According to research, children are smarter, more cooperative, happier and healthier when they have varied opportunities for free, unstructured outdoor play.*
Here are 7 benefits of playing outdoors:
1. Creative, imaginative play. A simple example: It's much more thrilling for a child to pretend to be an airline pilot under the big blue sky than it is to be inside.
2. Promotes emotional coping and stress reduction. We like to call outdoor play a "re-set button."
3. Improved physical health and motor coordination. Kids that run around nature, are working to develop their whole body. Hopping from boulder to boulder, for example, is true test of balance!
4. Cognitive, social and sensory development. Nature's elements and specially designed playground equipment offer just the right stimulation for children of all disabilities.
5. Concentration, self-control and self-discipline. The outdoors is full of learning experiences that can be achieved from individual, parallel and group play.
6. Creative problem-solving skills. Kids can be exposed to situations that teach them about basic life skills and challenges.
7. An appreciation for the environment. With guidance, children can discover nature and the world around them. Through engagement, they will also learn to respect it.
* Children and Nature 2008: A report on the movement to reconnect children to the Natural World
