Why we love playing outside so much
Outdoors play is essential for children’s learning and development in all areas. Spending time outside supports children’s physical health, their emotional wellbeing and their cognitive development.
At Sticky Fish we want to encourage wonder and curiosity so that children learn to ask questions, reflect on what they find and seek to understand the world around them. A major part of the children’s play takes place in our outside environment. We have a wonderful garden where we have created spaces for different types of play and learning.
OUTDOOR PLAY
Learning Opportunities
Outside play provides learning opportunities for children that an indoor environment does not.
Children have space to explore, learn about appropriate risk taking, develop their own physical boundaries and discover the world using all of their senses.
Being in close contact with the natural environment on a daily basis allows children to truly experience the world around them and gain first-hand knowledge of the wonders of nature using all of their senses.
Physical benefits
There are many physical benefits for children from outdoors play, including increased muscle strength and motor coordination. Being outdoors allows children the freedom to move in a range of ways that will challenge muscles, promote balance and body awareness and support bone health. Children who have lots of fun outdoors are also more likely to develop a healthy attitude to being active and remain active into adulthood. Outdoors play has also been linked to improved immune function. Even eye health is better in children who spend more time being outside.
Emotional wellbeing
As well as the obvious sense of physical wellbeing experienced from being outside, a heightened sense of emotional wellbeing is more likely when children play outside. Children are also more likely to have increased confidence as they learn more about their physical capabilities and the type of play that often happens outside means they become better equipped to play cooperatively and work as part of a team, encouraging improved social interactions.
Outside play often allows children to feel a sense of freedom which enables them to try things they may not otherwise try and encourages perseverance and resilience, key learning characteristics which are needed as children progress through their formal education and beyond.
Experiences that children gain outdoors lead to more opportunities for noticing and commenting which supports communication and language development. Natural found materials such as leaves, stones, mud and bark provide rich sensory stimulation, engaging all of children’s senses and promoting creativity and imaginative play which sparks so many ideas for talk.
The opportunities for problem solving, decision making, designing, building, organising, arranging, creating and testing ideas are endless in the outside environment.