The Importance of Outdoor Play
- This Or That Mom
- May 1, 2019
- 10 min read
A topic I want to discuss is the benefits of outdoor play for children. For obvious reasons, outdoor play is beneficial for kids. It promotes exercise, improves sensory and gross motor skills, and it even has been shown to contribute to cognitive and social development.
However, we all have heard the concerns parents have these days with advances in technology and kids staying inside more and more often to watch tv or use other electronics.
I’ve been guilty of letting my children watch TV more often than they should. I admit it. I used to let the convenience of the readily available entertainment tempt me. I would allow it, and then let it last for too long. Whether it was my toddler playing a game on my phone, or my stepson’s Xbox obsession, I felt the need to make a change.
My husband and I made it a priority to get our kids outside more. Exploring, learning, practicing a sport, doing whatever they can do keep themselves busy outside. If the weather is nice enough, we are all outside for as long as we can be. It has been one of the best changes I’ve ever made for my kids. They are just happier outside!
I’ve learned to let the house be messy and spend the majority of my daytime after work letting kids be kids outside. There are so many ways to keep them engaged in learning, it’s effortless. And we almost always run into people at the park which is nice for the kids to learn socialization skills too.
I asked these adventurous parents below how and why they make the outdoors a priority. They also shared fun ideas on how to get your kids outside. The simplest outdoor activities can make a big impact on how our children learn and grow.
Thanks to these awesome families below for sharing!
Importance of playing outside:
It is no surprise that a little fresh air can raise your spirits. We feel that being out in nature expands not only your mind but your physical coordination. As a toddler everything is growing and it is all a learning experience. I used to think my sons were just crazy active and hard to control until I got them outside. They just needed a good outlet for there energy and nothing tires a child out like being outdoors. They develop problem solving abilities and a sense of independence. We all know that limiting screen time is best for growing toddlers so outdoor activities are incredibly important. How do you make it a priority? Really it all starts with us as parents and our love for the outdoors and our boys. We want both those things to take up most of our time. Our priority is to have fun. With little kids this means keeping them excited, fed and rested. We plan ahead to make sure an outdoor active like a hike is fun for everyone and not overwhelming. Being prepared is key. We always have snacks, warm cloths, a couple small toys and an optimistic outlook. Activities:
We love outdoor sports like hiking, skiing or biking, but we also like to do scavenger hunts, outside art or building things using the surrounding materials (sand castles, rock towers). We also love bubbles, there are a great take anywhere activity. There are also so many thing to learn while outside. Like how to read a compass, watching for animals, and looking for footprints.
Importance of playing outside:
I believe it’s important to have my children play outside because everyone needs a little fresh air, need to see the sun and I want my children to experience a healthy balanced lifestyle. And I believe it starts with getting outside to be active and to experience Mother Nature!
How do you make it a priority? I think a good way to motivate me is to think about my children. Not to think so much about me and what I’d rather be doing! Would I rather them be stuck in front of a screen or would I prefer them to be outside exploring, playing, and experiencing? I spent most of my childhood outside and I love my childhood! So I say just think about your children!
Activities: My children are still very young, but I incorporate an outside walk every day as a family when the weather is nice! This is by far my 16 month old’s favorite part of the day! She loves getting out to run around, play with dirt, rocks and leaves on the ground and just be outside!
Importance of playing outside:
I feel that it is important for my kids to play outside because I believe it stimulates growth and creativity!
How do you make it a priority?
I send my kids outside after they have had their allotted tablet or TV time.
Activites:
My kids love to collect leaves and sticks and stones and rocks and create anything they can from it.
Importance of playing outside:
To connect with each other, and to be happy. My children are at their happiest when they are playing outside. They learn to talk to one another, to interact and to play. There are no distractions, and it fuels their imagination. They take everything they see and turn it into a game. It’s wonderful to watch. Being outside is proven to aid in mental health, and if that works for adults, then it works for children too.
How do you make it a priority?
We make it a priority by ensuring that Sundays are family days. We book lots of outdoor holidays throughout the year and they also have activity classes through the week. We aim to be outside a little bit each day and especially as the lighter nights come in, the kids can be outside playing until bedtime!
Activities:
Activities we like to do are hiking, I have created an adventure checklist on my blog that anybody can print off. It is nature based and has a bingo card of things to find and tick off. We also like to make dens, have picnics and explore the history of surrounding areas. Lots of places I take the kids have history to them, so we can make stories and use our imaginations as to how people lived there before us.
Importance of playing outside:
Being out in nature without the distractions of technology is invaluable, not just for the kids, but for us as parents too. It’s about spending quality time together. We get to reconnect after the work/school week, face challenges and have discussions about what is going on in our lives. If we run into any problems, we need to solve them as a team, and support each other when the going gets tough. We have little family rituals, like having hot chocolates and earning rewards. Okay, they are actually bribes, but sometimes we need a little motivation to make it up a big hill! Delilah especially loves that this is something we do together as a family. They also enjoy sharing their experiences with friends and family. All of us have developed skills to assess and navigate obstacles and the kids are now able to do this mostly on their own. This gives them a real sense of accomplishment, and we are just a little bit proud too. Hopefully, this will all translate into feeling happier, healthier and more resilient in their lifetimes. How do you make it a priority? The hardest part of going on an adventure is getting out the door! We try and do something every weekend, and sometimes an after school mid-week mini adventure, particularly in daylight savings times. The hardest part is usually making the decision and getting out of the house, but once we are on our way we are excited for the adventure that awaits us. Activites:
Don’t underestimate the little people in your family, they are usually more able than you think and just need your guidance to feel confident being outside their comfort zone. The most important thing is to be present when you’re with them. Try new things, even if you think you’ll be terrible at them. Kids need to see that it doesn’t matter your skill level, just that you gave it a go! Start small, go to the beach, look at rock pools, lay out under the stars and try to find constellations, go camping, make maps of your local park. You don’t need to climb mountains (although one day you may want to meet that challenge!) to have a great time outdoors!
Importance of playing outside:
We’re kind of spoiled in where we live and my kids pretty much only know playing outside. We get to kind of parent like we’re in the 80’s here, my kids run around outside all day unsupervised and only come home when they’re hungry! Haha!
Importance of playing outside: This is extremely important to me for many reasons. Most importantly, I believe that you can learn a lot of important life lessons by simply spending time outdoors making simple mistakes and observing the life around you. Also, I believe that being outdoors exposes children to lots of healthy, immune boosting bacteria etc... Spending time indoors can expose you to a lot more, and more harmful bacteria. I also see that when my child plays outside with other children they tend to be more relaxed and able to work out their own issues.
How do you make it a priority?
Making this a priority is not tough for my family. My wife and I love the outdoors and have tried to instill that in our children from day one... luckily they have taken to it without hesitation (maybe even more than we would have liked) :) that's a joke... honestly though we are just blessed in the fact that our children love being outside.
Activites:
We take them camping, hiking, boating, to farms, anything we can outside and they love it all! Do not hesitate! If you are nervous about doing something new with a small child, be prepared and take them! Worst thing that happens is you clean them up, comfort them a little bit, and try something new. Maybe come back to the uncomfortable activity again later on. It's good to let your kids know that they are not always going to be comfortable, but if they are prepared, they can always have some fun! Of course, be safe and use common sense, but get your kids outside and out of their comfort zone every now and then! They will thank you after
Importance of playing outside:
Children have so much screen time. Of course they can learn from it, but playing outside is so important! While they are playing outside, they learn so much more from nature. Playing outside is so nice; they are outside and get a lot of fresh air (love it!), don’t need many toys (love that too!) and have great times together. How do you make it a priority? At our home we have the rule that if the weather is nice, they need to play outside. So if it doesn’t rain all day or it’s too freezing cold, the kids play most of the times outside. In summer they really have to! We have a lot of space in our garden where they can play and we go out a lot.
Activites: There are so much fun activities and ideas! Visit a farm and discover how nature works, pick your own flowers and fruit, discover nature during a scavenger hunt and find stuff that fits the season (stones, flowers, mushrooms -and maybe some gnomes!-, chesnuts and more! Or go hiking in the woods and let them play and get dirty; climb trees, stamp in cuddles and run! Eat outside during a picnic and enjoy the familytime!
Importance of playing outside:
Fresh air! We find that the more kids are outside, the less sick they get. And there is so much more to explore outside. We try to expose them to different environments, mountains, beach, city, forest...and traveling is a perfect way to achieve both - be outside and try new things! when at home, we make it a habit, and even if we don’t feel like going for a trip, we at least make sure to take the kids to a playground, or to a farmer’s market, or just for a walk. How do you make it a priority?
We motivate our 3 year old to walk and run by playing “running” games: who is there first, follow the sidewalk lines to get somewhere, or playing tag. It’s a workout for us, fun for him.
Importance of playing outside:
More and more research is being done that shows the health benefits associated with time spent outdoors (for both kids and adults!). Being outdoors helps kids to be active, develop their gross motor skills, and develop confidence in their own physical abilities. It has been shown to improve sensory skills, increase attention spans, contribute to emotional development, and boost vitamin D and kids overall immune systems. There are just so many benefits associated with getting kids outdoors, and no drawbacks! Additionally, this is the primary way that our family spends quality time together. Being out in nature together helps us all to relax, connect with each other, and participate in fun activities together. My husband and I love the outdoors and hope to instill this same love of nature in our son. We feel that by developing this connection with the outdoors, he will gain from all the benefits nature has to offer and also become a good steward of the Earth and his environment. How do you make it a priority? Our family tries to spend time outdoors every single day. We do this because we know the numerous benefits to getting outdoors, and we have experienced those benefits for ourselves. We try to live by the mantra, “there’s no such thing as bad weather,” and to get out of our comfort zones to keep doing this in every season. This does require some investment to get the right gear to keep us warm/cool, dry, and happy in the different conditions. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a great deal to get the best gear out there, but even buying used, good-quality gear allows you to have what you need to enjoy yourselves. Additionally, once you have a little financial skin in the game, you are more likely to follow through and keep getting outdoors, because you gotta make use of that gear! There is a fantastic community of outdoor parents that can be accessed in your own area or through social media. It is a great way to learn from and encourage one another. We set outdoor goals for our family by participating in the 365 Mile Challenge and the 52 Hike Challenge, and we are involved with our local Hike it Baby branch. These are great ways to stay accountable and keep outdoor time a priority. Checking out what is available in your area can help you to connect with other like-minded parents who will help support you and your family in getting outside. Activites: I recommend keeping things interesting, especially with kids. Mix up your activities as much as you can: hike in different places or try biking, kayaking, climbing, or just go have some unstructured play time in the park or at the creek. I am a member of the Tales of a Mountain Mama blog team, and I recently wrote a post in our Preserving Wildhood series on engaging the senses: https://talesofamountainmama.com/2019/03/preserving-wildhood-engaging-the-senses.html
which lists several different activities which help kids to explore all their senses outdoors. Kids are easy to please and nature is full of loose parts. It can be as simple as turning littles loose with a hand-held shovel or a magnifying glass, or giving older kids a notebook to journal in and the freedom to roam. https://instagram.com/hiking.home?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1qrurx3ai7yqt
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