Play is one of the most essential and effective ways for children to learn and develop. Outdoor play offers endless activities, exploration and opportunities for children to use their imagination and foster their growth. Here are just a few ways that outdoor play encourages child development. Physical Development Outdoor play helps children develop physically and stay healthy through exercise. Children need activities that help them strengthen muscles and develop coordination. Gross-motor skills, which include whole body movements or core muscle activity, can be strengthened through activities such as kicking and throwing balls, riding bikes, or even just running. Fine-motor skills, which are small muscle physical skills such as writing or cutting, can be developed through playing in a sandbox, coloring with chalk, or digging for rocks and bugs in the dirt. Social-Emotional Well-Being Social-emotional development is also an important skill that can be strengthened through outdoor play. Playing outside offers more opportunities to take risks and test limits. Children learn what they are capable of and are able to work through challenging situations. They are also able to release energy and learn to use the outdoors for emotional regulation. An important element of child development is the use of imagination and learning different types of play. Constructive play is a type of play that is goal-oriented and thoughtful. This can occur through building sandcastles and building towers and forts out of rocks or sticks. Constructive play allows children to have a goal and to figure out how to construct their idea to meet their goal. Another type of play that can be developed while playing outside is sociodramatic play. This is when children use their imagination to act out story lines, play different characters and pretend they are in a different reality. This can be seen when children pretend a playground gym is a pirate ship or when they pretend sand and rocks are food in the sandbox. A third type of play that is very prevalent outdoors is social play. Social play occurs when children find adults or other children to join in their activities. Social play helps children learn important skills such as problem-solving, negotiating, language, turn-taking, and rule-following. Positive Learning Environment An important aspect of parenting is providing opportunities for children to be engaged and entertain themselves through exploration. Fostering a curious environment where children learn to engage in the world around them can help them learn independence, learn through trial-and-error, and even develop basic science concepts. While it’s important to have structured activities to keep children busy, it is also important for children to learn how to find activities and interests to keep themselves entertained. Outdoor play is one of the easiest and most effective ways for your child to learn and develop. It offers invaluable opportunities to develop important life skills that will help your children throughout their childhood and prepare them for adulthood. Nationwide Children’s offers free Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) classes, including 1-on-1 consulting, that can help with this topic and more. For more information, click here, email TripleP@NationwideChildrens.org or call (614) 355-8099.
Play is one of the most essential and effective ways for children to learn and develop. Outdoor play offers endless activities, exploration and opportunities for children to use their imagination and foster their growth. Here are just a few ways that outdoor play encourages child development.
Physical Development
Outdoor play helps children develop physically and stay healthy through exercise. Children need activities that help them strengthen muscles and develop coordination. Gross-motor skills, which include whole body movements or core muscle activity, can be strengthened through activities such as kicking and throwing balls, riding bikes, or even just running. Fine-motor skills, which are small muscle physical skills such as writing or cutting, can be developed through playing in a sandbox, coloring with chalk, or digging for rocks and bugs in the dirt.
Social-Emotional Well-Being
Social-emotional development is also an important skill that can be strengthened through outdoor play. Playing outside offers more opportunities to take risks and test limits. Children learn what they are capable of and are able to work through challenging situations. They are also able to release energy and learn to use the outdoors for emotional regulation.
An important element of child development is the use of imagination and learning different types of play. Constructive play is a type of play that is goal-oriented and thoughtful. This can occur through building sandcastles and building towers and forts out of rocks or sticks. Constructive play allows children to have a goal and to figure out how to construct their idea to meet their goal.
Another type of play that can be developed while playing outside is sociodramatic play. This is when children use their imagination to act out story lines, play different characters and pretend they are in a different reality. This can be seen when children pretend a playground gym is a pirate ship or when they pretend sand and rocks are food in the sandbox.
A third type of play that is very prevalent outdoors is social play. Social play occurs when children find adults or other children to join in their activities. Social play helps children learn important skills such as problem-solving, negotiating, language, turn-taking, and rule-following.
Positive Learning Environment
An important aspect of parenting is providing opportunities for children to be engaged and entertain themselves through exploration. Fostering a curious environment where children learn to engage in the world around them can help them learn independence, learn through trial-and-error, and even develop basic science concepts. While it’s important to have structured activities to keep children busy, it is also important for children to learn how to find activities and interests to keep themselves entertained.
Outdoor play is one of the easiest and most effective ways for your child to learn and develop. It offers invaluable opportunities to develop important life skills that will help your children throughout their childhood and prepare them for adulthood.
Nationwide Children’s offers free Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) classes, including 1-on-1 consulting, that can help with this topic and more. For more information, click here, email TripleP@NationwideChildrens.org or call (614) 355-8099.
