Importance of Outside Play

Importance of Outside Play

In today's society, video games and computers have taken the place of playing outside for many children. Lack of physical activity can lead to obesity and a number of other health problems and children who do not spend enough time playing outdoors are typically deprived of social interactions and natural stimulation.

Recent research has found that children who play outside for an average of 90 minutes per day in good weather have less risk of heart trouble later in life. Playing outside not only makes children healthier, there are a number of other benefits to a child's growth and development provided by outdoor play.

Through physical play, young children discover the things their bodies can do. As they increase their skills of running, climbing, or throwing, children gain confidence in themselves and become more motivated to try new things. Playing outside is one of the best ways to boost self-esteem in young children.

When a child feels sure of himself and his abilities, he is more likely to interact with other children. Playing outdoors gives children a chance to play with others and develop healthy social skills. A child learns to share and to take turns outside. Qualities of leadership and cooperation may also begin to emerge in outdoor play events.

Cooperative play situations that occur quite often in outside play give children opportunities to work in groups. Children will work together to create the ideas they have imagined and when conflicts surface or problems arise, they will combine their efforts to resolve them. Playing outdoors can mold a child's social confidence and abilities for the future.

Playing outside also allows children to understand and appreciate the natural world around them. Exploring nature and the elements is a child's first contact with science. All five senses can be expanded through outdoor play. The sounds and sights of nature, along with the smells and the feeling of a spring breeze, are relaxing and enjoyable even to a small child.

Children are likely to make up a number of their own games to play outside. Unstructured play allows children to develop their own styles of play and enhances their creativity and imagination. Large muscle skills can be developed with a variety of balls, ride on toys, or swing sets. Assorted wood scraps and a few construction vehicles can turn the backyard into a building zone while promoting problem solving and logical thinking.

Sandboxes have always been a favorite outdoor activity for children. Small children enjoy exploring how the sand feels and how it moves. Older children learn to use their fine motor skills to dig, to bury, and to build. A variety of buckets and pails and several shovels and rakes should be included with your sand toys. Large, colorful sand molds are great additions as well.

Outside play has always been an important influence in a child's development. Children learn to play together as they develop a number of other skills. In today's technological age it is more important than ever to encourage children to play outdoors, not only for their social and physical development, but for their healthiness.

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