and we can explore further.
Has this post inspired you to get outside and play? We'd love to hear about your ideas for outdoor play - or why not try some of the ideas from Helen and tag us in your outdoor play pics on Instagram!
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Dadvengers is a community of parents (that’s Mums and Dad’s) focused on supporting Dads on their journey through parenthood.
Dad Chats Live - talking about the benefits of outdoor play on our children’s development, health and well-being!
With special guest Helen Stroudley from @peeplecentre
The brilliant Helen Stroudley joined Nigel to talk about why playing outdoors is so important! It has a great positive impact on our health and happiness - and does the same for our children. Whether you just get out for a walk or plan a full outside day - Helen tells us why we need to make the most of being outdoors.
Helen also tells us how to be best prepared for getting outdoors, so that there is no stress when we're there. From simply packing extra clothes, to wearing wellies for jumping in puddles! We know our children love to get outside, but hearing an expert tell us why it is so good for us all was a really brilliant chat - Thanks Helen!
Helen has also written us a brilliant blog Why Outdoor Play is Great for Your Health and Happiness She shares some great ideas for things to do with your kids to get the benefits of outdoor play. and answers the following questions
Make sure you check it out!
Plus if you want to know Why it’s important for dads to play with their kids more Susie Robbins joined us on another Dad Chat and wrote us a blog post answering the following.
On Thursday the 6th of February the Baby Club Book – Play and Learn with your Baby was published by DK publishing. Based on our very successful CBeebies show, the book is full of activities that you can enjoy with your baby. In addition, you can also find out about the psychology and child development theories that are the backbone behind each activity.
If you’ve had a look through some of Nigel's baby club diaries you will already be aware of some of the simple ideas, but this book gives a better insight into how it all fits together. Above all it reinforces how little you need to be of great benefit to your child.
Play and Learn with your Baby is divided into the 6 sections. Each one has a direct correlation with an activity in the show, making it simple to follow. Especially if you are familiar with the shows format.
In this chapter you will find out how this aids a sense of identity, feeling valued, predictable routines and more.
Here you will discover many different ways to play with different items and how this play helps your baby learn and develop.
Here you will find out about the opportunities for storytelling and how that storytelling is beneficial to communication in general. You will also see how you can extend the learning on the very books we read on the show.
The songs on The Baby Club are one of the most popular parts. Here you will find examples of some of the songs we use. Plus you’ll discover why songs are so important and see specific things your baby can learn from each different song.
Here you will be introduced to learning through calm time, tidy up time and opportunities for winding down. All very important for a parents sanity 😉
Finally you will see how this can aid feeling secure, regular routines and building resilience.
I know there are many fans of the show who would really benefit from the knowledge in this Baby Club Book. Therefore I’m giving you the chance to win a signed copy of Play and Learn with your Baby? Read the following instructions carefully. All the tasks listed must be completed to stand the best chance of winning.
Competition closes Sunday 23rd of February at 11:59pm. There are only 3 signed books up for grabs, so make sure you complete the tasks properly. For full terms and conditions please follow this link.
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