Outdoor Play Is Good For Our Kids

Following the last year of the pandemic, while we were forced to remain indoors for a lengthy period of time, some families are struggling to get back outdoors and play. Our society has conflicting ideas about this important topic. For one, parents are afraid for the safety of their children while playing outdoors. The threat of injury or abduction is high, although not quite realistic. Also, more and more children are being forced to remain occupied indoors with their electronic devices while parents work longer hours. The cost of daycare has become exorbitant and parents are choosing to work from home in order to keep costs low. It seems like getting outside to play is becoming more difficult for all of us. In fact, even schools have significantly cut back on the number of minutes allowed for outdoor recess. Most educational programs only provide a 10-30 minute allotment for outdoor play when the minimum recommendation is 40 minutes per day, as cited in the www.sciencedirect.com article, “The Importance of Outdoor Play for Young Children’s Healthy Development,” by Gabriela Bento and Gisela Dias. This article highlights some of these ideas while giving evidence to support getting back outdoors for the health and well-being of our children (and ourselves). 

Reasons to Encourage Outdoor Play

Here are some of the main reasons why outdoor play is good for our kids’ health: contact with the natural environment, learning the importance of risk, opportunities for socialization, and increasing exercise. “The outdoor environment offers unique stimuli that capture children’s attention and interest. Sticks, rocks, flowers, soil, water, etc., are explored with curiosity and drive to learn, as they offer countless possibilities for play,” state authors Bento and Dias in the article. Also, in today’s world, there are risks to playing outdoors like injury or stranger danger. However, we forget that it’s also an opportunity for children to learn and develop new skills that will teach them how to stay safe. Children learn through experience. And, what is a better way to develop those safety skills parents preach by actually practicing them in an outdoor environment?

There are countless opportunities for children to socialize with peers while playing outdoors, as well. “The environment created outside can offer interesting conditions for children and adults to show different aspects of their personality, which normally do not emerge during the time indoors,” add the authors. In fact, the authors found that children cooperate more with each other and less conflicts occur during outdoor play. Even more reason for us to provide these outdoor playdates for our kids. In addition to the positive aspects of socialization, playing outdoors has health benefits to growing and developing bodies. 

Health Benefits of Outdoor Play

The sunshine our kids get outside reduces blood pressure, strengthens bones, and improves sleep quality according to the article, “A Healthy Summer: 5 Benefits of Sun Exposure” by Dr. Charbel Harb. Our bodies need the sun. And, you can protect yourself and your kids from sunburns by applying sunscreen to decrease the risk of a sunburn. So, there’s no excuse for not going out for at least an hour to soak up that Vitamin D! Finally, exercise is more likely to happen while playing outdoors rather than inside.Exercise has many benefits on our kids’ health. Whether kids are throwing a ball, playing chase, jumping rope, swinging on the swing set, or hiking and biking along a trail, they’re being active and that’s what matters. 

Although we can argue that there are many reasons why we don’t get outside as much as we used to, the science tells us that playing outdoors is important for our kids’ health. As parents, we need to create the time and opportunities for our kids to play outdoors, especially if our children’s schools keep decreasing the amount of outside recess. An hour a day will provide a multitude of benefits for our children. So, let’s make this a priority and get outside! 

What types of outdoor activities do you enjoy with your kids? How much time does your family spend outside? Please connect with us on Instagram @MapsCookingKids or on Twitter @MapsCookingKids. Until next time, Agape, be kind, and happy parenting!